New: Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Kremlin Edition

Konstantin Chaykin and Behrens present a new collaboration…with a curiously notorious name: presenting the Kremlin Edition.

Press Release information with commentary in italics.

New: Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Kremlin Edition

The Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Kremlin Edition has a POA tag on the recommended retail price. Limited Edition of 99 pieces.

Commentary

The novelty is the second collaboration between Behrens and Chaykin. The first was in 2022 with Ref. BHR028, which was offered in three versions viz, ti case, black titanium and ice crystalised titanium. Each was a limited edition of 200 pieces priced at USD 9.2k. All 600 sold out quite quickly.

The new release is uses the same base with the signature Chaykin joker indication with the hour sub-dial and the minute sub-dial forming the eyes.

The seconds hands, which they dubb “looney seconds”, is displayed within a giant, somewhat nefarious looking grin looking like the tongue of the face. This hand moves to trace out a smile. Quite cute.

The difference to the original release is the colour scheme chosen. This gives the watch a totally different visual impact. And is apt for the chosen name – Kremlin, the symbolic seat of power of Russia and of the Soviet Union and the Russian empire before. A somewhat notorious place, which is at the same time personifies beauty (the architecture) and terror (the Russian President’s abode). Kind of the feel at a glance of this watch.

This dichotomy of beauty and sinister makes the watch very persuasive. Intriguing. And evokes an emotion which many watches fail to deliver these days. We much prefer this to the various other Joker renditions by Chaykin.

The current piece is offered with a POA on the price tag, suggesting that it will be far in excess of the USD 9.2k that the original 2022 watches were offered at. We frown at this practice (see our discussions on various A. Lange & Söhne watches with this POA tags), and view this as a dangerous slope for brands. It suggests that they might not be certain how to price the watch, and yet, perhaps driven by greed, want to take advantage of the highest possible leveraged price possible. Especially when the watch is an admittedly very brilliant design stroke of genius, but based on a very run-of-the-mill Sellita movement.

Release details

Konstantin Chaykin only gives other brands permission to use his popular wristmon design with an anthropomorphic dial in exceptional cases. One of these partners who have developed their own wristmon in collaboration with Chaykin is the Chinese brand Behrens, which specializes in the production of watches with an original, creative design based on movements and display modules developed in-house. The story of the partnership between the two brands began in 2022, when the Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Ref. BHR028 was introduced, which was offered in three versions – with a case made of titanium, blackened titanium and “ice” crystallized titanium, which is characterized by an interesting spotted surface texture reminiscent of frost patterns on glass. Each of the three versions was issued in a limited edition of 200 pieces and sold out quickly. 

For this watch, the Behrens watchmakers have developed a special display module that is largely modeled on Konstantin Chaykin’s joker-indication display system with two hour and minute displays in the shape of the character’s eyes (hours on the left, minutes on the right, which helps to intuitively determine the time). One key difference is the character’s smile, which features a unique complication – a “loony” seconds hand – instead of the moonphase or day of the week display typical of Chaykin wristmons. The “loony” seconds hand with a tip in the shape of a symbol of the playing card suit “spades” moves along a sophisticated path in the shape of a smile, a highly coveted feature of almost all wristnons. This complication fits perfectly with the idea of Chaykin’s joker-indication, although Behrens makes a technical allusion to an object from traditional Chinese material culture, namely a hand-operated stone mill “shi mo”, which has been invented and used in China since ancient times. 

Despite the reference to the times of grey prehistory, the Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Edition 2025, which is being released in a limited series of 100 pieces, is manufactured using the latest watchmaking technology and state-of-the-art materials. The case of the watch is made of textured grey-black carbon fiber composite with red spots, a lightweight and durable material widely used in the aerospace industry. The crystal that protects the dial is made of durable and virtually scratch-resistant synthetic sapphire crystal. Thanks to the curved box shape of the crystal and the anti-reflective coating applied from the inside, maximum visibility of the dial is guaranteed. The drive for the “loony” seconds hand, the most important technical calling card of this model, is located under the blackened bridge (the nose of the character). 

Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Kremlin Edition Specifications

Display module Developed and manufactured by Behrens 

Functions Joker-indication display with disc hour and minute; “loony” seconds hand 

Basic movement Swiss made automatic Sellita SW200, with black-coated mainplate and bridges; black-coated rotor with Côtes circulaires pattern and radial brushing * Escapement Lever escapement * Balance frequency 28,800 vibrations per hour * Power reserve 38 hours 

Case Manufactured of textured grey-black carbon fiber composite with red spots; sapphire exhibition caseback; winding crown in black-coated stainless steel * Case dimensions Diameter 42 mm, thickness 14 mm * Watch glass Domed sapphire crystal with internal anti-reflective coating 

Dial finish Brushed, chamfered, polished and black-coated parts; bottom plate in textured grey-black carbon fiber composite with red spots; luminescent coating on the hour and minute displays (eyes of the character) 

Strap Red synthetic fluorocarbon rubber strap with quick change system 

Buckle Behrens pin buckle in titanium