Smilodon: A New Wristmon by Konstantin Chaykin

2023 New Watches

Andrea David

DATE

28 February 2023

Wristmons by Konstantin Chaykin

Initially reserved for the knowledge of a few, Konstantin Chaykin over the years has found a way to make a place for himself within the world of independent watchmakers by spreading his irreverent creations from the Wristmons collection to all.

These watches, which we can literally call “wrist monsters,” have become famous for their quite unique way of expressing the concept of watchmaking.

Quando abbiamo di fronte a noi un orologio, solitamente ci aspettiamo di trovare delle lancette poste sopra il quadrante pronte ad indicarci l’ora… ma questo non è il caso degli orologi di Konstantin Chaykin che, grazie al loro modo singolare di indicare il tempo, fanno prendere vita all’orologio.

Konstantin chaykin clown — Konstantin Chaykin Clown

In fact, whether it is the first creation released in 2017 (the Joker) or the Clown, the eyes of the characters serve as a dial for telling the time and a dial for telling the minutes.

At the same time, in all of the Russian watchmaker’s creations, we find, at 6 o’clock, the smiling mouths of the different characters with tongues that move as time passes throughout the day indicating different information such as, in the case of the latest creation, the day of the week (again in a completely unique way).

Together these dial elements go to make up that is the face of the characters, and the case serves as the head.

The Konstantin Chaykin Smilodon

The Russian watchmaker’s latest creation takes inspiration directly from the year 2022 of the Chinese lunar calendar, a year that featured the tiger.

This unpredictable, powerful and courageous animal, willing to escape from easily anticipated patterns, according to Chaykin fully represents the philosophy of his new timepiece.

Konstantin Chaykin, however, did not want to depict just any tiger but what is commonly referred to as a “saber-toothed tiger” for a very curious reason that resides within the real name of this animal.

It is a mammal of the feline family that became extinct about 10,000 years ago in America and was named smilodon (smilodon) in 1842 by the scientist who discovered its fossils, Peter Wilhelm Lund.

According to general literature, the term “smilodon” represents the union of the ancient Greek words “smilo” (double-edged knife) and “odonthos” (tooth).

However, the term “smilo” is also believed to mean “smile,” which is precisely why Konstantin Chaykin wanted to take inspiration from this ancient tiger.

quadrante del Konstantin chayikin Smilodon

In fact, if we take a few steps back to 2016, the design of Chaykin’s irreverent Wristmons collection took on the title of “smile,” which is the smile we find at 6 o’clock in all of the Russian watchmaker’s creations from there to today.

Thus, the concept of a smile to be worn inside one’s timepieces, along with wanting to be inspired by the tiger as an animal that conceptually mirrors one’s watches, led Chaykin to choose the saber-toothed tiger. Of course, in this context then it would be more appropriate to call it the Smiling Tiger.

Looking at the clock we find the ancient animal depicted in all its details.

The case, which serves as the tiger’s head complete with ear-shaped lugs at 11 and 13 o’clock , is made of bronze and is 42 mm in diameter.

Konstantin chayikin Smilodon on the wrist

At 6 o’clock, also on the case, is the crown that allows the time to be set and the movement to start when stopped. Looking at the feline face, we find a bronze-colored dial decorated with four different types of guilloché finish.

Prominent at the top are yellow tiger eyes that rotate indicating the hour, in the case of the left eye, and, in the case of the right eye, the minutes. The intense yellow color of the eyes was achieved by Chaykin’s application of hundreds of layers of the finest lacquer.

Below the eyes, in place of the Wristmon collection’s iconic smile, sits the snout of the mighty prehistoric feline framed by characteristic saber-like fangs.

calibro del Konstantin chayikin Smilodon

In the center of the mouth, between the Smilodon’s teeth, six different petroglyph-style images of extinct animals (including a camelope, mammoth, and mastodon) that were most likely prey for the feline are depicted in turn.

These different images, along with a seventh representing a man (corresponding to Sunday), are placed above a disk, below the dial, which rotates each day revealing the next image, that is, the next day.

half caliber of the Konstantin chayikin Smilodon and half full watch

When night falls, the lower jaw of the feline’s mouth closes going to hide the image of the day represented. In the morning, the jaws open again, revealing a new petroglyph indicating the new day.

Of course, to know what day it is you will have to memorize the sequence of this feline’s diet, but I think the effort will be more than compensated by having such a watch on your wrist.

caseback in crystal sapphire of the Konstantin chayikin Smilodon

By rotating the watch, the automatic K.08-2 caliber that brings the saber-toothed tiger to life can be seen through the sapphire crystal case back.

This movement, encased in a case thickness of 13 mm, is based on the Swiss-made Vaucher caliber VMF 3002 with the addition of the Joker indication module produced by the Konstantin Chaykin manufacture and, in the case of this new model, modified and combined with the Smilodon indication of the Daynight cycle through the opening of the mouth.

view of the engraved tiger from the caseback of the Konstantin chayikin Smilodon

On both the winding rotor and the double-pin buckle of the brown leather strap with two-row perforation, the prehistoric feline is recalled.

buckle of the Konstantin chayikin Smilodon with smilodon pins

In fact, on the oscillating weight, we find the relief of the smilodon and on the strap buckle, a really interesting and careful detail, the tusk-shaped pins and lower teeth.