Introducing: The Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III — Don’t Fight The Regulator WristMonster; Wear One!
Let’s start with a riddle. What has one eye, one mouth, two hands, and a rebellious soul? You got it — the Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III. The million-dollar question is whether humor belongs in luxury watchmaking, but when it looks good, it doesn’t matter if you think the watch is funny or not. And although there’s no accounting for taste, Louis Erard’s characteristic regulator layout and Konstantin Chaykin’s wildly colorful and graphic dials work very well together. After a previous and successful collaboration, the duo is back with two 178-piece limited-edition watches — a 42mm version showing a blue minute ring, sold exclusively through Louis Erard, and a 39mm version with a red minute ring around the outside of the dial, sold only by Konstantin Chaykin.
Some WristMonsters are rarer than others. While the 39mm and 42mm Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III models are limited to 178 pieces, the 39mm watch (ref. 85248AA90.BVA150) is more elusive. There are no pictures of it yet. Only the 42mm version (ref. 85237AA90.BGA087) with a blue minute ring has been documented so far, but it’s okay because the watches share so many features, like the movement and the price of CHF 4,450 (ex. taxes). It’s OK for now, but we want to see proof of the 39mm’s existence at some point.
Introducing the Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III
Both Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III editions have a most expressive look. The vertical regulator layout and Konstantin Chaykin’s mischievous WristMonster design make for a very original, stylized dial. At the 12 o’clock position, a hypnotic mono-eye tracks the hours.
At 6, a rotating, toothed mouth shows that the watch is running. The central curved minute hand ties everything together and seemingly sweeps up time from the dial.
The shiny stainless steel 42mm version has a 12.25mm thickness and a 49.6mm lug-to-lug length. Between the lugs, Louis Erard squeezed a 22mm black toad leather strap with quick-release spring bars. The strap tapers to 20mm at the stainless steel pin buckle and shows blue stitching and a blue rabbit leather lining.
The version sold by Chaykin might have a smaller 39mm case, but its 12.82mm profile means it’s thicker than the 42mm Time Eater III. It also has a 45.9mm lug-to-lug length. Between the lugs sits a black grained calfskin strap with tone-on-tone stitching and a black calfskin lining. It tapers from 20mm between the lugs to 18mm at the buckle.
Both Time Eaters are limited to 178 monsters
Both cases have a 5-bar (50m) water resistance rating, and the three-part constructions feature a domed sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment on both sides. Fittingly, both watches also have a signed Konstantin Chaykin crown and case back engraved with the inscription “Limited Edition 1 of 178.”
Don’t fear this time-eating WristMonster. Instead, wear it like any normal watch. Yes, it’s a very outspoken timepiece, but that’s also the point. Admittedly, the 42mm case is a tad big on the wrist. I do like the look of the red Chaykin version a little more, and I think it would even fit my 18cm wrist better. In any case, the watch has a lot of wrist presence. And it will scare your conservative watch friends in all kinds of ways, which is a big bonus.
The Time Eater ate a Sellita!
Inside both Time Eater III models beats the automatic regulator-type Sellita caliber SW266-1. This 31-jewel 4Hz movement measures 25.6mm in diameter and 5.6mm thick. It also shows its decorated parts through a display case back, revealing an open-worked rotor bearing a black lacquered Louis Erard symbol. The WristMonster’s movement runs out of “breath” after approximately 38 hours. That’s not a scary-long time.
Do you remember the 2023 Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin watches that came in green and purple? They’re long gone. Just so you know, the Le Régulateur Louis Erard × Konstantin Chaykin Time Eater III is the final edition of this very particular regulator series. Once these two are gone, they’ll be gone forever, never to be seen again. For some, that’s a relief, while for others, it’s a regrettable missed opportunity. Anyway, we warned you about this WristMonster!
Please head over to Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin’s official websites for more information.
