Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has been inducted into the TEMPORIS Hall of Fame, a landmark event for the Russian watchmaking industry.
Each form of art has its’ cradle, its place of power. For poetry that is Ancient Greece, for fashion – Paris, for tailoring – Italy.
Since at least the 16th century, watchmaking has been associated with Switzerland, the official birthplace of the watchmaking art, which made it logical to set up the Hall of Fame in the country.
My Chaykin explained how for a watchmaker, being inducted into this Hall of Fame is the same as receiving a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for an actor.
It is a collection of unprecedented accomplishments, talents and success stories of watchmakers, designers and inventors.
In being inducted into the HoF, Mr Chaykin joins 26 unique professionals from all over the world, including Philippe Dufour, a watchmaking legend and independent creator, Kurt Klaus, the founder of the International Watch Company and the creator of the Da Vinci perpetual calendar technology.
Also included are Richard Mille, the founder of the eponymous deluxe brand, Ludwig Oechslin, a famous watchmaker and lead developer for Ulysse Nardin, Michel Parmigiani, the head of his own manufacture, dubbed by the press “the watchmaking alchemist”, and many others.
In 2022, the illustrious fraternity gained its newest member, Konstantin Chaykin, inventor, and founder of the “Konstantin Chaykin” watch manufacture, one of the key enterprises of the Russian watchmaking industry.
Despite having 92 officially registered patents, Chaykin has always been and remains an artist first and foremost, one with a truly unique and fresh perspective.
The inventor always stressed that he considers “watchmaking to be one of the most demanding artforms, alongside theater, cinema, architecture and music, equally timeless, equally eternal”.
Among Konstantin’s accomplishments are the first clock and watch with tourbillon made in Russia, the first Computus clock in the world, showing the dates of Orthodox Easter, a patented movement for indicating both hour and minute with a single clock hand, and the first chronograph with a Martian calendar.
“Being inducted into the TEMPORIS Hall of Fame is an immense honor for any watchmaker – says Konstantin Chaykin. – Within our community bonded by the love of watchmaking art, the inventor’s passion, the desire to create and not just assemble, were always highly prized.
The decision to induct me this year of all times must have been a challenging and possibly conter-intuitive – which makes this sign of recognition and support from the community I deeply respect all the more important”.
The ceremony was held on October 13, 2022, at a location in Zurich.
