Previously six years, we now have seen 5 completely different watches take the title because the world’s thinnest, and now Konstantin Chaykin has come out of nowhere to steal it away as soon as extra. The Russian watchmaker, higher identified for his wild house watches and his animal-themed Wristmons, Chaykin wasn’t on anybody’s bingo card to contend for the thinness superlative. This competitors, because it had been, has been dominated by manufacturers with numerous cash. After over a decade of deep-pocketed manufacturers dominating the dialog, seeing Konstantin Chaykin come alongside this yr at Geneva Watch Days 2024 to introduce the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing idea watch was a deal with — and naturally, he’s had a little bit of enjoyable with it.
For background, the final six years have gone one thing like this: In 2018, Piaget launched a 2mm watch, adopted by 1.8mm from Bulgari in 2022. Only a few months later, Richard Mille mentioned hiya with a 1.75mm watch, and two years after that Bulgari was again in it with a 1.7mm model of its 2022 watch. Now, Chaykin’s ThinKing steps as much as the throne at simply 1.65mm and some tips up its sleeve. The thought for the ThinKing got here to be after an opportunity encounter Chaykin had with an ultra-thin Nineteenth-century pocket watch with a motion with a cylindrical escapement that was round 1mm thick, an astonishing feat for the time (and now). Years later in 2023, a buyer challenged Chaykin to create an ultra-thin watch and that outdated motion sprung to thoughts instantly.
The Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing measures 40mm throughout and 1.65mm thick, crafted out of a particular chrome steel with elevated hardness that permits it to be worn like a standard watch. It lacks a crystal and is secured to the wrist purchase a patent-pending alligator leather-based strap with elastic inserts and versatile titanium helps. I have to comment that every one of those ultra-thin watches are just too skinny for sensible sporting. I do know just a few celebrities have been seen with them, however having worn watches within the 5mm vary, I can say that they’re unnervingly delicate to the diploma that I’m deeply uncomfortable with them on my wrist. However Chaykin apparently felt a minimum of partly the identical. His resolution was to create an exterior provider case, dubbed the “PalanKing,” into which the ThinKing may be positioned. All the package deal can nonetheless be worn on the wrist, and because of the provider’s personal mechanism which engages with the ThinKing’s, it turns the watch right into a 5.4mm automated timepiece. Nonetheless unsettlingly svelte, however a lot much less so than a wafer-thin 1.65mm case.
When conceiving of the ThinKing, Chaykin needed to determine whether or not to make one thing wild like his Mars Conqueror or stick to the preferred face theme of the Wristmons assortment, which has seen issues variations with a Minion, Santa, and a jack-o’-lantern. He selected the latter, however the ThinKing is arguably essentially the most refined execution of the Wristmons structure — so refined I didn’t discover it till I learn the discharge, however there it’s. The hour show on the left and minutes on the best type the eyes, the emblem is the nostril, and the model identify arcs in a smile throughout the underside.
The watch’s motion, the Ok.23-0 is its personal sort of brilliance. Chaykin developed a brand new mainspring barrel and a brand new double stability wheel, each of which have patents pending. The double stability has one stability that’s engaged by the lever, and in turns engages the second wheel the place the hairspring is discovered; this eliminates added layers and permits for a thinner mechanism. The winding barrel eliminates the ratcheting mechanism typical in most watches in favor of a pawl and flat spring, and the quilt is totally forgone. The 204-component motion has 51 jewels and is manually wound with a key positioned immediately into the mainspring arbor and offers 32 hours of energy on a full wind (the bottom PR of the final 5 title holders was 45 hours, for reference). When positioned or worn within the carrying case (Which has a second motion that Chaykin designates as Ok.23-1), the watch turns into automated and may be set (and wound) with a crown.
Within the grand recreation of one-upmanship that’s the battle for the world’s thinnest watch (or is it one-downmanship?), it’s all a bit foolish. We’re in a continuing state of asymptotic apotheosis, the place there clearly should be a restrict to a watch’s thickness, however manufacturers preserve reestablishing what that restrict is of their quest for glory. It’s thrilling to see a small unbiased model take the crown from Piaget, Bulgari, and Richard Mille. I believe that’s the actual story right here, a David vs. Goliath story, nonetheless short-lived David’s victory could also be. Being a prototype, there is no such thing as a worth given for this idea piece, however Chaykin is evident that this isn’t only a one-off, and he will probably be producing them, maybe with unspecified upgrades. For extra info on the ThinKing, please go to the Konstantin Chaykin web site.