The encounter between Swiss watchmaker Louis Erard and Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has resulted in two visionary timepieces, kinematic monsters equipped with a single eye-which watches over the ticking clock-and a hypnotic mouth ready to devour seconds thanks to a crown of sharp teeth. With these surreal watches, perspective is reversed: it is not we who watch the time, but it is she, in the form of a large, single, round eye, who watches our movements.
Watches that enrich the magical and dreamlike world of “Wristmons” created by independent watchmaker Chaykin, this time with the signature of Louis Erard. The Swiss maison-especially thanks to the leadership of Manuel Emch-is now a regular of cross-collaborations with great artists, designers, and independent watchmakers, such as Alain Silberstein and Vianney Halter, and confirms this trend again with models designed by Konstantin Chaykin .
Konstantin Chaykin is the only Russian watchmaker to have been admitted to the AHCI (Acadèmie Horologère des Crèateurs Indèpendants), of which he also served as president from 2016 to 2019. He is now a benchmark in haute horology, with 94 registered patents, more than any other in the world.
Indeed, Chaykin looks at the world of watchmaking from a unique, irreverent, and surreal point of view, which leads him to create watches that are true cinematic works of art that amaze with their spectacular and irreverent impact.
In particular, Chaykin has expressed his provocative flair in the unforgettable models of the “Wristmons” collection (from the crasis of the words “wrist” and “monsters”), successfully launched in 2017, with the iconic Joker Automaton in 2018 (read more , Konstantin Chaykin Joker: The Hype Of Independents | Italian Watch Spotter), the Minotaur in 2021, and the Harley Quinn in 2022.
These timepieces also respond to Chaykin’s philosophy that watch dials should arouse emotions and continuous stimulation for the wearer, whereas traditional dials are static and become, as one observes them, less and less interesting.
The collection consists of two limited edition models (178 pieces) and a diptych box set that includes both (only 28 pieces). The two models differ only in size and the color of the hour scale: in the 42 mm case version it is green, while in the 39 mm case model it is purple.
The “time eater” dial
For both versions, the dial depicts the “monster” created by Chaykin, whose signature is imprinted at 12 o’clock. In this case, the “monster” that animates the case is inspired by a character from Slavic mythology called Likho and endowed, precisely, with a single eye that, according to the myth, would be an element of protection and an amulet against evil energies and the evil eye.
But Chaykin was also inspired by Spanish painter Francisco Goya’s painting “Saturn Devouring His Son” and Stephen King’s short story “The Langoliers, Time Eaters.”
The dial respects the typical Louis Erard architecture, with the central minute hand, hours at the top and seconds at six o’clock.
Instead, Chaykin’s style is expressed in the hour disc, which represents the eye of the monster, whose black pupil spinning watches us, and the seconds disc, at six o’clock, in the form of a red mouth surrounded by sharp teeth, an emblem of time passing and “devouring” our lives. The minute hand represents the monster’s hands, which show the middle finger on one side and make the gesture of “horns” on the other: according to Chaykin, however, the meaning of these symbols is left to each person’s free interpretation (“It is up to each person to interpret the meaning”).
The strap is also distinctive, black toad leather with stitching (green in the 42mm version and purple in the 39mm version).
The calibre
Both models are driven by the same mechanism, despite the different case sizes. The transparent case back shows the automatic Sellita SW266-1 caliber with 31 jewels and a special oscillating weight embellished with the initials LE (Louis Erard) in black.
Technical details
Reference: ref. 85237AA88 (green model, 42 mm) ref. 85248AA89 (purple model, 39mm)
Availability: Both in limited edition of 178 pieces
Price: CHF 4,000.
Movement: automatic, Sellita caliber SW266-1; Power reserve: 38 hours
Homes: stainless steel, 42 mm (green model) and 39 mm (purple model)
Strap: black toad leather with green stitching (in ref. 85237AA88) or purple (in ref. 85248AA89)
Le Diptyque Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin ref. 22222AA88
Availability: Limited edition of 28 pieces
Price: CHF7,900.
