The magnificent Carpe Diem from Russian Master Watchmaker and AHCI member Konstantin Chaykin is one of the most profoundly beautiful and technically unique watches of our time, brought to life through the hands of one of the world's most prodigious watchmaking innovators.
To simply refer to it as a watch would be to ignore the fact that it is every bit as much true horological art, crammed with mythical and spiritual metaphors, and it is no exaggeration to say that its like has never been seen before.
The Konstantin Chaykin Carpe Diem not only tells the time, it tells the story of time, reminding us in no uncertain terms in its name and through the dial's symbolism of the brevity of life yet the eternity of time, with the strong implication that one should always 'Seize the Day", as Carpe Diem translates from Latin.
Holding a fearsome scythe in his left hand with his right resting on his trusty hour glass, the winged ancient god Chronos, father of Time, adorns the night sky dial with tiny diamonds twinkling around him.
Beneath the solid silver figure the hours are displayed on an immaculate hand painted white enamel ring with roman numerals and a delightful oxidised blued steel hand in a rose gold setting.
Six tiny white dots on the lower 'bulb' of the hourglass denote the passing of minutes in six ten-minute increments, and the 'sand' appears to trickle through from top to bottom before 'refilling' at the passing of the hour.
As with the hourglass which is estimated to have first existed over 2,000 years ago, the days of the week are represented by the ancient planetary symbols which gave our days their names.
