Konstantin Chaykin Joker

The original Joker watch (2017) introduced the world to Chaykin’s smiling time display, with googly eyes for hours and minutes and a moonphase moon as a tongue. Launched at Baselworld in 2017, the Joker made waves as one of the most extraordinary debuts of the show, instantly captivating collectors with its irreverent charm. At a glance, the Joker’s dial looks like a cartoon face – and that’s entirely by design. The watch tells time through facial features: two subdials form the eyes, with shifting pupils indicating the hours (left eye) and minutes (right eye). When the moonphase is full, the Joker has a full-toothed grin; when it’s a new moon, the mouth is dark, giving the face a different mood. As time passes and the “eyes” roll around, the Joker’s expression constantly changes – it might look cross-eyed at 6:30, surprised at 12:45, or gleeful at 9:15. This watch was produced in a limited run of 99 pieces, and remarkably, all 99 sold out within days of its premiere. It was clear that Chaykin had struck a chord: here was a high-end mechanical watch that didn’t take itself too seriously, offering luxury with a big dose of levity.