Konstantin Chaykin
Venus

A new star is rising in the Wristmon universe

A symbolic image of Venus translated into the language of the signature time indication

The concept for this watch first came to Konstantin Chaykin in 2018, shortly after the appearance of the very first Joker, the progenitor of his iconic anthropomorphic Wristmon collection.

At that time the master conceived the Matryoshka model, in which the central theme was to be a female character and the key feature a patented spherical moon-phase display.

However, this concept was never brought to life and remained only in the form of sketches.

In June 2023, while reviewing his archive drawings, Konstantin Chaykin returned to this project and saw its unrealised potential. Keeping the moon-phase indication as the key element in the architecture of the watch, he changed the main heroine: the new starting point of inspiration became Venus, revered in Roman mythology as the goddess of love, fertility and prosperity.

The appearance of the watch immediately calls to mind Sandro Botticelli’s famous painting The Birth of Venus. Its narrative shows the goddess emerging from sea foam and captures the moment when the abstract idea of beauty takes shape.

The dial as a work of art

The dial of the Venus model is executed in a minimalist style, which only heightens its emotional impact. In the master’s interpretation, the heroine quite literally becomes moon-faced. The moon-phase display turns into a face drawn with just a few strokes in the spirit of Pablo Picasso. In keeping with tradition, the two-tone indicators show the time: hours are read on the left, minutes on the right.

The feminine silhouette fills the entire surface of the dial, coated in warm orange-pink lacquer. The background of the moon disc is rendered in the same tone, while the lunar shadow is executed in dark blue. The goddess’s face is applied to the inner side of the sapphire crystal. Her hair is “drawn” as a wavy guilloché pattern that spreads towards the edge. The finishing touch is the Manufacture’s logo in the form of a pendant on her neck.

Pure lines of the moon-faced Venus silhouette

The case construction of the Venus model differs from classic Wristmons. The first thing that catches the eye is the smooth, narrow bezel. This solution is dictated by ergonomics: to preserve the easy legibility of the dial and the proportions of the figure, the bezel was made more slender and the usual relief was abandoned. The signature indication module has also been completely reworked.

The moon-phase display, which plays the role of a smile in other Wristmons, here becomes the face of the goddess, so the disc is larger and makes a full rotation in 29.5 days instead of the usual 59. Another notable detail is the absence of a second corrector crown: only a single crown at three o’clock remains, underscoring the integrity of the feminine silhouette on the dial.

For the automatic calibre K.18-25 powering the Venus watch, a modified G200 movement from the Swiss manufacture La Joux-Perret is used. It was chosen for its stable rate, robust balance construction and generous 68-hour power reserve. On this base movement sits an indication module developed entirely by the Konstantin Chaykin Manufacture and executed in accordance with the standards of haute horlogerie.

Limited edition of 99 pieces. Produced in collaboration with the official retailer in Italy, GMT Milano.