Fusing Horology and Music: Gaku Okada's Groundbreaking Tempo Rubato, The First Pure Wrist Metronome

Gaku Okada has introduced the Tempo Rubato, an ingenious approach to a watch that serves as the world’s first mechanical wrist metronome rather than a time teller. This inventive design grew from Okada’s dual love for jazz drumming and traditional watchmaking. As a student graduate from Hiko Mizuno College of Jewellery, his inventive interpretation of timekeeping embodies a seamless blend of musical rhythm and horology. Despite its resemblance to a watch, the device lacks a common watch element, the hands. Instead, its unique loud ticking provides a rhythmic guide for musicians.

Earlier, a quartz watch with metronome functionality was produced by a branch of the Japanese horological giant, Seiko Instruments. However, this 39.5mm wrist metronome, Tempo Rubato, finds its distinctiveness in its purely mechanical structure. Encased in polished and brushed steel, it pairs elegance on the wrist with an innovative way to control tempo.

The Tempo Rubato presents an inventive escapement mechanism that achieves symmetry in the pallet fork’s oscillation, a key element contributing to its perfect rhythm. This remarkable integration of horology and music is a testament to youthful innovation and creativity.