Worn & Wound
The Konstantin Chaykin Joker “Fiat Lux,” and, Just for Fun, Some of Our Favorites from the Wristmons Collection
When you first see one of Konstantin Chaykin’s “Wristmons” pieces, it’s hard not to think it’s an elaborate prank. The imaginative and mechanically complex character watches do not have the aesthetic trappings of the serious horology that is at work under (and above) the hood. They look like children’s toys, with familiar “faces” often borrowed from popular culture or our shared iconography. A truism in the watch world is that if you see someone wearing a Joker or any other Wristmons piece out in the wild, go talk to them. The conversation is certain to be more interesting than with the guy wearing the vintage Sub. The latest entry in the Wristmons lineup is the Joker “Fiat Lux,” a limited run of just 38 pieces made for the Chinese market. This one is only barely recognizable as a Joker, though, as the dial has been heavily skeletonized, allowing the wearer to see the mechanism that allows for the watch’s unique display. The idea of “skeletonizing” a dial that depicts a face has a certain meta quality to it, and is probably worthy of an analysis all on its own, especially once you realize that the eyes in this edition have been hollowed out. For now, though, we can simply admire the Joker layout as if it’s been given an x-ray. The skeletonization itself has been well executed and draws the eye across the dial in such a way that legibility isn’t really a problem, and you kind of naturally admire the craft inherent in the dial work. The cent...
