Hyper Complication by Krayon

An enamel sky from sunrise to sunset.

The main feature of this watch by Krayon is no ordinary additional function, the brand's founder Rémi Maillat calls it a “hyper complication”. The watch is individually adjusted according to the location where its future owner lives to tell when the sun rises and sets there.

The time is shown for that particular corner of the world, and it can be any corner of the world, hence why the model is called “Anywhere”. A miniature sun displays time throughout the day by moving along a scale divided into two sectors for night and day.

At the same time, the length of these sectors is in constant flux, taking into account the changing length of real days. The watch wouldn't be complete without a date indication: the hands on the subdial at 6 o'clock indicate the date and month.

The calendar by Krayon is for a 31-day month, so the watch owner will need to adjust the indication five times a year using the bidirectional winding crown. The novelty presented by Krayon in October has the characteristic scale with the company's most important indications framing the dial center.

Its rich shade of deep blue gradually fades from the top of the dial, almost evaporating into a light sky blue at 6 o'clock. The help of master enamelists was enlisted to create the miniature painting on the Anywhere Métiers d’Art Azur. A similar composition was used for last year's version of the model for the Only Watch charity auction.

It was Krayon's first time taking part in the event, where the watchmaker transferred the sunrise from Claude Monet's 1872 painting "Impression, Sunrise" onto the dial of the Anywhere Only Watch 2021 Edition.

The painting originally sold by the artist for 800 francs is now estimated to be worth USD 250-350 million. Krayon's interpretation didn't sell for that much, although it went for four times its initial estimate, fetching CHF 320 000.

The new Métiers d’Art Azur version is limited to a 15-piece series with the price set at CHF 150 000. It lacks some of Monet's hues but comes in a platinum case measuring 39 mm × 9.5 mm which houses a C030 movement.

The hand-wound movement comprising 432 components was developed and assembled by Rémi Maillat. It measures just 5 mm in height (quite lean considering the hyper complication) and has a 86-hour power reserve.