Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis – more than just a single-hand watch – Specs and Price

Konstantin Chaykin‘s latest watch, the Genius Temporis, is filled with quite its dosage of uncommon features. In an industry ruled by large brands, it’s still made by an independent watchmaker. In a world where Switzerland lead the game, it’s produced in Russia. In a world where hours and minutes are indicated by two separated hands, it comes with a single hand. Oh wait, there’s more: a pusher at 2 o’clock. That’s where the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis start to be quite interesting.

Konstantin Chaykin is not what we call a conventional watchmaker. First, he’s Russian. Well, we have no problem with that. We already have some Finnish or Dutch watchmakers. What is more surprising is that he’s the only one to create Haute Horlogerie watches in a country that is more known to create cheap mechanical watches with movements inspired (not to say copied) by Swiss calibers. Regardless the old tradition of watchmaking in Russia, Konstantin Chaykin has something much more interesting to offer. His latest creation, the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis, also brings something different. Alongside its unique sense of design, it features a single hand display (mono-aiguille like Swiss-Frenchs like to call it).

Single-hand watches are not really common, and even if we must admit that they are filled with a certain elegance and purity, their legibility is somehow not the best ever seen. There are only a few brands that took the risk to create single-hand watches, including one especially know for this complication: MeisterSinger, with for example the Circulars. In order to keep the beauty of this mono-aiguille mechanism alive together with an intuitive, fast legibility, the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis comes with a unique (at least, as far as we know) feature, that allows the single hand to indicate both the hours and the minutes.

When running normally, the main and only hand will point the hours (on its longer and slightly larger side) on a external hour-track. This track is composed of a silver outer ring with 12 Roman numeral engraved and filled with black lacquer. On the internal border of this hour-track sits another track for the minutes. Why? Because the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis can also display on demand the minutes, by pressing the pusher located at 2 o’clock. When the wearer keeps this pusher pressed, the hand make a twist to indicate the exact minute via the other, smaller side of the single-hand – minutes that are then easily readable on the inner minute track. Once this pusher is released, the main hand will go back to the hour position.

To power this exclusive complication, the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis relies on an in-house movement – calibre K01-5 – which was developed especially for this model. The movement is large at 36mm – and thus filled the case of this watch – boasts 48 hours of power reserve, build with brass, bronze and gold and finished by hand, with bridges chamfered and decorated with Geneva Stripes. It also features gold chatons.

The large 44mm case is made of 18k rose gold and shows both brushed and polished surfaces. The dial is produced from hand engraved brass that is then partially plated. The face of the Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis, with this gilded flowery engraved central part and these boxed Roman numerals is, together with the concept of the single-hand, a nice tribute to ancient pocket watches. Furthermore, the complication added by Konstantin Chaykin in this elegant Genius Temporis allows to enjoy the purity of a single-hand watch together with the precision and practicality of a classical two-hand watch.

The Konstantin Chaykin Genius Temporis is priced at 25.000 Euros. For more details, please visit konstantin-chaykin.ru.