The Genius Temporis, the new watch by Konstantin Chaykin, is unusual. In an industry driven by big brands, these watches were invented by an independent watchmaker. In a world where Switzerland is the largest player, watches made in Russia have appeared. In a world where hours and minutes are indicated by two separate hands, this watch only needs one. Oh, wait, there’s another button on the two watches. And it is precisely this that makes the new Genius Temporis model from Konstantin Chaykin very interesting.
Konstantin Chaykin should not be called simply a watchmaker in the usual sense of the word. First of all, he is Russian. However, let's not dwell on this. After all, there are watchmakers in Finland and the Netherlands too. Even more surprising is that he is the only one creating haute horlogerie watches in a country that is better known for mass-producing cheap mechanical watches with movements influenced by (if not copied from) Swiss calibers. Despite the long tradition of watchmaking in Russia, Konstantin Chaykin has much more interesting to offer. For example, his new creation, Genius Temporis, is a very unusual model. Along with its unique design, the watch features a single-hand dial (mono-aiguille, as it would be called in the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland).
Single-hand watches are not that common, and while we must admit that they are simple and elegant, their comfort is questionable. There are only a few brands that take the risk of producing watches with a single hand, including one that has become popular thanks to this complication: MeisterSinger, for example, with the Circulars model. To maintain the beauty of a single-hand dial while still making it intuitive, the Genius Temporis features what we know to be a unique feature - its single hand is designed to display both hours and minutes.
In normal mode, a single hand will indicate the hours on the outer dial scale. This scale is silver plated, with Roman numerals engraved on the cartouches, which are filled with black varnish. Inside this scale there is a smaller scale to indicate minutes. For what? Because the Genius Temporis watch can also indicate minutes at the request of the owner, just press the button located on two hours. When the wearer of the watch does this, the hand switches to indicate the minutes, which are indicated on the internal scale of the dial. If the button is released, the hand returns to the hour display.
This exclusive, complex device of the Genius Temporis watch is powered by an in-house movement – caliber K.01-5, which was developed specifically for this model. The movement is large - 36 mm, and thus fills the entire case of this watch. It has a 48-hour power reserve, is hand-decorated, the surface of the bridges is decorated with Geneva stripes, and the bevels are beveled and polished. Several movement jewels are set in gold chatons.
The large 44mm case is crafted from 18k rose gold and features both brushed and polished finishes. The dial is made of brass, hand engraved, and plated with rhodium and gold plated. The appearance of the Genius Temporis, with its gilded engraved floral design in the center and Roman numerals in the cartouches, together with the use of a single hand, is a clear homage to early pocket watches. In addition, the complexity added by Konstantin Chaykin to this elegant model allows you to enjoy the simplicity of a single-hand watch, combining it with the precision and practicality of a classic two-hand watch.
*Published with kind permission of monochrome-watches.com