Konstantin Chaykin has received the Audacity Prize at the world’s leading watchmaking awards, the GPHG, for the second time—this time for the record-breaking ultra-thin mechanical watch, ThinKing Mystery.
Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has once again been recognised as a laureate of the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève—an award often referred to as the «Oscars» of haute horlogerie. At the 26th GPHG ceremony, held on 7 November in Geneva, his ThinKing Mystery timepiece received the special Audacity Prize for «Boldness.»
For Chaykin, this marks his second act of audacity. In 2018, the same award was won by his renowned wristwatch, the Clown—making Chaykin the first Russian watchmaker to receive the GPHG prize. Eight years later, the jury has once again recognised his work with the same special award.
This time, boldness is measured quite literally in microns. The thickness of the ThinKing Mystery is a mere 1.65 mm. The manufacture describes the model as the world’s thinnest mechanical wristwatch; Konstantin Chaykin unveiled the first working prototype back in August 2024, and the current version has transformed the experimental design into a reproducible mechanism.
To fit the mechanics into these 1.65 mm, Chaikin had to abandon the conventional watch architecture. Here, the case becomes part of the calibre: the case back simultaneously serves as the main plate, while the gears are arranged across two levels. Inside, there are 284 components and 54 jewels, yet the watch itself, without the strap, weighs just 12.1 g. The power reserve is 38 hours.
These watches lack a conventional crown. Instead, they can be wound and the time adjusted using a special key or a miniature box. Another distinctive feature is the «mysterious» time display: the hour and minute hands are replaced by transparent sapphire discs, just 0.2 mm thick, creating the illusion that the indicators are floating within the dial.
The model retains the distinctive anthropomorphic design characteristic of Chaykin: two transparent indicators resemble the «eyes» of his renowned Wristmons. However, the familiar grimace has almost vanished, giving way to a more minimalist and technical aesthetic. The manufacture itself describes the ThinKing Mystery as a fusion of the Joker’s aesthetic and the «mystical» Levitas line.
Before the ceremony in Geneva, ThinKing Mystery, along with other GPHG finalists, was showcased in Mumbai, Bangkok, and Geneva. Now the award adds yet another international accolade to the biography of Konstantin Chaykin – a watchmaker who, over eight years, has twice been recognised by the Geneva jury for his professional audacity.
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