Grand Seiko brings “The Nature of Time” to Milan Design Week 2026.
Grand Seiko will present installations inspired by its brand philosophy, “The Nature of Time,” at Milan Design Week 2026. The exhibition will be open to the public from April 21 to April 26 at the Galleria d’Arte Moderna “Il Castello,” in the heart of Milan’s Brera district. Since 2023, Grand Seiko has served as the Official Timekeeper of Fuorisalone and Brera Design Week, which takes place annually in the same district.
Being in harmony with time and the environment has long been a core aspect of Japanese identity and sensibility. This philosophy, and the pursuit of expressing the essence of time, lies at the heart of Grand Seiko. The concept of “nature,” in both its meanings – “essence” and “environment” – is reflected in Grand Seiko’s watchmaking and this year’s exhibition.
For this year’s installations, Grand Seiko welcomed Toshiki Kiriyama of TRUNK LTD. as the producer, along with three Japanese artists: Atsushi Shindo, whose diverse body of work is guided by the theme “Cultivating Atmospheres”; Takakuni Kawahara, who handcrafts warm, character-rich washi paper; and computer graphics director Shingo Abe, who is renowned for his highly narrative visual expressions.
Installations
“PULSE OF TIME” by Atsushi Shindo
Within the watch dial lies a small universe, scattered with refracted light and layers of depth. This installation expands that delicate multi-layered world into a spatial experience. Hundreds of pulses of light shift and shimmer, leaving faint traces as they fade and reappear. As the seasons change, as the day cycles, and as time flows continuously, these motions rise into form. The viewer is gently drawn into the waves of unending time, as if being absorbed while their consciousness is softly pulled into the depths of layered light.
“aurora” by Takakuni Kawahara
By crafting washi paper with a soft gradient and subtly varying its thinness and fiber structure, a gentle, living quality of light born from its texture and translucency is expressed. As the light shifts, the surface transforms, evoking the quiet, fluid expansion of an aurora. In this unprecedented exploration of washi paper, the installation captures and conveys the passage of time.
“Utsuroi” by Takakuni Kawahara
Centered on the delicacy and dynamism of washi paper, this series of works captures a range of natural phenomena. Inspired by Grand Seiko dial motifs such as “Cherry Blossoms,” “Snowflake,” “Ice Forest,” “Lake Suwa,” and “White Birch,” this work explores the balance between the tranquility of plaster and subtle movement. Moments that occur in an instant become layered impressions of time, an expression of “The Nature of Time” uniquely revealed through washi paper.
“story” by Shingo Abe
Falling petals, accumulating snow, rushing wind, and shadows moving between the trees. Scenes of nature overlap with the passage of time, and fleeting moments crystallize into shimmering fragments. From this interplay of light and shadow, a new landscape emerges. As the texture of the dial’s surface unravels and delicate changes shaped by light unfold, the film invites viewers to feel time distilled and let their thoughts wander.
Exhibition Overview
- Opening days: Tuesday, April 21 – Sunday, April 26, 2026
- Venue: Galleria d’Arte Moderna “Il Castello”
- Address: Via Brera 16, 20121 Milan, Italy
- Organizer: Grand Seiko
- General Producer: Toshiki Kiriyama
- Spatial Design: Hikaru Mori
- Creators: Atsushi Shindo, Takakuni Kawahara, Shingo Abe
About the Creators
Atsushi Shindo
Interior Designer
Past works:
Takakuni Kawahara
Washi Artist
Past works:
Shingo Abe
Filmmaker / CG Director
Past works:
About Grand Seiko
Grand Seiko was born in 1960 with the aim of creating the ultimate wristwatch. Each timepiece is hand-crafted in Japan by skilled craftspeople who ensure the high precision, legibility, durability, and beauty for which the brand has become renowned. Deeply rooted in Japanese heritage, Grand Seiko’s philosophy, "The Nature of Time," celebrates the Japanese spirituality of time, which is inspired by nature and brought to life by craftspeople known as takumi.
Signature models of Grand Seiko
Evolution 9 Collection Hi-Beat 36000 SLGH005
Near the Grand Seiko Studio Shizukuishi, where the brand’s mechanical watches are crafted, lies one of Japan’s largest white birch forests. In both summer and winter, the tall, slender trunks and the white bark of the birch trees present a shimmering vista that is at once beautiful and mysterious. With its intricate pattern and silvery white hue, the watch’s dial captures the essence of these magnificent white birch forests, wrapped in the crisp air of the highlands.
Evolution 9 Collection Spring Drive U.F.A. SLGB003
To the east of Shinshu Watch Studio, where Grand Seiko’s Spring Drive watches are crafted, lie the Kirigamine Highlands, where frost-covered trees can be observed during harsh winter months. The intricately textured dial captures the beauty of these ice forests seen through crisp, clear air, thanks to finishing techniques that create pale blue tones that are subtle yet striking in their presence.
