For 2023, watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin has released a second version of the Wristmons Minions watch, this time in titanium, with some small design tweaks. The original Konstantin Chaykin Minions watch was debuted by aBlogtoWatch in 2021 and represented a new (smaller) 40mm wide Wristmons (Joker) case, as well as the first time Konstantin Chaykin did a watch that was officially licensed by the people who own the rights to the Minions characters. The face-style dial lent itself well to creating a design that looked like the popular yellow minions that originally debuted in the Despicable Me series of animated movies. Most Konstantin Chaykin Wristmons collection timepieces sell out rather quickly and are also produced as uncommon limited editions. The new Minions Titanium, for example, is a limited edition of just 99 pieces. And by the time you read this, the waiting list for the watches is likely to be full. It’s still a good time to be Konstantin Chaykin, these days.
The original Konstantin Chaykin Minions watch came in a steel case, and for 2023, the Minions Titanium (as the name implies) offers a titanium case. Titanium is lighter weight than steel and has some other advantages, but for the most part, steel is about as good a watch case material (unless you have a nickel allergy) as titanium. That said, titanium is currently very trendy, and it makes sense for Konstantin Chaykin to use it as a means of creating more Minions watches without violating his limited-edition promise to buyers of the first round of Minions timepieces.
Other small design tweaks include changes to the dial that simply give the Minion face a better look. Most obvious is the finishing of the “goggles,” which are now given a brushed finish (apparently using a separate polishing process) versus the sandblasted finishing of before. I think the original model also has lenses in the crystals, which seemed like a good idea, but they appear to be removed here making for a slightly more clear and thus legible Minions face dial. Otherwise, for the most part, the 2021 and 2023 Konstantin Chaykin watches are the same.
The watch case is 40mm-wide versus the 42mm-wide size of most other Wristmons/Joker watches. The case is 13.5mm-thick and has a sapphire crystal over the dial, as well as the caseback for a view of the movement. The movement inside the Minions Titanium watch is Konstantin Chaykin’s caliber K.18-15 automatic. This mechanism begins as a Swiss Made ETA 2892A2 (4Hz, 42 hours of power reserve) which then gets a special module put over it. That module gives the hours and minutes their “eye distance” regulator-style layout, as well as the moonphase indicator that serves as the “tongue” inside the mouth-style window at the bottom of the dial. Konstantin Chaykin uses an inset pusher on the left side of the case as the moonphase corrector, and this helps give the case its distinctive “two ears” crowns. The left crown isn’t really a crown in that it doesn’t turn but rather has a small pusher in the side of it. It is nice to see the prominent Minions logo and artwork on on the automatic rotor visible through the rear of the case.
Once again, Konstantin Chaykin pairs the Minions watch with a denim-style fabric strap (with a calf-leather liner) that matches the casual, playful theme of the overall composition very well. At 40mm-wide, the Minions Titanium isn’t a small watch, but it is more suitable for an expanded assortment of wrists as compared with the larger 42mm-wide case that is more popular from the company. This medium case size is probably intended to be suitable for both men and women, but we will see how Konstantin Chaykin makes use of this case size as the Wristmons collection further evolves. The 2023 Konstantin Chaykin Minions Titanium watch is a limited edition of 99 pieces and has a retail price of 19,500 Swiss Francs. Learn more at the Konstantin Chaykin website.
