Inspired by Van Gogh's masterpiece "The Starry Night", Krayon has presented a unique version of its Anywhere, created in collaboration with Jean Todt.




The Anywhere, designed by Rémi Maillat, watch designer and founder of Krayon, is a watch capable of marking sunrise and sunset times for any location selected by its owner.

The model was originally launched in 2020, as a successor to the 2017 Everywhere, a very complex and expensive watch, capable of calculating sunrise and sunset times universally, using only the crown, but with a price tag of 600,000 Swiss Francs.


The Anywhere, on the other hand, requires that the adjustment, once the location has been chosen by its owner, be made by a watchmaker, but at a much lower price, of 96,000 Swiss Francs for a steel case.

The new version of this spectacular watch was specially created by Krayon for the motorsport legend Jean Todt, an exclusive masterpiece made from a single block of platinum, with a dial that is a reinterpretation of Van Gogh's famous painting "The Starry Night".


With unparalleled mastery of technique, material and craftsmanship, Krayon reaffirms its commitment to preserving the fine craftsmanship that is intrinsic to haute horlogerie and watch decoration. Capturing the essence of the legendary painting, this exceptional creation not only transcends the function of measuring time, but also becomes a work of art.

Vincent van Gogh's "The Starry Night" stands out as a masterpiece of Dutch Post-Impressionism, evoking a timeless magic that transcends the limits of reality. With swirls of vibrant colors and a depiction of celestial turbulence, Van Gogh invites us into a universe where galaxies seem to dance in a troubled, if not tormented, firmament.


The magic of this painting lies in its ability to capture the very essence of night. The darkness is broken by the glow of twinkling stars. Each brushstroke seems infused with a mystical energy, creating a captivating atmosphere that draws the viewer into a dreamlike realm.

"The Starry Night" transcends being a mere depiction of the night sky; it is an exploration of the human soul's deep connection to the cosmos. It offers an experience that extends beyond the familiar confines of our world, touching the very essence of existence.


A beautiful dial, blending time-honored technique with modern inspiration



Just as Van Gogh, driven by his passion for astronomy, meticulously studied the night sky to capture its mesmerizing beauty and complexity, Krayon created this watch with a deep commitment to both aesthetics and the celestial dance. Every tiny drop of paint on the dial, every component of the movement, has been orchestrated with the precision of a master jeweler. This watch tracks the cycles of time with an elegance that reflects the celestial ballet of sunrise and sunset, displayed through Krayon's distinctive complication.


This watch goes beyond being a mere instrument for measuring time; it becomes a work of art in its own right. The use of miniature painting to reinterpret Van Gogh's iconic masterpiece is truly remarkable. Handcrafted with meticulous care, every detail and swirl of color has been reimagined to capture the soul of the original.

To create the dial, a multitude of tiny recesses are first carved into the metal plate. Into these, a Swiss enameler carefully deposits flecks of each color, in the form of lacquer, by hand-layer by layer, until the desired hues emerge, achieving an incredibly delicate effect. This fusion of fine watchmaking with an ancient artistic craft creates a unique harmony where time seems suspended in the eternal beauty of "The Starry Night", inviting a unique sensory experience.


The fascination of celestial bodies


The connection between Vincent Van Gogh's fascination with the cosmos and the creation of Krayon's Anywhere is remarkable. This watch, acting as a miniature almanac on the wrist, echoes the artist's profound exploration of celestial mysteries in works such as "The Starry Night."

However, the Anywhere watch does not just embody the artistic essence of this iconic painting; it also reflects the celestial dance of the moon and sun with its innovative functionality.

The Anywhere extends beyond its role as a watch. It pays homage to Van Gogh's passion for astronomy while seamlessly integrating art and science. Capturing the boundless creativity of the human spirit and our enduring curiosity about the universe, it stands as a gateway to explore the infinite wonders of the cosmos.


The noblest of precious metals, for an exceptional timepiece


Rare and precious, platinum holds a particular allure with its silvery whiteness and vibrant luminosity, which aptly complements the hues of blue. It is among the heaviest and densest materials in the world, but it also stands out for its unique physical and chemical properties, such as its exceptional resistance to corrosion.

Paradoxically, it is soft, elastic and extremely malleable. Machining and polishing it are particularly challenging and require a high degree of skill and craftsmanship. Krayon uses only 950 platinum, an alloy consisting of 950 parts of the precious metal per thousand, which is meticulously produced in Switzerland. The noblest of precious metals, for an even more exceptional timepiece.


A unique complication


What if you could know the exact time of sunrise and sunset in any location of your choice - anywhere on the planet? The Anywhere watch introduced an unprecedented complication to the world of fine watchmaking, as a symbol of our intimate connection with the Earth. After all, there is no place more meaningful than where you are, have been or wish to be-the places captured by your eyes, cherished in your memories or held dearly in your heart.

This fusion of space and time, of significant moments and special places, cannot be expressed by a standard watch, nor captured by traditional complications.


Based on this innovative concept, Rémi Maillat brings new ideas to life through the intricacies of watchmaking with every stroke of his pencil ("crayon" is French for pencil).

Their creation, the Anywhere watch, reveals the length of daylight and marks the times of sunrise and sunset for any location selected by the wearer - placing them at the center of a universal yet intimate form of watchmaking.


This emotional interplay between time and space, the possibility of merging personal "geography" with the external world, is at the heart of Krayon's mission. The brand reinvents the concept of time through a watch that transcends traditional conventions and routines. Each morning and evening, although seemingly similar to the one before or the next, is uniquely personal, never repeating itself in exactly the same way. Krayon understands this deeply.


The heart of the watch


The Anywhere is equipped with the hand-wound Calibre C030, a movement meticulously designed, developed and entirely assembled in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, by Rémi Maillat, the founding watchmaker of Krayon. It is the evolution of the movement created for the model presented at the Only Watch charity auction in 2021.

Deceptively simple in appearance, it is also surprisingly thin in relation to its complexity (only 5 mm thick). The technical sophistication of this hand-wound movement (432 components, 72 hours of power reserve) has attracted a lot of attention and has amazed the watchmaking community with its personalized geographical and temporal precision.

Anywhere displays the hours and minutes with two hands, set in a setting that creates the illusion of being suspended inside the watch. Around this, a wide peripheral ring is divided into a daytime (sky blue) and nighttime (dark blue) sector. The two segments change length to mirror the real-time sunrise and sunset times, as read on the flange. As the days change, so do their length and color, altering the watch face.


This innovative feature not only captures the essence of time, but is also sensitive to geographic latitude, which affects the length of day and night. Near the equator, day and night are of equal length, while closer to the Arctic Circle , summer days extend into the "White Nights". To accommodate this, Krayon developed a versatile system of racks and levers, allowing simple adjustments by a watchmaker once the wearer's specific location has been determined.

In addition, the Anywhere includes a calendar at 6 o'clock, indicating the date and month. Designed to assume that each month has 31 days, it requires five annual adjustments, easily made by turning the crown in both directions.

Special care was taken with the sapphire day and night discs. One disc is hand-painted in dark blue with small SuperLuminova stars that shine against the background, while the other is painted in sky blue. The sun, depicted above these discs, completes its circuit, with each ray highlighted by a sophisticated diamond coating process.

In addition to the visual appeal of the discs, the watch design also features a sloping flange that functions as a 24-hour scale. The meticulous craftsmanship extends to the hand-bevelled perforations and the artfully designed bridges, displaying bold, fine lines ideal for hand-bevelling. This attention to detail, in both form and function, cements the Anywhere's place among the finest examples of contemporary watchmaking.


An award-winning watch

Following in the footsteps of the Everywhere, which in 2018 was recognised with the award in the "Calendar and Astronomy" category of the GPHG - Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève, the Anywhere has been awarded in the "Calendar and Astronomy" category at the 2022 edition of the prestigious event, considered the Oscars of watchmaking.




Krayon Anywhere "The Starry Night" - Technical data

Unique piece made especially for Jean Todt

Movement

Caliber C030
Diameter: 35.40 mm
Height: 5.00 mm
Power reserve: 72 hours
Frequency: 21,600 bph (3 Hz)
Manual winding, with stop-seconds mechanism (rack)
432 components, 55 jewels
Central hours and minutes, day/night, sunrise and sunset times on the periphery, depending on the location chosen by the user, 24-hour indication
Date and months of the year at 6 o'clock


Case
In platinum 950
Diameter: 39 mm
Thickness: 9.5 mm


Dial
Hand-painted Métiers d'Art miniature painting in multiple hues
Indication of hours and minutes by central hands
Indication of day and night
Indication of sunrise and sunset times on the periphery, depending on the location chosen by the user
24-hour indication
Date and months of the year on subdial at 6 o'clock


Strap
Blue calfskin, "grained"
Buckle clasp in platinum 950


Price
A unique piece made to order, the price of the model has not been disclosed

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Article originally published in Pulso Magazine, issue 154, Sept/Oct 2024