In 2024 a new player enters the race– the independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin.
1.65 mm
This is the thickness of the new ultra-thin mechanical wristwatch ThinKing, created by Konstantin Chaykin.
Definitely a wristmon
When he began development, Konstantin Chaykin decided that his ultra-thin watch would definitely be a wristmon. He was also attracted by the idea of giving such a purely technical project as an ultra-thin watch a direct emotional coloring – and this is precisely the undeniable advantage of the Wristmons collection he created. For this reason, the movement of the ThinKing watch is modeled along the lines of a joker-indication design, i.e. with separate hour (left) and minute (right) displays, which form the eyes of the character. While in the original Joker watch and many other wristmons the smile of the character is the moonphase turned upside down compared to the standard configuration, in the new ultra- thin ThinKing watch the role of the smile is taken over by the brand logo engraved along the arc on the top cover of the watch, as there is no such display.
The development of an ultra-thin wristwatch is impossible without inventing it
Based on the results of the development, Konstantin Chaykin applied for three patents describing the designs of an ultra- thin winding barrel, a double balance wheel, and special strap for an ultra-thin watch. The first two technical units were crucial in reducing the thickness of the ThinKing watch, while the third invention makes it possible to make the use of the ultra-thin watch safer for the watch itself.
Ultra-thin winding barrel
Konstantin Chaykin invented a very thin mainspring barrel for the ThinKing watch and at the same time created an unexpectedly beautiful design with a pawl and spring built into the barrel-arbor: “The result is our masterpiece: the mainspring barrel has no covers, and at the same time everything functions stably. The winding mechanism with pawl and flat spring is integrated into the barrel-arbor, making it possible to accommodate a good mainspring in a phenomenally thin volume.”
Double balance
The double balance is one of Chaykin’s ingenious inventions. While there are precedents for the use of double balances connected by teeth on the edge, never before has such a design been used in an ultra-thin watch. As with all things ingenious, the idea is simple. By using a double balance wheel, the movement can be made thinner as the functions are spread over two balances. The first balance works together with the lever, and the hairspring is installed on the second balance.
The special strap for an ultra-thin watch
Konstantin Chaykin has once again demonstrated his ability to invent straps for his watches, which is rare in the industry. The strap of the ThinKing watch is something very special. Its peculiarity is that it transfers unwanted stress from the case to a pair of flexible titanium supports and two elastic inserts sewn inside the strap. When a force occurs that could be dangerous for the watch – shocks, bending, etc. – a small part of this force is transferred to the case, while most of it is absorbed by the elastic elements of the strap.
The practicality of the ultra-thin watch
The master devoted his greatest attention to another problem: how to make an ultra-thin watch, less than two millimeters thick, practical and comfortable. The solution was unexpected and unprecedented: an external carrier case equipped with mechanisms needed to wind the ultra-thin watch and adjust the hands. In addition, the external case is equipped with an automatic winding system that is attached to the ultra-thin watch when it is placed in the external carrier case. In this way, the ultra-thin watch is wound automatically and the owner only has to hold the external case with the ultra-thin watch on the wrist. Konstantin Chaykin sees this idea as a further development of the concept of the “symbiotic” watch and clock concept by Abraham-Louis Breguet (Pendule Sympathique), but with one crucial difference: Breguet’s “symbiotic” design winds the pocket watch inside the clock and adjusts its hands at night when the pocket watch can not be in use, whereas Chaykin’s “symbiotic” watch system works when it is worn on the wrist. To emphasize the uniqueness of this invention, Konstantin Chaykin decided to give the external carrier case of the ultra-thin watch its own name – PalanKing, which the master came up with in reference to the name ThinKing. As is easy to see, the name PalanKing is derived from the word “palanquin”, which refers to a means of transportation for particularly discerning persons, to which the new ultra-thin wristmon undoubtedly belongs.
As the base material for the production of the ThinKing watch, he uses a special grade of stainless steel that is characterized by its high hardness and which he considers to be the almost ideal choice for the ultra-thin watches.
Unplanned bonus
Although Konstantin Chaykin did not set himself such a task, together with the development of an ultra-thin design, he has succeeded in creating an ultra-light watch, one of the lightest watches in the world: the weight of the ThinKing watch is only 13.3 grams without the strap.
ThinKing – The King of Thin Watches
This development was “terra incognita” for Konstantin Chaykin. He had to think a lot and analyze all the available information, so it took him more than six months to find the necessary technical solutions. The watch was literally born in the master’s head. This prompted the master to find a suitable name for the watch: ThinKing. The pleasant ambiguity of such a name allows it to be perceived as both “The Watch Born of Thought” and “The King of Thin Watches”.
To present his “King of Thin Watches” for the first time, Konstantin Chaykin has decided to travel to Geneva, the capital of haute horlogerie, where the watch will be unveiled at the Geneva Watch Days trade fair from August 29 to September 2, 2024. He will have on his wrist a working pre-production prototype - ThinKing Prototype 2. Will this be the end of the story of Konstantin Chaykin’s ultra-thin watch? He himself believes that he has not yet realized all the advantages of the design he has created and that there are still some technical aspects that he would like to optimize. He also has a few aces in reserve that could make this project even more exciting. Time will tell.
