Konstantin Chaykin’s World-Thinnest Watch Prototype Headlines Phillips Catalogue: A Milestone in Independent Horology
Among the most talked-about highlights of the Phillips Geneva Watch Auction XIII was a singular horological artefact from independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin: the ThinKing Final Prototype. Presented as a featured lot, this final developmental version of the world’s thinnest mechanical watch—just 1.65 mm thick—stood as a culmination of two years of meticulous innovation and technical daring.
Unveiled to the public during Geneva Watch Days 2024, the ThinKing turned heads for its record-breaking profile and unflinching mechanical purity. While other contenders for the ultra-thin crown—such as Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept and Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra—employed integrated-case architectures or digital elements, Chaykin’s creation remained resolutely mechanical, with a traditional separation of movement and case despite its unprecedented dimensions.
Two Years of Rethinking Watchmaking
The development of the ThinKing required a radical departure from conventional horological design. Among its many breakthroughs was a reengineered dual-balance system, delivering mechanical stability within a near-two-dimensional space. Chaykin’s refusal to adopt a “monobloc” construction made the engineering challenge even greater—and the result even more impressive.
The Final Prototype offered through Phillips featured all the refinements made before the public launch. The case was fabricated from a proprietary nickel-based alloy, previously used in high-precision industrial applications. Early tests in stainless steel were eventually abandoned in favour of this stronger, more stable material.
Materials, Mechanics and the PalanKing Concept
The watch is wound manually with a bespoke key, but can also be housed within a custom-built titanium “PalanKing” case—an external shell that increases overall thickness to 5.4 mm while enabling automatic winding through kinetic energy. This modular system was designed to reconcile the fragility of the world’s thinnest calibre with the practical realities of wearability and protection.
Despite being a prototype, the piece exhibited full haute horlogerie finishing, including Côtes de Genève, hand bevelling, and micro-blasting—underscoring its readiness for both the collector's vault and the history books.
The pre-sale estimate was set between CHF 350,000 and 700,000, reflecting its singularity and symbolic value in the canon of independent horology.
Art Beyond Mechanics
A second Chaykin-related lot in the auction catalogue was a painting titled Reflections on the Birth of Time. In this metaphysical work, the watchmaker appears as a demiurge, summoning mechanical life from chaos—a poetic nod to his role not only as an engineer but as a creator. Estimated at CHF 2,000–4,000, the artwork provided an intimate insight into the philosophical dimension of Chaykin’s practice.
The Watchmaker Who Bends Time and Rules
With over 90 patents, Konstantin Chaykin is no stranger to pushing horology beyond the expected. From his Joker series to his Orthodox Easter computus and conceptual Lucomorye collection, he exemplifies the creative power of the independent watchmaker.
Whether or not the ThinKing Final Prototype found a new home at auction, its inclusion in the Phillips catalogue alone cemented its place in modern horological discourse. This was not simply a technical record, but a poetic gesture—proof that even at 1.65 mm, a watch can carry the full weight of an idea.
