
Lunar Hijra Clock
Clocks
Over the many centuries of clockmaking’s existence there have been practically no such cases where a clock has been adapted to the characteristics of a particular religion. Décor – yes, religious symbolism – as much as you like, but ingenious mechanisms specially invented and tuned to perform functions characteristic of a single religion? Almost never. In this sense, Konstantin Chaykin can be considered as one of the pioneers of this genre of special mechanics, acting according to the attitudes and customs of religious, national and ethical worldviews.
In Judaism, Shabbat is not considered as the same period of the week as the other days. The Torah instructs followers to distance themselves from the disruptive noises of daily life during Shabbat hours, and to realize that the world has already been created, with one day of the week being able to completely pass without human activity. In the “Decalogue” wristwatch invented by Konstantin Chaykin, the passing of time is measured according to the Jewish system, taking into account the smallest units – heleks and regaim, with the duration of the latter equivalent to an instant. In the “Shabbat” table clock, on the contrary, Konstantin Chaykin deals with the passing of time in an unhurried, calm, measured way.
The “Shabbat Clock” is designed by the author to observe the holding of the Jewish tradition of Shabbat. Konstantin Chaykin equipped it with an unprecedented mechanical device, which either stops the movement a few hours before sunset on Friday, the start of Shabbat, or guarantees that the power reserve is enough for the clock to function until Saturday evening and the end of Shabbat.