Konstantin Chaykin doesn’t match neatly into any field, although at first look, you would possibly suppose in any other case. His silver-streaked hair and skinny wire-framed glasses recommend a person rooted in custom, the sort you’d anticipate finding hunched over a workbench, crafting intricate mechanisms. And also you’d be proper—partly. However what lies beneath is a person whose playful creativeness gave life to items just like the Carpe Diem—a timepiece depicting Chronos, the Greek god (who birthed time) holding a useful hourglass built-in into its dial, to a Minion-themed titanium watch priced at practically SGD30,000.
I had the privilege of exchanging a couple of phrases with Chaykin at IAMWATCH, a bustling watch honest which introduced collectively watchmakers, collectors, and fans alike. Right here, he shared extra concerning the launch of his new creation, the ThinKing—a watch measuring a mere 1.65mm in thickness. To place that into perspective, that is the thinnest mechanical watch in existence. If that doesn’t blow your thoughts, think about the extent of ingenuity required for an unbiased watchmaker to not solely craft such a marvel, however out-thin(ok) the colossal watchmaking homes.
The ThinKing borrows from Chaykin’s acclaimed “Wristmon” collection, identified for his or her humanlike attraction. Two “eyes” on the face of the watch—shaped by hour and minute shows—are framed by a metal case engraved with the model’s signature to kind a smile. As a substitute of sandwiching the Ok.23-0 motion—a manually wound calibre providing as much as 32 hours of energy reserve — between two metal surfaces, the motion is woven instantly into the case to maximise thinness. Each element, from the Swiss lever escapement to the ultra-thin winding barrel and double stability system with a geared clutch all work collectively in the direction of a singular fact: create the thinnest rattling watch potential.
However engineering such thinness comes with its personal set of challenges. Chaykin needed to design a patented strap, crafted from alligator leather-based with elastic inserts and titanium helps, to handle the inevitable twisting and stress of damage. The consequence? Not solely the world’s thinnest watch, but in addition one of many lightest.
To step into a hoop dominated by giants like Bvlgari and Richard Mille takes audacity—or insanity. Maybe each. What sort of particular person willingly takes on such a problem? Does Chaykin ever dream up concepts so absurd that even he hesitates? These questions swirled in my thoughts as I delved deeper into his story.
“Too loopy? No.” Chaykin stated with a slight shrug once I lastly requested him. “I’ve had a whole lot of challenges in my life. From the beginning, my watchmaking path has been a difficult technique—virtually loopy. If you happen to examine my timepieces, from the primary to the final, I attempt to not create basic watches. I at all times discover some loopy problem for myself, for my soul, as a result of life shouldn’t be boring.”
The Whimsical
This spirit of caprice and daring might be ambiguously used to sum up Chaykin’s work, notably in his pursuit of the absurd by way of the “Wristmon” collection. Take the Minions Titanium watch, as an example, which options “eyes” for hour and minute shows. However right here, the phases of the moon kind the mischievous smile of a minion, whereas the pupils and tongue shift with time, lending the timepiece virtually a character of its personal. It might come to you as a shock, however there aren’t truly tiny minions operating round beneath the dial rotating gears and the lot. As a substitute, the in-house Ok.18-15 automated calibre retains every little thing operating easily, providing a 42-hour energy reserve.
Though the world might primarily consider Chaykin because the creator of the “Wristmon” collection as a result of all of the acclaim he has acquired due to it, that’s not how he views himself. Removed from it.
“I see myself extra as an artist than something,” he says. It’s a perspective that explains his refusal to be confined by the standard boundaries of watchmaking. If you happen to examine the work of nice artists all through historical past, you’ll see they weren’t outlined by a single assortment or work. Their legacy as an entire is an evolution. That is what Chaykin envisions for himself — lengthy after his loupes have magnified its final stability wheel.
The Classical
One piece we really feel encapsulates this dynamic notably properly is The Cinema. Look no additional than its rectangular body, classic typography carved into silver dials, and a mesmerising Clous de Paris guilloché end adorning the dial. It’s as its title suggests—a watch impressed by cinema. However what sits at 6 o’clock is its defining function. A disc with 12 frames depicts a galloping horse, creating the phantasm of movement—an ode to the first-ever movement image of a horse and its rider in 1873. The in-house KCM-01-0 motion works extra time to energy not solely the timekeeping facet of issues, but in addition the animation sequence. All that is housed inside a 37mm x 47mm metal case, solely 12mm thick. Regardless of the brilliance of this idea, Chaykin has but to show it into a set, greater than 10 years since its inception.
For a person like Konstantin Chaykin, the thought of strictly sticking to a model’s borders is boring. “It could be good for enterprise since many individuals choose that form of consistency—DNA is nice for enterprise. However not for creativity, not for me.” And that, maybe, is the guts of Chaykin’s philosophy. An artist trapped within the physique of a watchmaker, the place the watches he crafts should not simply devices of time, however manifestations of his stressed creativity.
This text was first seen on Esquire Singapore.
For extra on the most recent in leaders tales, click on right here.
