In creating a new Wristmon to add to the collection, the Year of the Tiger has inspired Konstantin Chaykin this time around.
Historically for the brand, the arrival of the Year of the Pig in 2019 was celebrated with the release of a one-of-a-kind watch – the Unique Pig 2019.
It was the first Wristmon dedicated to the Chinese New Year, a kind of Miss Piggy of Konstantin Chaykin’s Wristmon theatre.
In 2020, the second episode of Chaykin’s Chinese New Year Special series, the Mouse King watch, was released in honour of the Year of the Mouse.
The third episode was created in early 2021 with the Minotaur Special Chinese New Year 2021 and today, as the Year of the Tiger commences, Konstantin Chaykin his channelling his inner tiger, and specifically its unpredictability.
In doing so, Konstantin Chaykin looked for associations with prehistoric times for inspiration and found that according to palaeontologists, about ten thousand years ago the last sabre-toothed tigers, or, according to the generally accepted classification, smilodons, disappeared from the American continent.
At the same time, the first people settled in America, coming along the Bering land bridge from Asia.
Exactly 180 years ago – in 1842 – these fossil monsters were named ‘smilodon’ by their discoverer, the Danish palaeontologist Peter Wilhelm Lund.
The generally accepted interpretation of this name is that it was formed by Lund from the ancient Greek words ‘smilo’ (σμίλη; double-edged knife) and ‘odontos’ (οδόντος; tooth).
The name attracted Konstantin Chaykin due to its unexpected association with the history of his watch collection – the ancient Greek word ‘smilo’ had one more meaning: ’smile’.
In fact, Smile was the working title of the anthropomorphic dial watch project, chosen by him in 2016.
Thanks to this project, the Joker watch and the entire collection of Wristmons appeared.
The Smilodon watch is equipped with an automatic caliber meaning you do not have to use the crown to start the movement.
The brand then goes on to describe that Felidae, representatives of the cat family, which also – before their extinction – included smilodons, are very fond of having their chin scratched from below.
Therefore, the owner of the Smilodon watch will always have the opportunity to please his mechanical pet by using the crown set by Konstantin Chaykin at the 6 o’clock position, that is, exactly under the Smilodon’s chin.
This is something that Konstantin Chaykin himself believes will bring good luck, even if, in the morning while putting on the watch, you simply touch its crown.
In a limited edition of 8 pieces, it is powered by a Caliber K.08-2, self-winding movement.
The case is 42mm in diameter and 13mm thick and comes sitting on an exclusive leather and titanium pin buckle produced by the Konstantin Chaykin manufacture.
It features a total of 36 jewels and offers a power reserve of 50 hours.
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