Visiting Konstantin Chaykin in Moscow
Since 2018 The Lavish Attic is the official retailer of Konstantin Chaykin. Same as our customers, we are curious about the source of creativity of Konstantin Chaykin. How does he generate boundless ideas and transform the sense of humour to watchmaking? During Christmas in 2019, we travelled to explore.
There are a few objects that you can repeatedly found in the factory: Patent Certificates (over 50 ?), drawings, paintings and books. Whenever ideas spark, his notebook is the best tool to store and extract in the future.
Konstantin Chaykin is a watchmaker, but also an inventor and an adventurer. Unlike Switzerland which owns a brunch of networks and supply chains; what should we imagine when we think of Moscow? In 2003 he built up the manufacture, imported machines and trained up a team of professional watchmakers. They are proud to say that watches are made in-house, starting from a screw, the the testing, they are upholding the highest level of quality.
Case are carefully shaped and undergone strict examination.
For each dial and eye, over 100 layers of spray are applied evenly to strengthen the depth and contrast vision effect. It’s completed in a closed environment.
Eyes are printed with the traditional machine.
Konstantin Chakyin has received world wide recognition. It’s not only judged by awards like GPHG or auction price result (sometimes also confirmed by flourishing replica watch market); his designs are playing across the cultures and geographical boundaries.
MARS CONQUEROR - Nobody knows which of the space corporations will be the first to succeed in conquering Mars, but it is absolutely certainly Konstantin Chaykin is the first watchmaker who invented and produced a specialized 100% mechanical wristwatch suitable for the future conquerors of Mars.
CINEMA - the first mechanical cinema watch in the world, with a miniature zoopraxiscope built into the movement showing the galloping horse as filmed by Muybridge. With the click of a button on the watch you can see the very film with which the history of the cinema began.
LEVITAS - Konstantin Chaykin is famous for being the creator of the world’s first mechanical wristwatch with a transparent dial and a complication with 1000 jewels, the so-called “Mystery of 1000 Jewels”, mysteriously stolen in Paris, in the very same city where Jean-Eugène Robert-Houdin had put on his magical performances.
CARPE DIEM - the watch is not just decorated with attributes of allegorical still-life pieces of the old Dutch masters of the 17th Century, from which this genre originated, but such elements are realised in the watch itself as mechanical functions. Heorhiy Narbut’s allegory, as well as the still lifes of the old Dutch masters, inspired Konstantin Chaykin to create the “Carpe Diem” dial. The winged Cronus reigns on a dial studded with diamond stars, as he measures how long everything in existence should live, sitting on a clockface with an hour hand like on a chariot of time and leaning on an hour glass counting the progression of the minutes.
WRISTMONS - how can we not to mention the most significant model of Konstantin Chaykin? Joker watch, clown watch, pumpkin watch, Dracula watch, Minions watch, and so on. The collection keeps growing and evolving. Left eye tells hours, right eye tells minutes, tongue represents moonphase. Even the ears are well designed as crown and moonphase setter. Facial expression changes every minute and the world is pleased by such happy faces!
Konstantin Chaykin manufacture is a stand-alone building. Watchmakers work til late. Konstantin holds the key to success. We can’t wait to be surprised by his next new models. You are kindly invited to come to our store and we are happy to share more.