Konstantin Chaykin

Creating Jewish timepieces Konstantin Chaykin was inspired by the complexity and astronomical precision of the Jewish calendar. The Jewish people use this calendar for religious purposes throughout the world; it is also the official calendar of Israel. Decalogue movement invented and created by Konstantin Chaykin turns hands anti-clockwise. This feature is called the reverse movement system of the minute (pointer) wheels, is a patented invention by Konstantin Chaykin. The Decalogue is a genuine Jewish watch featuring manual winding, an anchor escapement, a shock-absorber and an additional moon-phase display.

The Decalogue Rega is a more complex version of the Decalogue and is the only timepiece in the world to count Jewish units of time: halakim and regaim. These short units of time have been known to Jewish sages since ancient times; here, for the first time, they are embodied in a wristwatch. Together with 24-hour periods and hours, they form the basis for timekeeping in the Jewish calendar. A helek ('a part' translated from Aramaic) is 31/3 seconds, while a rega is just 44 milliseconds. Rega is thus the smallest unit of time. Its synonym in Hebrew, haref ain, means 'the twinkling of an eye'.

Every part, every design element of the Decalogue and Decalogue Rega is meant to recall the ancient religion of the Jewish people. The silver-plated dial featuring ancient Aramaic letters reproduces the Ten Commandments (Decalogue) given by God to Moses in the presence of the sons of Israel on Mount Sinai on the fiftieth day after the Exodus from Egypt.

The design of the dial is also imbued with profound meaning. The usual numerals on the watch dial have been replaced by letters from the Jewish alphabet. Of course, the letters themselves do not provide the time; their numerical value, or gematria, must be extrapolated from the letters instead. This recalls the Kabbalistic teaching that considers letters to be a type of symbol or reflection of the original divine scripture, laying out the foundation for the entire Universe. Time, which has no beginning or end, is one of the most mysterious subjects and an inseparable part of the Divine Creation of the world. Perhaps it is precisely this combination of a mechanical image of time and enigmatic letters full of profound meaning that will enable enthusiasts to come one step closer to solving the mystery of the creation of the world...