Perforated surface for metal pendulum and cuckoo clocks
Ryosuke Fukosada creates MOOV and COO, a series of metal and cuckoo clocks that display moving pendulums and birds through perforated and transparent windows. The project keeps the structure of a typical pendulum and cuckoo clock but changes how the parts are shown and how the body is built. The designer crafts them from perforated metal plates, a series of thin metal sheets with evenly spaced holes. Through these openings, the pendulum can be seen while it moves. The motion becomes visible without opening the clock or adding a window.
The holes also guide the placement of other elements. The hands and the time indicators are aligned with specific cutouts to create a clear system. Nothing feels placed by chance. The indicators sit where the holes already exist, so the clock face and the body read as one piece. The metal pendulum and cuckoo clocks come in four versions: white, off-white, mint blue, and green. These tones are chosen to work in many spaces without dominating them. The hands and indicators use stronger colors, however, to help users read the time quickly.
MOOV ivory | all images courtesy of Ryosuke Fukosada, photo by Ariyoshi Matsuo
Metalworking techniques native to Niigata region of Japan
The bodies of the metal pendulum and cuckoo clocks are made using metalworking processes that are common in the Niigata region of Japan, which involve cutting, bending, welding, and painting. The perforated sheets are produced with punch tools that create clean and consistent holes, and using metal with holes changes how the clock feels and behaves. At the same time, the punctures reduce weight, making the object easier to hang and place in modern homes. The material choice of metal is intentional, too, as the designer desires to move the clock away from traditional images of heavy wooden cases.
MOOV, the metal pendulum clock, is often shown together with its cuckoo version, COO. They use the same material, but in COO, a large circular opening marks the place where the cuckoo appears. Around it, smaller circular holes repeat across the surface, and the contrast between the large opening and the small cutouts creates a clear visual rhythm. As with MOOV, the hands and indexes align with selected holes. The design approach shows respect for traditional clock functions while changing the outer form. The pendulum still swings. The cuckoo still appears. What changes is how these actions are framed. The metal pendulum and cuckoo clocks do not hide their mechanics. Instead, they allow users to see time passing through movement, repetition, and holes.
COO mint blue | photo by Ariyoshi Matsuo
COO MoMa Design Store exclusive color | image by MoMA Design Store
the cuckoo moves out of the metal body at specific times | image by MoMA Design Store
the watch hands and pendulum have different colors than the metal bodies | photo by Akihito Mori
the project keeps the structure of a typical pendulum and cuckoo clock | photo by Akihito Mori
