Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic
Joker Classic

Joker Classic

(IN STOCK)
275 000 kr

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THE JOKER CLASSIC: 

THE RETURN OF A LEGEND

In April 2024, during the Masters of Horology exhibition in Geneva, Konstantin Chaykin unveiled a new timepiece, the Joker Classic, from the Wristmons collection — a line celebrated for its anthropomorphic dials, playfully referred to as "wrist monsters". This launch has been eagerly awaited by the connoisseurs of both the brand and fine watchmaking for the past seven years.

Back in 2017, at BaselWorld, Konstantin Chaykin introduced the original Joker, the first piece in the Wristmons collection, which quickly rose to fame.

For the first time, the watch industry was introduced to a timepiece featuring an anthropomorphic dial, with the hour and minute indicators forming the eyes and the moonphase indicator forming a smiling mouth.

This novelty immediately captured the attention and admiration of all who saw it and sparked a unanimous desire among collectors to own this piece of horological art. It's no surprise that the first Joker, encased in steel and limited to 99 pieces, quickly became a sensation and sold out before the end of BaselWorld-2017.

WRISTMONS FAMILY

The Joker was the genesis of what has become a large family of Wristmons, now numbering over 30 unique and limited editions.

Although most are now treasured parts of private collections, the original Joker remains a coveted dream for many.

Of course, replicating this series is out of the question: its unparalleled status as the progenitor of all Wristmons remains undisputed.

However, the long-awaited moment for connoisseurs of the brand has arrived. With the Joker Classic, Konstantin Chaykin has once again taken on the ambitious challenge of creating a completely new watch while retaining the iconic design that made the collection a success. The result is nothing short of remarkable:

  1. An all-new movement designed specifically for this model;
  2. The reinterpretation of the Joker's classic design through innovative techniques;
  3. A reduction in the diameter of the steel case to a more wearable 40mm.

Remember the quote from Alice in Wonderland? We must run as fast as we can just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that. This watch reminded me of the timeless wisdom of those words. It's now gone seven years. For the new watch to have the same emotional impact as my first Joker, I had to change it completely. Naturally, we started with the movement, which reached a completely different level. But the dial also needed attention: the Wristmons had become a cultural icon, and the wavy white guilloché had become a hallmark of the collection. Therefore, I adopted new techniques to refresh the dial's appeal, reflecting the novelty felt back in 2017.

Konstantin Chaykin

CASE 40 MM

Made entirely at the "Konstantin Chaykin" Manufacture, the new 40mm steel case marks a shift from the previous 42mm size. The watch industry's early 2000s trend of increasing watch diameters has shifted towards smaller sizes. The Joker Classic features a slimmer bezel, adorned with card suits and the letter J, a nod to the original Joker.

MOVEMENT

The Wristmon's movement has evolved too. The Joker Classic features a transparent caseback that allows a glimpse into its mechanics, powered by the new self-winding calibre K.18-18. While the proprietary Joker-indication module mirrors the original design, it has been adapted to the new case size and mounted on a newly developed base movement from the Swiss Manufacture La Joux-Perret.

A variant of the automatic calibre G200 was adapted to the specifications of the "Konstantin Chaykin" Manufacture. The movement's intricate finishes, such as the сôtes de Genève and hand-polished chamfers, are visible through the transparent caseback. The long power reserve of 68 hours was one of the features that attracted Konstantin Chaykin to this movement.

He was also impressed by its robust balance assembly, which comprises a balance bridge anchored at two ends instead of one, a free-sprung balance with regulating eccentrics. These features perfectly align with the industry's contemporary technological standards. In addition, this movement is equipped with an automatic winding rotor crafted by the "Konstantin Chaykin" Manufacture.

DIAL

And most importantly, the "face" of the anthropomorphic watch. A new dial has been designed for the Joker Classic. The visage of the Wristmon remains instantly recognizable, but the proportions of the "face" have changed significantly. In crafting the new watch, Konstantin Chaykin retained the dimensions of the hour and minute indicators, making the character's eyes nearly identical in size to those of the first watch. However, set against a smaller dial, they appear larger and more vivid. The Joker Classic thus emerges as even more striking to the eye.

VARIANTS

The Joker Classic comes in two versions: the original color scheme of the debut Joker, with a white dial and green highlights, or a version in light gray accented with burgundy and red.

ORDER A WATCH

The number of watches is limited: no more than 100 pieces will be produced each year.

To place an order, please send us an enquiry. We will contact you for details.

Technical information


Functions

  • Joker-indication of time with disk indicators for hours, minutes, and moonphase
  • Automatic winding.

Сase

  • Stainless steel

Case dimensions

  • Diameter 40 mm, thickness 12.2 mm

Сrystal

  • Sapphire crystal with antireflection coating, diameter 33 mm, caseback with sapphire crystal (diameter 25,5 mm; antireflection coating)

Case components

  • 41

Caseback

  • Stainless steel with a sapphire window caseback, secured by 6 screws

Dial finish

  • Silvering, ruthenium plating, relief decoration with guilloché grain de riz and pavé de Paris patterns

Dial components

  • 9

Strap

  • Black alligator leather with calfskin lining

Buckle

  • Stainless steel by "Konstantin Chaykin" Manufacture

Movement:

Caliber 

  • Self-winding K.18-18

Base movement

  • Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G200, modified

Joker-indication module:

  • Produced by the "Konstantin Chaykin" Manufacture

Movement dimensions

  • Diameter 33.4 mm, thickness 8.72 mm (incl. module)

Escapement

  • Anchor 

Balance wheel frequency 

  • 28,800 vph

Power reserve

  • 68 hours

Jewels 

  • 32 (base movement – 24 jewels, module – 8 jewels)

Module parts

  • 72

Limited edition

  • 100 timepieces per year

ABOUT KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN

MANUFACTORY«KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN»

For high-end watch connoisseurs around the world

The Konstantin Chaykin Manufactory, founded in 2003 by Konstantin Chaykin, Russian inventor and watchmaker, is the only luxury watchmaking brand producing timepieces made exclusively in Russia. Konstantin Chaykin and his manufactory are renowned to watch connoisseurs around the world for their watchmaking art. Konstantin Chaykin brand’s is recognised by the global professional watchmaking community as one of the most creative and original in the world.

AUDACITY, SKILL AND INGENUITY

The history of the Russian watch brand “Konstantin Chaykin” began on 23rd October 2003 when a young and ambitious inventor from St. Petersburg discovered his passion for the world of mechanical complications, intending to create the first watch with a tourbillon in Russia for 175 years. Starting with the repair and restoration of table clocks and wristwatches, he thoroughly mastered all the subtleties of creating mechanisms and methods for manufacturing watch parts. He was guided by the desire to create new, unprecedented masterpieces of haute horlogerie. In 2005 Konstantin Chaykin registered his first patent for his Orthodox Easter computus, which automatically calculates and displays the dates of the Orthodox Easter. As of February 2020, the number of patents in his portfolio stands at 79, with a further 62 utility model patents, the most of anybody in the watchmaking industry.

KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN’S WORKSHOP HAS GROWN INTO A MANUFACTORY CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ALMOST ALL THE COMPONENTS REQUIRED IN THE ASSEMBLY OF A WATCH.


His global renown comes from inventions never before seen, such as timepieces with a Muslim calendar, with an Orthodox Easter date indicator, with a spherical moonphase indicator (the largest ever created for a wristwatch), with a moving image projector, and with a single switchable hour-minute hand.

The real breakthrough for Konstantin Chaykin in haute horlogerie was the “Joker” watch he created with the dial as a face, with hours and minutes indicated by rotating eyes along with the now instantly recognisable Konstantin Chaykin trademark, the smiling moonphase indicator.

FROM THESE MASTER CRAFTSMEN COME AMAZING, COMPLEX WATCHES

The rate of production at Konstantin Chaykin Manufactory is around 200-250 pieces per year. The production of one exclusive custom-made timepiece takes from eight months to a few years. We work on each timepiece as an artist works on a painting, therefore each object is unique.

“We are not only reviving Russian haute horlogerie but we are also part of the global watch industry”.

DREAMING OF UNIQUE TIMEPIECES

The myth that Russians do not know how to make watches must be destroyed, as it is not only false but also defames the glorious history of our state and sullies the names of great people who have given their lives to create the most complicated watches and movements.

The idea of giving watches pronounced anthropomorphic features has been with me for a long time. I believe a watch is not just a mechanism, it is a piece of contemporary art, a real objet d’art, which should evoke strong emotions.

This applies to each of my timepieces. For example, the “Lunokhod” watch is unlike any wristwatch in the world, the “Cinema” watch has a unique moving image projector, and the “Carpe Diem” model has a complication giving an allegorical interpretation of how time elapses.

These watches are complex and artistic while at the same time also philosophical. From an artistic viewpoint the “Joker” watch seems to be the logical continuation of this theme. I wanted to create a watch that makes a connection with its owner, bringing instant emotion

Konstantin Chaykin

THE COMPLETE REJECTION OF ANONYMOUS MASS PRODUCTION

Over the years Konstantin Chaykin has gathered a team of professionals who share his passion for perfection and beauty in the art of fine watchmaking. That’s how the first manufactory of haute horlogerie in modern Russia was born.

Today under Chaykin’s leadership there is a well-coordinated team of just over 10 people. Together they develop the latest watch masterpieces, reviving the classic traditions of watchmaking based on the values of master craftsmen.

WATCHMAKING HERITAGE

Konstantin Chaykin’s Manufactory building is located in a uniquely historical part of Moscow, next to the picturesque Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve.

Such a place holds great meaning for us, as the bells of the clocktower here ring out the time every hour.

In Kolomenskoye one can find the only exhibition in Russia dedicated to clocktower mechanisms of the 16th – 19th Centuries.

Among the unique displays are the oldest surviving hand-made mechanism of Russian craftsman Semyon Chasovik, which he made in 1539 for the Solovetsky Monastery, as well as an anchor mechanism from the Pafnutiev Borovsky Monastery made by Rezantsov. A visit to the Konstantin Chaykin Manufactory is a journey into the world of time. In the modern two-storey mansion one can find a space for engineers, a design department, a department for the design and development of calibres, as well as an assembly and testing workshop. The latest computer-controlled metal-cutting machinery is located on the ground floor, where all components are manufactured.

On the second floor, the inner workings of the watch are assembled before everything is finally put together ready for quality control. With all departments under one roof, specialists from different areas can readily interact and exchange their skills. This also helps create the unique artistic atmosphere of the manufactory.

OUR CRAFTSMEN ARE NOT JUST PROFESSIONAL WATCHMAKERS, THEY PASSIONATELY AIM FOR PERFECTION IN THE ART OF WATCHMAKING

Who could have thought twenty years ago that in Russia, watches would be made that could compete with the finest examples from Switzerland, Germany and Japan? The work of Konstantin Chaykin, Russian inventor and master of haute horlogerie, has become widely regarded and respected globally.

In 2010 Konstantin Chaykin became the first – and to date only – Russian member of the AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, or Academy of Independent Watchmakers), holding the post of president from 2016 to 2019. On November 9th 2018 Konstantin Chaykin and his “Clown” watch were awarded the “Audacity” prize at the Geneva Grand Prix of Horlogerie 2018 (GPHG, Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève), the most highly regarded and prestigious watch competition in the world. Konstantin Chaykin was the first Russian watchmaker in history to take home such an award.

"As the function of a watch as a device for telling the time passes to smartphones and smartwatches, it is emotions that mechanical watches can, and indeed must, give".

Konstantin Chaykin

PROPRIETARY INVENTIONS

The watches of Konstantin Chaykin, a unique representative of the independent watchmakers’ movement, truly stand out from the mass productions of big multinational corporations. They are the embodiment of the desires and skills to create the bravest and most unusual ideas – be they philosophical, design or technical. Konstantin Chaykin doesn’t produce watches which are standardised for the mainstream. His entire collection is based exclusively on his own inventions, including the “Moscow Computus”, invented by Chaykin to calculate the Orthodox Easter dates and the most complex mechanical clock ever made in the history of Russian clockmaking; the “Lunokhod” watch, with a unique spherical moon-phase indicator – the largest of its type ever placed in a wristwatch; the “Cinema” watch, with a built-in miniature projector, able to reproduce moving photographic images, of a design never seen before in a wristwatch; the “Levitas” watch, with its own revised and optimised version of the “mysterious” time display on a transparent dial; the “Russia Time” watch, with a display showing all 11 time zones of Russia; the “Mars Conqueror”, the world’s first complex mechanical watch to show Martian time, as well as other astronomical and cosmic indicators; a table clock and wristwatch with calendar displays created according to Muslim and Jewish traditions, and more…

PHILOSOPHY

It’s Russia time, baby! 

Russia. Natural resources, vast territories, a harmonious blend of people of different backgrounds and cultures, a country full of powerful, intellectual and creative potential. This land has given the world outstanding scientists and genius writers, poets, musicians and artists. To this day, people are born here who are able to look into the future and produce incredible things. Maintaining the traditions of haute horlogerie in Russia, we try to embody the creative spirit of this great country.

For an independent watchmaker there are two paths – to investigate the craft traditions of the past and adorn watches with classic finishes and traditional complications, or to look for uncharted territory, going beyond established frameworks and creating new traditions. Back in 2005, at the beginning of his career, Konstantin Chaykin chose the second path, abandoning the manufacture of traditional clocks with a fusée-and-chain transmission, tourbillon and perpetual calendar for the invention of an Orthodox computus, a device calculating and displaying the dates of the Orthodox Easter, which had never been invented before.

THREE SOURCES AND THREE COMPONENTS OF KONSTANTIN CHAYKIN’S WATCHMAKING ART

When starting a new project, and thinking what his latest timepiece should be, Konstantin Chaykin follows his creative principles: “When I start a new project, I am guided by my three creative principles – first, an idea is born, be it philosophical, technical or artistic, which captures all my thoughts. Then I come up with the design which will most completely and adequately express this idea. Finally, I construct a movement that brings everything to life.

“Every new watch is a huge amount of creative work. From my point of view, inspirations for new watches and projects are everywhere – in museums, books, films and even in conversations with friends. Something interesting can always come to your mind” – Konstantin Chaykin

If you design something well-known, for example a calendar, chronograph or repeater, everything can be done faster as everything is already known, having already been calculated by past masters. But because all our watches are created based on my own inventions, an incredible amount of effort, resources and time is required.

We focus on connoisseurs of the art of watchmaking, who are tired of the mass-produced and mostly impersonal products of famous brands. For real aficionados, it is emotions which are very important, a response which comes from the heart as soon as such a truly extraordinary watch, conceived with ingenuity and made with the highest levels of craftsmanship, is placed on the wrist.

Konstantin Chaykin

TIMEPIECES FOR EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE

Watches by Konstantin Chaykin reveal a part of the character of their owner. They belong to people who are not afraid to think independently, who have the courage to act and who have their own points of view on life.

To be different from everyone else, to do what hasn’t been done before, to amaze, to delight, to lead – that is an extraordinary person. Such are the watch collections which are created for them.

INVENTIONS

“Having decided to test myself in the world of haute horlogerie, in 2003, I began with the creation of a table clock with tourbillon. Why did I start this? Because I had read in a watchmaking magazine that nobody had ever made tourbillons in Russia. I was hooked!” – Konstantin Chaykin

Konstantin Chaykin began his watchmaking career with a tourbillon, the globally-recognised symbol of haute horlogerie, thereby setting a high bar for his future manufactory.

When Konstantin Chaykin mastered tourbillons, the haute horlogerie classic, he realised that he could reproduce any previously-invented watchmaking device. However, this didn’t appeal to him. He immediately understood that it would be much more interesting to invent things himself.

Every watch by Konstantin Chaykin is equipped with complex mechanical calibres, which are made and based exclusively on his own movements, functions and designs. Therefore, a Konstantin Chaykin watch is incomparable in the global watchmaking industry.

Moscow, 29th April. At the plenary session of the XIII International Forum “Intellectual Property – XXI Century”, held by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, the ceremony awarding Russian inventor Konstantin Chaykin with the WIPO gold medal took place. The combination of extraordinary creative thinking and the refusal to follow the beaten path is typical of the inventive style of Konstantin Chaykin, characteristics shared with many of his watches.

On October 13, 2022, 9th Temporis International Awards ceremony was held in Zurich. Konstantin Chaykin participated in the ceremony and joined the Temporis Hall of Fame.

The award was established by Dan Vardie, publisher of Temporis watch media. He stood behind the establishment of the Temporis International Awards Jury that selects the winners each year among participating watchmakers. In addition to the award, Dan Vardie created a tradition of an "honour ceremony" for the most outstanding and famous masters of Haute Horlogerie in the world - introduction to the Temporis Hall of Fame. There are currently 27 outstanding people in the Hall, including legendary watchmakers and inventors like Kurt Klaus, Philippe Dufour, Kari Voutilainen, Richard Mille, Michel Parmigiani and Ludwig Oechslin. For the first time in the history of watchmaking, Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin was privileged to join the Temporis Hall of Fame in 2022.

On November 17, 2022, Konstantin Chaykin was awarded the "Distinguished Inventor of Russian Federation" title – the official certificate, recognizing the master's long and successful career as an inventor was signed by the president Vladimir Putin. Many scientists, engineers, experimenters who have contributed significantly to the development of both Russian and global science, were given this award. And now Konstantin Chaykin officially joins them.

The Medal of the Russian Ministry of Finance "For Diligence and Art" was given as an award at the ceremony which was held on 27th of December, 2022. It has a long history: it was presented by the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Empire at all national exhibitions in the XIXth and early XXth centuries. In 2022, the traditional award was returned by the Russian Ministry of Finance. The winners are the leading representatives of the jewellery and watchmaking industries, including the famous Russian watchmaker and inventor Konstantin Chaykin.

Konstantin Chaykin – author of 94 patents for his inventions as well as 62 utility model patents (as of April 2023), the most of any watchmaker in the world. In total he has designed over 30 mechanical calibres and functional models.

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