Levitas jazz
Haute horlogerie and music
The warm, soulful world of jazz music is reflected in every element of the watch design. It breathes life into the case adorned with the keys of a "tired piano”, the strings of a double bass, and a mother-of-pearl drumskin, hidden in the outlines of the asymmetrical case, in the winding crown, in the lugs, and of course in the dial, which is made in the form of an old gramophone record.
PRODUCTION
The transparent current-time indicator of the “Levitas Jazz Piece Unique” model, invented by Konstantin Chaykin and of record breaking size in the category of “mysterious” mechanical watches, is framed by a sculptured case made of 18-carat white, yellow and rose gold as a musical fantasy of the artist and the jeweller.
СASE BACK
The gold-stemmed notes are hour markers, and the “key” values of the current time (6, 9 and 12 o’clock) are marked in the form of clefs.
Diamonds, fixed in the finest metals of the musical notes, are not only a wish to follow the standards of watch design, but also the artist’s desire to convey the weightlessness, purity and transparency of the voice of Ella Fitzgerald
MOVEMENT
The calibre K.02-1 of the “Levitas Jazz Piece Unique” watch was developed by Konstantin Chaykin and is equipped with the “mysterious” time indication system he invented. The movement was made entirely at the Konstantin Chaykin manufactory and is made according to the standards of haute horlogerie. Components finished using classical techniques: striped textured grinding and perlage; fine longitudinal, radial and circular grindings; manual chamfering, polishing; polished screw holes, pins and jewels; spherical polishing of the axle tips; and galvanized plating of rhodium and gilding. A distinctive feature of the movement is its crescent shape with a maximum ratio between the transparent part and the movement.
Caliber: K07-0 with hand winding by Konstantin Chaykin manufacture
Power reserve: 33 h
Accuracy: +/-15 seconds per day
CASE
A key element in the design of the “Levitas Jazz Piece Unique” watch is the asymmetrically-located transparent dial, the hour and minute hands of which, according to the rules of the “mysterious” watch genre, appear to move by themselves without any visible connection to the watch mechanism. The minute hand is a gold monogram which appears as if it is printed on the sticker in the centre of a vinyl record. Inside the openwork contours one can read the inscription “PG-band performs improvisations on selected themes by Konstantin Chaykin”. The hour hand is made in the form of a wedge-shaped flare, which usually reflects off a rotating disc bathed in light from the window on a sunny day.
In the sculptural overlay of the dial, representing the phonograph of a gramophone, the jazz moon slowly alternates between phases, the night sky which surrounds it illuminated by star-notes. The phonograph seems to be hanging over the dial with a “sound track” in its grooves. At any moment it could touch the record-dial, and the watch will come alive – saddening with blues chords, driving you crazy with magical bebop improvisations, and conquering the soul with the calm perfection of “cool jazz” …
Case dimensions: Diameter 61 mm
PHOTO GALLERY
