Konstantin Chaykin Harlequin Ventuno

The Konstantin Chaykin Harlequin Ventuno is the latest addition to the brand’s Wristmons collection. While the disarming face of this watch exudes humour, there is a serious amount of watchmaking prowess located behind its eyes.

On several occasions, I have been asked, “Who are the best watchmakers in the World?” In reality, the answer is very subjective. “Many aficionados would argue that Philippe Dufour is the best practitioner of finissage. On the other hand, Andreas Strehler is an amazing engineer, a watchmaking genius often tasked by big brands to troubleshoot a problematic movement.

Personally speaking, I am a huge admirer of François-Paul Journe, a technical genius, aesthete and businessman. Indeed, in my opinion, Journe is the closest we have to a modern-day Breguet. I suspect if you were to ask another watch journalist to proffer a list of names, they may well cite other elite watchmakers.

Nevertheless, there is one name that I would always place within this rarefied group of watchmaking’s elite, Konstantin Chaykin. Most watchmakers attend specialist schools and receive formal instruction. However, it was very different for Chaykin who is self-taught and did not follow the same path as others.

The absence of a formal watchmaking education has served Chaykin well. He has not been constrained by amassed knowledge or felt obliged to conform to accepted norms, he has exercised his grey cells and conceived clocks and watches few others would ever even think of. He has made clocks and watches endowed with Islamic, Jewish and Orthodox calendar indications. Likewise, his Carpe Diem, Cinema, Genius Temporis and Lunokhod walked on virgin snow. Indeed, every Chaykin watch has encompassed breathtaking styling and mechanical virtuosity. However, Chaykin’s greatest commercial success is undoubtedly the Joker, first unveiled in 2017.

The Joker wonderfully showcases the Russian’s ingenuity. Two prominent eyes share responsibility for imparting time. The hours are indicated with the left eye, while the minutes are conveyed with its counterpart, positioned opposite. The age of the moon is shown with a bright red tongue, while various symbols, usually seen on playing cards, adorn the bezel. At the heart of the watch, Chaykin uses a Swiss ETA 2824-2. However, while this base movement is widely used throughout the watch industry, the son of St Petersburg extensively reworked it in order to bring the Joker to life.

Following the public’s favourable response to the Joker, Chaykin decided to create further models styled in a similar vein, his so-called Wristmons (Monsters on the Wrist). These newer creations have included ‘The Clown’, ‘The Pumpkin Head’, ‘Joker Soccer’, the ‘Dracula Special’ and several more.

Each fun-loving creation has been eagerly devoured by hungry watch collectors and resale prices now attract substantial premiums. It would seem the allure of the Russian’s watches shows no sign of waning anytime soon.

The Konstantin Chaykin Harlequin Ventuno is the company’s latest model. Its name, meaning ’21’ in Italian, is a nod to the gambling inspired prize-winning watch of 2017. Consistent with other members of the Wristmon collection, there is a delightful quotient of fun. Named after the playful Italian jester, the Harlequin Ventuno features a depiction of a mask spanning the dial as well as a disarming smile at the base of the display.

The aforementioned ‘Clown’ won the GPHG Audacity prize in 2018 providing recognition for the incredibly talented Chaykin who has always taken his own route to success. The Konstantin Chaykin Harlequin Ventuno perpetuates the Joker story and reaffirms why I believe Konstantin is one of the greatest watchmakers of today.

The brand’s press release

Harlequin Ventuno, or Commedia dell’Alta Orologeria

What can we call the Wristmons collection, regularly replenished by Konstantin Chaykin since the first in the series, the Joker watch, was presented in 2017? One possible answer to this question is that it is a comedy of haute horlogerie. Indeed, the mask-like dials of the watches, equipped with Konstantin Chaykin’s Joker-indication, with hour and minute indicator discs and the trademark moon smile, turn the collection, in spite of the will of the master who created it, into a japery, a theatrical performance, a collection of diverse characters. In Italy, this is known as the commedia dell’arte, where the audience is amused, provoked and entertained by Pantalone, Brighella, Pulcinella, Columbina, and of course, among many others, the Harlequin, perhaps the most popular mask of the Venetian comedy theatre. Without him, without his black half-mask, without his bright suit sewn with multi-coloured diamonds, without his inherent fun and naivety, along with his ability to get himself into difficult situations – and find a way out of course – it would be difficult to imagine a performance in the commedia dell’arte style. One day Konstantin Chaykin decided that without a Wristmon dedicated to this character, his comedy production of haute horlogerie would be incomplete, and so he announces the release of the new, limited edition, Harlequin Ventuno.

Why Ventuno? Because we are now in the twenty-first year of the twenty-first century. In Italian, ‘twenty- one’ is ‘ventuno’ – a number closely associated with gambling. Konstantin Chaykin believes he has chosen the perfect moment to release this model, since the Harlequin is characterized by precisely such qualities found in gamblers – passion, zeal and enthusiasm. Indeed, it is easy to get enthusiastic about this watch. The big-eyed face of the Harlequin Ventuno observes the world with joyful enthusiasm and a readiness to completely let loose and go for it, even if it is not encouraged in the present circumstances.

Enjoying life with the Harlequin Ventuno

The classic stainless-steel case of the Wristmons collection is engraved on the reverse with the Harlequin’s mask and his jester’s hat on a background of diamond shapes in relief. The branded bezel is decorated with letters in relief which combine to form the name of the watch – Harlequin – while the exclusive strap is decorated with stitched red and black diamonds on a white base. The dial is also made in silver-white with red and black tones. The black mask, like the wings of a bat, partly covers the face-like dial, giving this Wristmon a unique character full of emotion. The expression on the face-like dial, with hour- and minute- indicator discs as eyes and the trademark moon smile, is constantly changing, every minute showing us a new emotion. We cannot resist this stream of emotions as we succumb to the charisma of the Harlequin Ventuno. There are no other wristwatches, besides those of Konstantin Chaykin’s Wristmons collection, which are capable of this.

The Harlequin Ventuno watch will be released in a limited edition of 18 pieces.