Konstantin Chaykin Looks for Way out of Minotaur's Labyrinth

The Russian watchmaker draws inspiration from Greek mythology.

It's surprising how rarely watchmakers draw inspiration from Greek mythology. This set of stories and psychological models offer an infinite source of inspiration but have been largely neglected by watch companies. One reason for this could be the watch industry's reorientation towards the Asian market, where clients prefer pieces inspired by their own mythology.

The new Minotaur Special Chinese New Year 2021 by the Russian independent watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin brings these two worlds together. The model narrates one of the most famous Greek myths while honoring the Chinese zodiac. It's an explosive mix! However, the only connection the watch has with the Chinese zodiac is this year's sign of the bull.

There's plenty of Ancient Greek symbolism though, which evokes details from the story of the mythical monster trapped in the Labyrinth created by Daedalus at Knossos. The labyrinth motif is the main pattern used for the dial's relief décor and the rotor.

The bull itself actually looks like more of a friendly monster than the fearsome offspring of a bull and Pasiphae, the wife of Minos. The lugs made of iron bronze are reminiscent of horns, while the hours and minutes are indicated in the monsters eyes. They're bloodshot with capillaries that trace a labyrinth pattern.

The mythological monster's nostrils are used for the weekday indication. These apertures are magnified by sapphire-crystal lenses. Chaykin has already used this trick on his Joker Selfie model, where magnifying glass is used for the watchmaker's eyes in his self-portrait.

The weekday disks for the Minotaur Special Chinese New Year 2021 are made of different metals: bronze and silver. These hidden details can hold a special significance for the watch owners who know about them. The same can be said of the movement's decoration which can't be seen when the watch is worn on the wrist.

Chaykin chose the Swiss calibre K.08-1 Vaucher VMF 3002 as his base movement, which he's already used in his Mouse King watch — another model with a Chinese zodiac theme and a connection to the popular Prussian fairytale of "the Nutcracker and the Mouse King". Calibre K.08-1 was modified to include the joker indication mechanism.

The watchmaker employed traditional techniques for the finishing: from circular grinding to beveling and chamfering by hand, as well as polishing the countersinks for screws. Konstantin Chaykin's in-house joker indication module consists of 67 components. The automatic movement will keep the Minotaur "alive" for 50 hours.