Painting of “March Har. 1”, 30 × 40 cm

Lot Essay

The painting MARCH HAR.1 is part of a series of artworks dedicated to Chaykin’s unique transforming Wristmon “White Rabbit.” Its multi-layered conceptual composition draws inspiration from two key sources. The first is the vivid character created by British writer Lewis Carroll – the March Hare, introduced to readers in the scene of the Mad Tea Party hosted by the Hatter in the fairy tale Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

The second source is the invention of self-taught watchmaker John Harrison, who built the world’s first marine chronometer. Harrison managed to produce several such timepieces, and the painting is based specifically on the very first model (1735), distinguished by an oval dial and brass rods with rounded finials at the ends. Together, these elements strikingly resemble a hare’s face with ears – a resemblance keenly noted by the artist. Even the title of the work contains a parallel with the historic chronometric instrument. In this way, one of the finest examples of world children’s literature was brought together with a revolutionary chronometric device of the 18th century.

Wristmons Art Collection

The Wristmons is the most famous among all Konstantin Chaykin's collections. The idea of making face-like dials was revolutionary for watchmaking industry.

Thanks to the continuous motion of the indicators, the emotions portrayed change literally every second. It is not surprising that this idea provides a source of endless inspiration for Wristmon's new looks. They are embodied not only in the new watches that join the collection every year, but also in dozens of drawings and sketches.

About the Author

Konstantin Chaykin is a famous watchmaker and inventor who has the greatest number of inventions and watch complications among his colleagues all around the world.

Moreover, Chaykin is also a great graphic artist. All of his timepieces and inventions began with sketches and drawings that he made in countless "moleskins". One may consider them a "chronicle" of his Manufacture. It is not surprising that it was Chaykin who created the world's first self-portrait watch, the Selfie Joker, the dial design of which reflects the features and traits of its creator.