How to Wear an Hour Glass on Your Wrist: Konstantin Chaykin’s Carpe Diem

The Constantin Chaykin Carpe Diem watch features a mechanical retrograde hour glass on the dial.

“Seize the Day!” A saying that in today’s fast-paced world we seem to forget. Did it mean more in yesteryear?  Or are we just too busy to take the time to seize a day, or even an hour? Well, Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin (who we covered here before- with his amazing Cinema watch) understands time perhaps better than most. This maker of top complications and unusual timepieces, last year unveiled the Carpe Diem – which is now available on the market.

The elaborately engraved and painted dial also offers blue sky with diamond markers and astrological indication.

There are five models in the Carpe Diem line and if you are lucky enough to get one (to the tune of about $70,000) time may slow down a bit for you. Why? Because the watch features – among other things – an actual mechanical hourglass on the dial.  The concept behind the watch is to focus  on what a short time life really is. As such, the Carpe Diem has several other important “symobls” in it, including an engraved skull beneath the hour glass. The major portion of the dial is a finely etched and engraved image of Chronos – the Greek God of time. He hovers over the white enamel watch dial (with elaborate gold scroll work in the center) set at 6:00.  This time dial displays only the hours. The minutes are represented in 10-minute increments on the hour glass.

The watch is hefty at 45mm in diameter and a bit thick to hold the mechanics.

The hour glass itself is an interesting mechanical feat. It is a retrograde hour glass. As the sand from the top half spills to the bottom half, small dots indicate each 10 minute increment as the sand fills up. When the hour has passed, the sand from the bottom miraculously disappears and reappears at the top in retrograde fashion to being the dance of minutes again. The 45mm pink gold watch, which also features  current zodiac sign is displayed via an aperture at 3:00, is powered by a manually wound Russian-made movement.In all, this timepiece is a work of art – masterfully engraved, beautifully executed and technically advanced.  The only question is, do we want to be reminded of the shortness of life to such a strong degree? With dozens of patents and calibers of his own invention under his proverbial belt, Konstantin Chaykin has established himself as a force in the watch world. We are excited to see what he has in store for us at this year’s BaselWorld. Stay tuned.