Details
A unique, charismatic and unusual mysterious rose gold wristwatch of Konstantin Chaykin, the Russian independent watchmaker, who began his career in 2003. Production year: 2013. 18k rose gold case, diameter 40mm, ruthenium-coated dial with a transparent indication zone, sapphire caseback. Hand-wound caliber K.03-0, power reserve up to 42 hours. Functions – mysterious time indication system with hour and minute hands. Black leather strap, Konstantin Chaykin pin buckle in 18k rose gold. Unique piece.
Lot essay
At the end of 2007, for the Namfleg project, Konstantin Chaykin began to develop a complicated wristwatch with a mysterious time indication system. Designed in about a year, the Mystery 1000 Jewels watch was equipped with a movement with additional mysterious planisphere and annual calendar complications, unprecedentedly complex for watches of this genre. The characteristic distinction of the Mystery 1000 Jewels was the absence of the central axis of the mysterious indicator. Unfortunately, this extraordinary timepiece was stolen from a Paris hotel room in 2009. Two years later, Konstantin Chaykin undertook the development of simpler serial production models, redesigning the movement based on a different principle of the mysterious indication, this time with a central axis. The Mystery watch with a 42mm case and additional moonphase display was introduced in 2012. The following year, the Russian watchmaker modified the two main versions of the mysterious caliber, in 33mm and 38mm, and decided to launch the new Levitas collection based on them. He had felt the former name ‘Mystery’ was too common.
Since 2013, the watch has been owned by the Konstantin Chaykin manufactory and has never been sold.
During this period, he had not yet finally decided which models and with what complications to include in the Levitas collection. In addition to the subsequent 44mm men’s watches with moonphase indicator and 40mm women’s watches without, he created a prototype in a 40mm rose gold case. This was seen as an attempt to produce a mysterious men’s watch with a classic design without additional complications. Chaykin named this pre-production prototype Levitas Luna Nascosta, which means “hidden moon”. The caliber of this watch provided the opportunity of setting the moonphase indicator, which would have happened had the master decided to follow it up. However, history led to the fact that he opted for 44mm men’s watches with a moonphase indicator and 40mm women’s models without a moonphase indicator, and the Levitas Luna Nascosta experimental prototype was not sent to serial production. Since 2013, the watch has been owned by the Konstantin Chaykin manufactory and has never been sold.
The watchmaking industry’s largest ratio of the diameter of the transparent dial to the diameter of the movement for the mysterious wristwatch, bringing a degree of transparency unattainable by other brands.
Compared to the original men’s Levitas watches, the Levitas Luna Nascosta Unique Piece combines a smaller 40mm rose gold case and dial with Roman numerals, characteristic to the first-generation Mystery watches of 2012, albeit without the moonphase complication – hence the name of the watch.
Reasons to bid
The unique feature and powerful factor in the appeal of Konstantin Chaykin’s Levitas watches is that they have the watchmaking industry’s largest ratio of the diameter of the transparent dial to the diameter of the movement for the mysterious wristwatch, bringing a degree of transparency unattainable by other brands. The Levitas Luna Nascosta Unique Piece would appear to be an extremely attractive purchase for the collector looking to obtain a highly unusual, sophisticated and unique mechanical watch, never before seen on the market, from a renowned watchmaker, a member of the respected AHCI – Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants. The combination of the extraordinary transparency, striking mysterious appearance and haute horlogerie execution and finishing undoubtedly adds to the appeal of this lot.
