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Watchmaker with eye for detail
By Lu Nengneng |
November 3, 2011, Thursday
|
Online Edition
Online Edition
FOR Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin, a watch is not just an instrument to measure time, but also to remember the various chronological systems of human civilization.
At 2011 Top Marques Shanghai, a luxury exhibition held last week, the St. Petersburg native introduced to China for the first time his one-of-a-kind timepieces to calculate Orthodox Easter, Jewish, Muslim, and lunar dates.
His classic Decalogue watch, which records the movement of time counterclockwise, honors the ancient Jewish view that the Earth moved counterclockwise around the sun.
And his latest edition of the Lunokhod watch runs according to the lunar calendar and reproduces the changing moon phases.
Chaykin has invented 10 patented devices to facilitate religious and astronomical calendar movements since he established his namesake brand in 2004.
The graduate of his home city's telecommunications college was enchanted by micro-mechanisms when helping start a watch wholesale business 10 years ago.
The multi-ethnicity of Russia later inspired him to create the Religion and Calendar collection for his brand.
During the exhibition, he spoke to Shanghai Daily.
Q: You didn't have any education in watchmaking. What was it like to learn everything from scratch.
A: I pored over a lot of research before setting my hand on design, which was an experience of creating while learning. I drew all the sketches on the paper as I had no computer. I am very determined to push my ideas through and that's why I am here today.
Q: You seem to have a particular interest in building timepieces with religious elements. Explain the brand's slogan "religion of time?"
A: For me, religion stands for a belief in a broader sense, a belief that a timepiece has the power to extend our presence in history. The world's civilization has always been inseparable from religions. When people look at my watch, they are reviewing the past while embracing the future.
Q: Your brand is all about renewing legacies. How do you plan to help Russia get back on the world's watchmaking map?
A: Russia's watchmaking industry used to account for 30 percent of worldwide production, only second to Switzerland. Though it is losing its market share, it is regaining its creativity suppressed by the planned economy.
Q: What is your impression of the Chinese market?
A: Rarity is becoming a new luxury here. People are more willing to pay for a unique design than a household name logo. Its huge population buttresses a larger potential customer base than that of any other European country.
At 2011 Top Marques Shanghai, a luxury exhibition held last week, the St. Petersburg native introduced to China for the first time his one-of-a-kind timepieces to calculate Orthodox Easter, Jewish, Muslim, and lunar dates.
His classic Decalogue watch, which records the movement of time counterclockwise, honors the ancient Jewish view that the Earth moved counterclockwise around the sun.
And his latest edition of the Lunokhod watch runs according to the lunar calendar and reproduces the changing moon phases.
Chaykin has invented 10 patented devices to facilitate religious and astronomical calendar movements since he established his namesake brand in 2004.
The graduate of his home city's telecommunications college was enchanted by micro-mechanisms when helping start a watch wholesale business 10 years ago.
The multi-ethnicity of Russia later inspired him to create the Religion and Calendar collection for his brand.
During the exhibition, he spoke to Shanghai Daily.
Q: You didn't have any education in watchmaking. What was it like to learn everything from scratch.
A: I pored over a lot of research before setting my hand on design, which was an experience of creating while learning. I drew all the sketches on the paper as I had no computer. I am very determined to push my ideas through and that's why I am here today.
Q: You seem to have a particular interest in building timepieces with religious elements. Explain the brand's slogan "religion of time?"
A: For me, religion stands for a belief in a broader sense, a belief that a timepiece has the power to extend our presence in history. The world's civilization has always been inseparable from religions. When people look at my watch, they are reviewing the past while embracing the future.
Q: Your brand is all about renewing legacies. How do you plan to help Russia get back on the world's watchmaking map?
A: Russia's watchmaking industry used to account for 30 percent of worldwide production, only second to Switzerland. Though it is losing its market share, it is regaining its creativity suppressed by the planned economy.
Q: What is your impression of the Chinese market?
A: Rarity is becoming a new luxury here. People are more willing to pay for a unique design than a household name logo. Its huge population buttresses a larger potential customer base than that of any other European country.
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