[sc_fs_multi_faq headline-0=”h2″ question-0=”1. What is currently the world’s thinnest mechanical watch?” answer-0=”While Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II (1.7 mm) held the record as of April, Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has debuted a new prototype called the ThinKing, which measures just 1.65 millimeters thick.” image-0=”” headline-1=”h2″ question-1=”2. How much does the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing weigh?” answer-1=”The ThinKing is considered one of the lightest mechanical watches in the world, weighing only 13.3 grams (approximately 0.47 ounces) without the strap.” image-1=”” headline-2=”h2″ question-2=”3. What specific innovations allowed the ThinKing to be so thin?” answer-2=”Chaykin utilized several engineering breakthroughs, including a winding mechanism integrated directly into the watch’s barrel and a “double balance” wheel that reduces the number of layers required in the movement.” image-2=”” headline-3=”h2″ question-3=”4. How do you wind and set the ThinKing if it is so slim?” answer-3=”To save space, the mechanisms for winding and adjusting the dials are located in a separate 5.4-millimeter-thick carrier case. However, the watch can also be wound manually using a key.” image-3=”” headline-4=”h2″ question-4=”5. What materials were used to build the watch?” answer-4=”The current prototype is made from stainless steel and tungsten carbide, a material chosen for being both light and exceptionally rigid. Chaykin has mentioned that future versions may incorporate sapphires or diamonds.” image-4=”” count=”5″ html=”false” css_class=””]In recent years, the giants of European horology have been locked in a heated battle to design the world’s thinnest mechanical watch.
Luxury brands Bulgari, Piaget and Richard Mille have all, since 2018, held the coveted record, which was most recently broken by Bulgari’s sleek 1.7-millimeter-thick Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II, in April.
But now, an independent Russian watchmaker and inventor may have trumped them all.
Moscow-based Konstantin Chaykin says his new ThinKing prototype, which he debuted at the Geneva Watch Days fair in Switzerland last week, is just 1.65 millimeters (less than one-fifteenth of an inch) thick. He also believes it to be among the world’s lightest watches, weighing just 13.3 grams (less than 0.47 ounces), without its strap.
In an email to CNN, Chaykin said he has developed various innovations to make his design thinner “without compromising its functionality,” including a winding mechanism that is integrated into the barrel of the watch. The ThinKing also features a “double balance” wheel that allowed Chaykin to reduce the number of layers in the watch movement.
Mechanisms for winding the watch and adjusting its dials are, meanwhile, found in a separate 5.4-millimeter-thick carrier case, freeing up space (though the ThinKing can also be wound with a key). Chaykin said he has filed several patent applications, though none have yet been granted.
The watch is made using stainless steel and tungsten carbide, a light but exceptionally rigid compound. Chaykin, who is the only Russian member of the prestigious Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants, said he is also considering using sapphires or diamonds in future versions of the watch, according to his brand’s website.
With the hour and minute displays separate from one another, the design resembles a face — a hallmark of the watchmaker’s signature Wristmons collection. The dials are each protected by 0.35-millimeter-thick (0.014-inch) sapphire crystals.
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1. What is currently the world’s thinnest mechanical watch? While Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo Ultra Mark II (1.7 mm) held the record as of April, Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has debuted a new prototype called the ThinKing, which measures just 1.65 millimeters thick.
2. How much does the Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing weigh? The ThinKing is considered one of the lightest mechanical watches in the world, weighing only 13.3 grams (approximately 0.47 ounces) without the strap.
3. What specific innovations allowed the ThinKing to be so thin? Chaykin utilized several engineering breakthroughs, including a winding mechanism integrated directly into the watch’s barrel and a “double balance” wheel that reduces the number of layers required in the movement.
4. How do you wind and set the ThinKing if it is so slim? To save space, the mechanisms for winding and adjusting the dials are located in a separate 5.4-millimeter-thick carrier case. However, the watch can also be wound manually using a key.
5. What materials were used to build the watch? The current prototype is made from stainless steel and tungsten carbide, a material chosen for being both light and exceptionally rigid. Chaykin has mentioned that future versions may incorporate sapphires or diamonds.