"Karakuri no Mori 2025," packed with the "new fun" of mechanical watches, will be on until Tuesday, November 18th!

Seiko Seed is an initiative to foster new possibilities for wristwatches and provide a variety of enjoyable experiences. As part of this initiative, the exhibition "Karakuri no Mori 2025" is being held in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo from November 5th (Wed) to November 18th (Tue), 2025. I visited the exhibition, which features installations unique to Seiko Seed, which has been exploring the joy and new possibilities of mechanical wristwatches, and would like to share my impressions with you.

Let's go to "Karakuri Forest" held in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo

"Forest of Karakuri" is part of the activities of Seiko Seed, which was launched in 2022. The "Seed" in Seiko Seed stands for "Seiko Experience Engineering and Design," and it conveys the meaning of "activities to experience the various joys of watches created through engineering and design." The project promotes activities that allow people to experience the Seiko Group's slogan, "Seiko that moves the times and hearts," and Karakuri Forest was held as an exhibition to mark the opening of Seiko Seed.

　The fourth installment of Karakuri Forest is currently being held at Lightbox Studio in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo.

Event Details

[Event name] Karakuri Forest 2025
[Period] November 5th (Wednesday) – November 18th (Tuesday), 2025
[Time] 11:00-20:00 (Last admission 19:45)
[Location] LIGHT BOX STUDIO
[Address] 5-16-7 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062
【Admission charge】 Free
[Special site]https://www.seiko-seed.com/karakurinomori2025/

A number of installations that will have you staring at them for a while

　Karakuri no Mori has been deepening its appeal and exploring new possibilities in the mechanisms of mechanical watches. This year, the fourth time the exhibition is being held, a number of works inspired by the "movement" and "sound" of mechanical watches are on display.

　The participating creators are Seiko Watch designer and artist Komatsu Kosei, engineering design group Spline Design Hub, and designer Miyoshi Kensho. Each is exploring, imagining, and expressing the appeal of mechanical watches from their own field of expertise. The producer is TRUNK's Kiriyama Toshiki.

"PUWANTS" can be seen from the exterior of the building

　Located just inside the entrance is "PUWANTS." PUWANTS is an art installation that began in 2014, with 12 different versions produced up until 2024. Utilizing the buoyancy of bubbles generated in the water, the installation moves slowly, this time inspired by time and wristwatches. Bubbles rising from the bottom of the tank cause the objects to rotate, float, and sink, creating a fantastical experience as time passes.

Tsuruoka's top recommendation: "Traces of Time"

　My personal favorite is "Traces of Time." This piece visualizes time by expanding the movement of the hands of a mechanical watch and drawing patterns in the sand. Several basic mechanical movements used by Seiko are placed on the sand, each with a large, arc-shaped white object attached to its center, creating a space reminiscent of a Japanese garden.

　What's unique about these objects is that they are placed in the same positions as the hour and minute hands of a clock. This means that each object rotates once every hour or minute. The patterns gradually change in time, allowing you to enjoy the time with your eyes.

　No matter how strong the torque of a mechanical movement, it seems difficult to rotate such a huge object while drawing pictures in the sand. When I asked Sugita if the torque was different from normal torque, he replied, "The torque is the same. We calculated the size and weight of the object that could be rotated with this torque, as well as the weight of the sand." Incidentally, the object is made of plastic.

Eye-catching "spiral rhythm"

"Spiral Rhythm" is a work inspired by the existence of a mainspring or hairspring. In particular, when the balance wheel is lifted with tweezers, the spiral metal piece vibrates faintly due to the motor, reminiscent of a hanging hairspring. According to the design team, when one gently lifts the mainspring or hairspring, "it feels like a vessel housing the power and rhythm that drives time." The motor installed will be used exclusively for this piece.

"Moon Mobile" that repeats the phases of the moon

　The "Moon Mobile" is characterized by a slowly rotating disk. As its name suggests, the ratio of light to shadow changes as the disk reflects light and rotates, representing the phases of the moon. The key point is that it rotates once per minute, giving the appearance of the hands of a watch ticking away the time.

The world seen through a magnifying glass: "Intersection of Time"

　This installation features two movements and a second hand attached to them that rotates. If you look closely, you will see that there is a small doll on the tip of the second hand, and when the hands of the two movements lined up side by side pass each other at a single point, you can enjoy the sight of the dolls greeting each other or touching a ball or a wall. In order not to interfere with their movements, the objects do not actually touch each other.

　The hands and figures in this piece are made of aluminum, and although they have a very long reach and are equipped with figures, the torque is the same as that of a normal watch. This is a unique installation that can only be achieved with a powerful mechanical watch.

Music from a mechanical watch?! "Movement of Time"

"Movement of Time" is a piece of music created by collecting and combining the faint mechanical sounds made by mechanical movements every day. Three movements are performed using the ticking sounds of Seiko's balance wheels, which beat at 6, 8, and 10 vibrations per second, and the sound of the rotor rotating. It is not uncommon to enjoy mechanical sounds, but turning them into music is an undertaking worthy of Seiko Seed.

For both mechanical watch lovers and non-fans

　We visited "Karakuri no Mori 2025," which is being held as part of Seiko Seed. As mentioned at the beginning, this exhibition has always sought to "explore the appeal and new possibilities of mechanical watch mechanisms," and the exhibits this time also embody this concept.

　On the other hand, it's not like you have to be a fan of mechanical watches to enjoy it. The numerous installations are enjoyable to see and hear, even if you don't have any knowledge of watches. The second floor is an archive exhibition, where you can view Seiko's past products and the "Extraordinary Watches Exhibition," an exhibit held at Seiko Seed, through the display fixtures.

　Whether you're a fan of mechanical watches or not, we highly recommend stopping by Karakuri Forest if you have time during the event.