This geographic and political isolation meant that Russian craftsmen often applied engineering solutions which were both innovative and distinct to its creator, and one look into the world of Konstantin Chaykin shows this technical and design prowess taken to unprecedented levels.
Deprived of a true watchmaking legacy or formal structure in his country, and so no college where he could study, the young St Petersburg native by necessity had to acquire his knowledge by way of hard graft, all the time honing a talent which within a decade would be recognized around the world for the beautiful and extraordinary feats of horological micro-engineering he created.
Inspired by a fervent Russian culture of science, philosophy and innovation, whilst growing up in a systematically changing country, Konstantin Chaykin’s watches – and clocks - are a celebration of these influences. Myth, mortality, mystery and history are common themes throughout, ingeniously executed in harmony with a truly inventive mind and an imagination for design which continues to step outside the boundaries and establish new parameters in high watchmaking.
No surprise then that his watches are like no other, and this is true both in their design and in their approach to the conundrum of horology. Here we see time expressed in forms not seen before. The Quartime, with its jumping hours disc and hour hand which completes four circuits every 24 hours, effectively dissecting the day into four quarters. Or perhaps the Lunokhod with its dominating spherical moon across which the earth’s shadow passes. Did you know that its name and unique design are based on the first remotely operated lunar rover as the space race raged? These are just two examples and there is so much more.
Each watch is unique. Each model is completely conceived, designed and then created in house from blocks of raw metals by hand before being minutely detailed, decorated and finished to exhaustive perfection.
