Сustom tie strap

Would the invention of a watch strap be the same as reinventing the wheel? Konstantin Chaykin believes that a collector’s strap might be regarded as the evidence of creative approach to design. When we talk about a watch strap, we discuss the quality of the materials it is made of, we consider the quality of work and components, but rarely admit that a strap may be invented again. Inventing a strap? It seems everything that could have been invented in watch straps had been invented a long time ago. Is it possible to come up with something new if we regard this simple accessory? It turns out it is possible.

Konstantin Chaykin, a Russian inventor and watchmaker, became famous for the invention of many complicated watches and clocks. However, his interests are not limited to complicated and super-complicated movements. Every watch and clock in his collection is extremely emotional, that goes beyond the standard way of high watchmaking. It means Konstantin Chaykin’s watches need extraordinary straps.

The idea to make an unusual watch strap for the Joker watch came to Konstantin Chaykin when he was thinking of a Joker Piece Unique for his good client: “Last year everything in my life was revolved around Joker. I constantly wore the watch on my wrist, almost every day I encountered quite a lot of Jokers in front of my eyes, from parts in different stages of finishing to finished watches ready for supply. Having a lot of “talking” with Joker movements – they look anthropomorphic, aren’t they? – you unintentionally regarding them as alive. One of my good clients asked me to think about creating a watch that would remind one famous politician. After a hard work with sketches, when the whole range of possible design details starting from the reddish face to the yellow hair was exhausted, and still there was no final solution meeting my requirements, I suddenly got an idea: why not to dress Joker in a white shirt and a red tie? That’s how the Joker watch strap appeared and gave it a natural look. In fact, I must admit, that this unique piece still didn’t look like the politician, but I was attracted by the idea of extravagant tie-strap and decided to offer it to my customers”.

The Joker tie-strap is perhaps Konstantin Chaykin’s most ingenious contribution to the art of watch design, and he continues to invent straps. The Dracula watch got an impressive Dracula strap with an elegant white bow tie and blood-red lapels of Count Dracula’s tailcoat, the Joker Soccer watch got a burgundy strap with contrasting stitching in style of a soccer ball, the Mouse King 2020 watch got a strap with an ermine mantle. The prototype of the Mars Conqueror Mk1 watch, the first milestone of Konstantin Chaykin’s Martian program, got a special white Martian strap with orange-red stitching embellished with the fabric of space suit.