Konstantin Chaykin has dedicated his latest watch, ‘Russian Time. Krusenstern’, to Russia’s glorious naval history.
This new model from the Konstantin Chaykin Russian Time collection pays tribute to Adam Johann von Krusenstern (known in Russia as Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern).
Kruzenshtern was the first representative of the Russian Empire to complete a voyage around the world. He made his voyage in two small three-mast ships.
Konstantin has chosen to depict these two ships on one side of the 44 mm case made of 18 karat rose gold. The ‘Nadezhda’ (Hope) is hand engraved to the right of the winding button, while the ‘Neva’ is on the left. There is a cabled design beginning at the rear of both ships and narrowing into the lugs.
We, 21st century travelers, who fearlessly sail off on cruises in multi-ton ocean liners equipped with countless electronic devices cannot even imagine how risky Krusenstern’s voyage was in those days.
In 1803 Krusenstern and his crew set out on what turned out to be a three-year voyage filled with countless unpredictable adventures. They had a limited number of navigational instruments and even the most precise geographical maps of the day still had numerous blank spots.
But Russia needed to strengthen her reputation as a naval power, as well as to chart new and lucrative oversea trade routes. After all, it took up to five years to cross the immense land mass between St. Petersburg and Alaska. The dial of the ‘Russian Time.Krusenstern’ watch reminds one of the immense size of Russia to this day. To start, Russia covers 11 time zones.
The ‘Russian Time.Krusenstern’ watch contains a complication that was patented last year – it tells the time in all 11 Russian time zones using two apertures located on the top and the bottom of the dial. Both crescent-shaped apertures are divided into a light section for daytime hours and a dark section for nighttime hours.
The central skeleton hands point at Roman numerals identifying hours and a minute scale on the perimeter of the dial and are set to the local time. Then the other 10 time zones in the apertures are set based on the central hands in 24-hour time.
The top aperture lists the main city in each zone with lines leading to the necessary numerals. The same information is depicted on the bottom within a color coded map of Russia added to the dial using hot enamel divided by gold borders into 11 time zones. The central part of the dial under the skeleton hands has a hand-engraved border.
The success of Russia’s first voyage around the globe, at an average speed of 9 knots an hour, across the seas from St. Petersburg to Japan (6 seas and 3 oceans) is celebrated in a special world clock complication. The world clock module is attached to the ‘cote-de-Geneve’ decorated K01-7 caliber and has its own hand-winding button on the opposite side.
The complication consists of a 24-hour disc which rotates and a double row of the names of famous cities engraved in a circle on the caseback – protected by a sapphire crystal. Time is indicated for each world time zone based on the time of day.
Technical details
Model: Konstantin Chaykin Russian Time. Krusenstern
Movement
Proprietary caliber K01-7 hand wound, diameter – 37.7 mm, width – 9 mm.
Materials: Steel, brass, bronze
Frequency: 21,600 vph
Jewels: 19
Escapement: Anchor
Power Reserve: 48 hours
Accuracy: -20/+40 seconds per day
Functions
Hour and Minute
Local Hour indication in 11 Russian time zones
Local Hour indication in 11 Russian cities
Day and Night Hour Indication
World Time indication
Case
Diameter: 44 mm
Thickness: 13 mm
Materials: 18 carat rose gold, sapphire crystal on the front and back
Winding button: 18 karat rose gold, sapphire cabochon
Dial
Diameter of face: 38.2 mm
Materials; gold, enamel
Face: Hand-engraved, rhodium
Hands: Skeleton, bronze, black nickel
Band
Natural leather strap with an18 karat rose gold clasp
Additional details
Hand and laser engraving on the dial
Hot enamel map of Russia
Hand engraving on the body of the case.
