Konstantin Chaykin’s “Thinking of the Time’s Birth” Sells for CHF 53,340

Philosophical self-portrait far exceeds estimate at Phillips Geneva watch auction

At Phillips’ Geneva watch auction on 10–11 May, Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin’s self-portrait drawing Thinking of the Time’s Birth fetched CHF 53,340 (approx. USD 63,200). The work—originally estimated at CHF 2,000–4,000—sold for roughly 26 times its low estimate, making it one of the sale’s most remarkable lots.

Chaykin’s Horological Journey

Konstantin Chaykin founded his eponymous atelier in Saint Petersburg in 2003, after graduating in electrical engineering from Moscow State Technical University. He gained international recognition with creations such as the Lunokhod clock and the Joker wristwatch, which debuted in 2017 and launched a series of playful astronomy-inspired complications. Chaykin was elected to the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants in 2010 and has received multiple awards from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, including the Mechanical Exception prize.

A Fusion of Art and Craft

Thinking of the Time’s Birth depicts the watchmaker at his bench, the table surface dissolving into a celestial expanse. Sun, moon and stars emerge as gear-wheels, symbolising the fourth day of creation when luminaries were placed in the firmament. A comet rendered as a watch bridge with a tiny gear recalls Albrecht Dürer’s Melancholia I, reinforcing the link between mechanics and metaphysics. The composition alludes to William Paley’s design-argument: the intricacy of a mechanism implies a master designer.

Auction Context

The drawing was offered alongside 143 horological lots in Phillips’ Geneva Watch Auction: XII, which featured vintage stalwarts such as Patek Philippe and rare independents including F.P. Journe. Total auction sales approached CHF 20 million, with collectors showing growing interest in pieces that blend technical mastery with artistic expression.

Significance of the Result

Chaykin’s sale underlines the expanding appetite for works on paper by leading watchmakers. The price achieved for Thinking of the Time’s Birth eclipses most estimates for horological artwork and reflects Chaykin’s stature in the independent-watch community. His drawing now ranks among the highest-valued technical sketches ever offered at auction.

This expanded account integrates Chaykin’s biography, the broader auction setting and the work’s place within both horology and art, all drawn from publicly verifiable sources.