Konstantin Chaykin: The Artist Imprisoned in a Watchmaker's Body

Learn about Konstantin Chaykin, the guy behind some of the most inventive timepieces in the world.

Konstantin Chaykin (THE HOUR GLASS)

Despite what you might initially believe, Konstantin Chaykin does not cleanly fit into any one category. His tiny wire-framed glasses and silver-streaked hair give the impression that he is a traditional man, the kind you would find bent over a workbench creating complex systems. You would be partially correct. But underneath is a man whose imaginative play gave rise to creations such as the Carpe Diem, a titanium watch with a Minion motif that costs about SGD30,000, and a watch that shows Chronos, the Greek god who created time, holding a working hourglass built into its dial.

At the busy watch fair IAMWATCH, which brought together watchmakers, collectors, and aficionados, I had the honor of speaking with Chaykin for a short while. He talked more about the launch of his latest invention, the ThinKing, a watch that is only 1.65 mm thick, here. This is the thinnest mechanical watch ever made, to put that into context. If it doesn't wow you, think of the amount of creativity needed for a small, independent watchmaker to not only create such a marvel but also outperform the massive watchmaking companies.

The ThinKing takes inspiration from Chaykin's beloved "Wristmon" series, which is renowned for its endearing humanness. A steel case etched with the brand's signature forms a smile around two "eyes" on the watch's face, which are made up of hour and minute displays. To maximize thinness, the K.23-0 movement—a manually wound calibre with up to 32 hours of power reserve—is woven straight into the case rather than sandwiched between two steel surfaces. From the ultra-thin winding barrel and double balance mechanism with a geared clutch to the Swiss lever escapement, every element contributes to the goal of making the thinnest freaking watch conceivable.

However, creating such thinness has its own set of difficulties. In order to handle the unavoidable twisting and strain of wear, Chaykin had to create a patented strap made of alligator leather with titanium supports and elastic inlays. The outcome? Not only is it the lightest watch in the world, but it is also the thinnest.

It takes courage—or insanity—to enter a ring where titans like Richard Mille and Bvlgari rule. Maybe both. Who would voluntarily accept such a challenge? Does Chaykin ever come up with such ridiculous concepts that he is hesitant himself? I kept thinking about these issues as I read more of his account.

"Too insane? No. When I eventually asked Chaykin, he shrugged slightly. "Throughout my life, I've faced several difficulties. My journey as a watchmaker has been difficult from the beginning—almost insane. I try not to make classic watches, as you can see if you look at any of my timepieces. Life shouldn't be dull, so I always find some wild challenge for my spirit and myself.

The Whimsical

Minions “Wristmon” Titanium watch (THE HOUR GLASS)

Chaykin's work might be summed up in an ambiguous way with this sense of whimsy and bravery, especially in his exploration of the ludicrous through the "Wristmon" series. Consider the Minions Titanium watch, which has "eyes" to show the hours and minutes. Here, however, the moon's phases create a minion's wicked smile, and the time-varying pupils and tongue give the watch a personality all its own. You might be surprised to learn that there aren't really microscopic spies scuttling around beneath the gears and the dial. Rather, the internal K.18-15 automated caliber, which has a 42-hour power reserve, keeps everything in working order.

Chaykin does not see himself as the inventor of the “Wristmon” series, despite the fact that the world may mostly think of him as such because of all the praise he has received for it. Not at all.

He claims that he views himself more as an artist than anything else. His refusal to be constrained by the conventional bounds of watchmaking can be explained by this viewpoint. Great artists throughout history were not characterized by a single collection or piece of art, as you will discover if you examine their work. Overall, their legacy is a progression. Long after his loupes had enlarged its final balancing wheel, Chaykin imagines this for himself.

The Classical

The Cinema (THE HOUR GLASS)

The Cinema is one work that, in our opinion, perfectly captures this dynamic. Its rectangular frame, antique text carved into silver dials, and captivating Clous de Paris guilloché finish all serve as indicators. It is exactly what its name implies: a movie-inspired watch. But its distinguishing characteristic is what happens at six o'clock. An homage to the first-ever motion film of a horse and its rider in 1873, the 12-frame disk shows a galloping horse giving the impression of motion. The internal KCM-01-0 movement puts in a lot of effort to power both the animation sequence and the timekeeping portion of things. All of this is contained in a steel case that measures 37 x 47 mm and is only 12 mm thick. Even though this idea is brilliant, Chaykin hasn't made it into a collection after more than a decade.

The idea of rigidly adhering to a brand's boundaries is uninteresting to a man like Konstantin Chaykin. Since many people want such kind of consistency, it might be advantageous for business. DNA is quite beneficial for businesses. But not for me, not for creativity. And it might be the core of Chaykin's thinking. An artist imprisoned in the body of a watchmaker, whose creations are expressions of his restless creativity rather than merely timepieces.