Konstantin Chaykin Presents the Final Version of the 1.65mm ThinKing, the World’s Thinnest Mechanical Watch

The king of ultra-thin watches is back… Mostly known for his popular Wristmons series, we tend to forget that Konstantin Chaykin is also a highly talented independent watchmaker, a member of the AHCI and a man capable of creating extremely complex watches and clocks. He has, for example, applied for close to 100 patents. Last year, Chaykin introduced a fascinating concept named ThinKing, the king of thin, a prototype of what was on its way to becoming the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, at 1.65mm. Now, the final prototype of the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing is here, showing several modifications compared to the initial release. But nothing has changed regarding the dimensions… We have the new record holder for the thinnest mechanical watch. And it’s all the more impressive because previous records were set by established brands with R&D budgets and watchmaking teams. 

Context – the battle for the thinnest watch

The race for the thinnest mechanical watch took a new path when Bulgari started to launch watches within its Octo Finissimo collection, breaking one record after another – thinnest tourbillon movement in 2014, thinnest Minute Repeater in 2016, thinnest Chronograph in 2019, thinnest Perpetual Calendar in 2021 and recently thinnest tourbillon watch (1.85mm), to name a few. Of course, this hegemony was challenged by the other star of ultra-thin, Piaget, which led to a fascinating race. In 2014, Piaget launched the Altiplano 900P, measuring 3.65mm. This was just the beginning. In 2018, Piaget struck hard by presenting the Altiplano Ultimate Concept, a 2mm watch with innovations everywhere. Bulgari broke the record for the thinnest mechanical watch in 2022 with the 1.8mm Octo Finissimo Ultra, a development conducted with movement specialist Concepto. Bulgari’s record was short-lived. Just a few months later, Richard Mille came up with the RM UP-01, a watch with a profile of just 1.75mm. Bulgari has grabbed back the title for the thinnest mechanical watch with the Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC in early 2024, which was just 1.70mm thick.

Enters Konstantin Chaykin… A small independent watchmaker from Moscow without the R&D power of these Swiss giants. And yet, during Geneva Watch Days 2024, he unveiled the ThinKing, a prototype watch just 1.65mm thick, a surprising blend of traditional techniques and clever developments, yet remaining rather non-exotic in its technical solutions. Nevertheless, this watch was on its way to becoming the world’s thinnest mechanical watch, beating giants such as LVMH-owned Bulgari and Richemont-owned Piaget, both long-term members of the small circle of ultra-thin specialists. But the time has come for Chaykin to move from concept to a finalised prototype.

The Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing Final Prototype

Back in August 2024, Chaykin surprised the watch community by unveiling an impressive early-stage prototype of a 1.65 mm-thick watch: the ThinKing. This was an unexpected move, as Chaykin had not previously disclosed his interest in this extremely demanding and difficult field of watchmaking, which, until recently, had been dominated by Swiss watchmakers. Meanwhile, the independent watchmaker and his manufacture continued to work hard to optimise the ultra-thin movement and solve the technical problems that inevitably arise and that have to do with the special characteristics of ultra-thin watches. And we’re here to report that the optimisation phase of the ultra-thin ThinKing watch is now complete, and Konstantin Chaykin presents the ThinKing Final Prototype, which is still 1.65mm thick, smashing all previous records.

Following the presentation of the ThinKing Prototype 2 – the one we presented in this article – some adjustments had to be made, to the point where this process affected almost every aspect. However, the appearance of the watch remained almost unchanged, as the design of the second prototype was retained. The only change that stands out at first glance is the finishing of the front of the case, which on the ThinKing Final Prototype is decorated with a fine vertical brushing instead of a matte finish as on the second prototype. The main watch – not counting the additional PalanKing – stays at 40mm in diameter and 1.65mm in thickness, with the same overall construction that includes a caseback used as the main-plate of the movement, with visible jewels, two Joker indications for the hours and minutes driven by discs within the movement, and the same concessions, where such thinness implies that the watch head can’t be wound and adjusted without the PalanKing case.

Another evolution concerns the material. Chaykin refused to use the special stainless steel he tested in the first and second prototypes as the material for the ThinKing watch case and the PalanKing case carrier – such alloys are a trade-off between corrosion protection and hardness, while both parameters are important for the ThinKing watch. Chaykin, therefore, found an alternative, a special nickel alloy developed in Soviet times for the manufacture of ultra-precision parts. The PalanKing case carrier offered with the ThinKing watch is now made from titanium, which is lightweight, durable, and corrosion-resistant. To avoid scratches on the watch and the carrier case when the ThinKing is inserted into the carrier case, it is equipped with special supports for the screws that secure the ThinKing case – they are polished washers made of the same hard nickel alloy.

The movement, in-house calibre K.23-0, has also been revised and optimised. This extra-thin movement relies on rather traditional methods with touches of ingenuity to cope with the little space available. It features an ultra-thin winding barrel and a double balance wheel with gear clutch (patented invention of Konstantin Chaykin) and a Swiss anchor escapement – Chaykin here splits the classic balance architecture into two elements which are normally attached one on top of another on the balance’s staff (the balance and the roller), by adding a roller balance wheel – I’m still curious to see the effect on friction. The movement is now also entirely decorated.

Finally, the watch is still delivered with the PalanKing additional case. Since the ThinKing is record-breakingly thin at just 1.65 mm, it can’t really be worn like a conventional mechanical wristwatch with manual or automatic winding. This watch is so thin that using a normal winding crown, whose dimensions would have been limited to the same 1.65 mm, is far from comfortable, and the construction of the remontoir would not be very reliable. For that, Chaykin has decided to dispense with the winding crown on the ThinKing watch and offers the future owner of the watch two options. The first is the use of a special key, which, as in the old days, is used to wind the movement and set the time. The second option is named PalanKing, an outer carrier case equipped with an automatic winding system and a winding crown, so you can wear this pair – ThinKing and PalanKing – like a classic automatic watch.

The latter is equipped with a micro-rotor to make it automatic and comprises 19 jewels and 136 components, with 44 additional components for the external case. It brings the dimensions to 45mm in diameter with a total thickness of 5.4mm. It is connected to the ThinKing watch thanks to two keys, one for winding the barrel, the other for time setting, and it is equipped with a traditional crown. Finally, the strap is a specially developed strap made of black leather with elastic inserts and flexible titanium supports (patent pending), closed by a steel pin buckle.

After completing the development of a record-breaking thin mechanical wristwatch, Konstantin Chaykin has decided to auction the ThinKing Final Prototype together with its PalanKing carrier case at the Geneva Watch Auction XXI, hosted by Phillips on May 10 and 11 in Geneva, Switzerland. The watch is listed here and is estimated at CHF 350,000 – 700,000.

For more details, please visit Chaykin.ru.