Pietro Pilla
Konstantin Chaykin introduces a new one-eyed monster in collaboration with Louis ErardLe Regulateur is available in both 39 and 42mm variantsThese timepieces are inspired by Stephen King, Goya and the Slavic monster LykhoLouis Erard has always specialised in elegant, fairly affordable Swiss watchmaking. Of late, however, thanks to the guidance of interim chief executive Manuel Emch, their offering has extended to include limited editions not usually found in this price bracket. These pieces have encompassed the use of semi-precious stones in the dials, handmade guilloche and enamelling, plus?collaborations with big names in the industry (Vianney Halter and Alain Silberstein) and creators like seconde/seconde/ and Massena Lab. ?This fine tradition now continues with Konstantin Chaykin, who expands his Wristmons (wrist monsters) collection using Louis Erard’s Regulateur as a blank canvas.Konstantin Chaykin holds 94 patents and is a member of the Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants. He is a master of creativity, making it to the GPHG shortlist several times and winning the Audacity Prize in 2018 with the Clown. In this most recent project with Louis Erard, the Russian watchmaker was inspired not by some comic-book figure but by Lykho, a mythological figure from Slavic fairy tales.Lykho is a one-eyed demonic figure viewed as the embodiment of evil fate and misfortune. Like the other Wristmons, the way to tell the time with this watch is by looking at the eyes of the creature. In this particular case, we can find just one eye at 12 o'clock, which points to the hours with its pupil. While usually Konstantin Chaykin’s monsters smile and seem almost harmless, this time, perhaps due to the cyclops eye and sharp fanged mouth (which turns to show the moving seconds), the dial has a more sinister quality reflecting the nature of this fairytale monster. Also inspiring Konstantin Chaykin were Stephen King’s The Mourners and the terrifying painting from Francisco Goya,?Saturn Devouring His Children.The monster is missing its arms, and the watch is missing its minutes indication. Consequently, you guessed it, the Russian watchmaker decided to kill two birds with one stone and extend the minute hand all the way across the silver, sunray-decorated dial. The hand is matt black and, at both extremities, we can find the hands of the said monster mimicking some mysterious gestures that we leave to the observer to interpret. The names of Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin are both present on the dial, marking the importance of a collaboration that combines the creativity of the Russian watchmaker with the affordable elegance of the Swiss brand.The watch is offered in two different sizes and colours and maintains the leitmotif of being a limited edition of 178 pieces each. We have the 42mm version with green details both on the periphery of the dial and on the black toad leather strap and a 39mm version with purple details. There is also a beautiful box set of just 28 pieces with both watches together, making it potentially suitable for a rather gory his-and-hers pairing.Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin pricing and availability:Le Regulateur Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin is available now for purchase. Prices are listed below.Ref. 85237AA88 (42mm), 178 Pieces. Price: CHF 4,000 excl. taxRef. 85248AA89 (39mm), 178 Pieces. Price: CHF 4,000 excl. taxRef. 22222AA88 (Special Box Set), 28 Pieces. Price: CHF 7,900 excl. taxBrandLouis ErardModelLe Regulateur x Konstantin ChaykinCase Dimensions42mm (D) x 12.25mm (T) x 49.60mm (LtoL)39mm (D) x 12.82mm (T) x 45.90mm (LtoL)Case MaterialStainless steelWater Resistance50mDialShiny green/purple hour-circle, silver lower plate with sunray wave pattern, anthracite circular satin-finished hour flange, shiny red seconds flange, white transfers, circular satin-finished cartouches with logos transferred in blackCrystalSapphireStrapBlack toad leather with green/purple attachment points, green/purple rabbit leather liningMovementAutomatic regulator, Sellita SW266-1 calibrePower Reserve38 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, secondsAvailabilityNow, limited to 178 pieces each + 28 box setsPriceSingle watch: CHF 4,000Special box set: CHF 7,900
26.04.23