Konstantin Chaykin’s Latest Joker-Based Watch, the “Mouse King”

This watch is officially the least serious but probably the coolest piece to celebrate the Chinese “Year of the Rat”… And honestly, we couldn’t have expected something less from Konstantin Chaykin. Based on the famous and sought-after Joker watch, which has been made in several editions, all crazier than the previous one, we now have a mouse-themed model that pretty cool. And in addition to that, this “Mouse King” also introduces a new base movement to power the in-house rolling eye display.

Konstantin Chaykin is among the most creative independent brands, and without doubt, Russia’s best watchmaker – capable of creating some of the most complex clocks on the market, some very interesting calendar watches or a watch paying tribute to the cinema, with a zoopraxiscope (check the article and you’ll understand what’s hidden behind this barbarian name.) Still, his stroke of genius was the creation of the Joker watch, a more accessible and far from serious take on watchmaking with a slightly delirious display based on a face with two eyes to indicate the time. These watches, Chaykin’s most successful pieces to date, are usually sold-out before they are even announced…

With the Chinese New Year and the Year of the Rat just starting, Konstantin had the idea to create a new piece inspired by this animal, but not only. Indeed, 2020 Chinese New Year – January 25 – was a special day for Konstantin Chaykin, because it coincided with his daughter’s birthday. The idea to make this watch came when he decided to read his children a bedtime story, Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”,  in which a Christmas toy, the Nutcracker, comes alive and defeats the evil Mouse King. Note for later that the Mouse King is seven headed and each of them topped with a gold crown.

Based on this fairytale, Chaykin adapts his famous Joker watch with a 42mm titanium case and mainly a new dial, where the engraved dial depicts a mouse. The display, based on a 67-part in-house module created by Chaykin, depicts the mouth of the animal with a moon phase and its eyes, which are rotating discs, display the hours and the minutes – and because their position is almost never aligned, this gives the watch a funny face. To finish the “Mouse King” theme, the crown has been moved to 12 o’clock and is done in yellow gold with a ruby cabochon – as was the seven-headed mouse in the tale. The case has also been transformed so the lugs at 12 o’clock depict the ears of the rat/mouse.

Last but not least, this 7-piece limited edition also introduces a new base movement to power the display module. Previously relying on the ubiquitous ETA 2824, Konstantin Chaykin ups the game with a Vaucher 3002 calibre, an automatic movement with a central rotor, double barrel and 50 hours of power reserve. This movement is known for its precision and its thinness.

The Konstantin Chaykin Mouse King is available to order from Konstantin Chaykin, limited to 7 pieces and priced at EUR 24,900. Definitely a surprising watch to celebrate the Chinese Year of the Rat. More details at chaykin.ru.