Many technical innovations have come to us from Japan, some of which have even revolutionized the world of watchmaking. While this latest innovation might not be as disruptive as Seiko’s introduction of the affordable quartz movement, it certainly has a brilliance about it.

The project is called “kakitokei”, which means “writing clock” in Japanese, but it is commonly known as the Plock. The name is a combination of “plot” and “clock” already hinting at how the time of day is displayed.

The whimsical creation is the work of the extremely talented Suzuki Kango of the Tohoku University of Art and Design. The Plock was made to fulfill his senior thesis, and it’s safe to assume that Suzuki passed with flying colours.

The contraption is part time keeper part writing device. Each minute, the wooden mechanism kicks into motion, engaging with the writing arms that then write the time on a magnetic board.

For a better idea of how mesmerizing the 60cm wide Plock actually operates, check out the video below.

While timekeeping accuracy won’t match any quartz movement to be sure - in no small part because wood is easily warped - just watching the machine come to live every minute is satisfying enough.

The Plock is a massive accomplishment by the 22-year-old student, who does not have immediate plans to commercialize his creation. But something tells me that we might be seeing a miniaturized version of the timekeeper in the near future, made out of more durable and reliable metal components.