Krayon continues to revolutionise the contemporary watchmaking scene with a new Anywhere model decorated in glittering sapphires.
Independent watchmaker Krayon have created such a unique niche for themselves in the watch industry. Their brand of haute horlogerie has captivated horology lovers everywhere. From the budding enthusiast to the monied-up veteran, a Krayon watch is slowly becoming synonymous with a high level of knowledge and exacting personal taste in the watch world. Developing a penchant for making mechanically challenging concepts intuitive and simple, the brand wears their MO on their sleeve.
Collections like the Anyday, with its mechanical agenda complication, and the Everywhere, which tracks sunrise and sunset times around the world, are two of the three incredible complications that have garnered critical acclaim. But while the brand has found most of their success in simple minimalism, their latest release delves further into maximalist design concepts.
Shining Sapphire
Meet the Krayon Anywhere Parhelion, a hyper-luxurious, gem-set version of their Anywhere collection. Sized to a 42mm case diameter with a 9.5mm thickness, the entire watch is encased in 18k white gold. While the lustre and density of white gold is enough to add elegance to the watch, that’s hardly where Krayon has stopped.
The independent brand has decorated the watch with a blistering 171 sapphires across the case, bezel, lugs and even the pin buckle. Predominantly using baguette-cut blue sapphires, the bezel makes way for a gradual fade from six to 12 o’clock. The sapphires slowly fade from blue to white, ending in the brand’s custom ‘Krayon Cut’ white sapphire at 12.
Using these gemstones was more than just an exercise in excess for co-founders Rémi Maillat and Fei Hou. The watch’s name, Parhelion, comes from the atmospheric phenomenon of the same name, which shapes light due to the environment it encounters. Discovering the effect on an expedition to Greenland, Maillat and Fei looked to mimic the natural dance across the entirety of the new watch.
The Krayon Anywhere Parhelion comes complete on a blue alligator strap, establishing the watch’s dressy look whilst allowing for optimal comfort. Ending in that stunning gem-set pin buckle, the watch offers an impressive display even before one takes a brief glance at the dial.
Iceberg Lounge
But why take a brief glance when Krayon’s unique dial layout invites you in? At the centre of it all lies a light blue mother-of-pearl dial, its iridescence mimicking the waters just off the Greenland coast seen by Maillat and Fei. The inspiration is more apparent through the indexes, comprising 11 more ‘Krayon Cut’ white sapphires fixed invisibly to the dial’s surface.
With no apparent attachment, the shaped sapphires mimic icebergs moving slowly atop the water’s surface. Besides the unique central design, much of the Anywhere’s design remains as familiar and spectacular as it’s always been.
The subdial at six o’clock shows the date and month, integral parts of the sunrise and sunset display sitting in the recessed ring orbiting the dial. The sun rotates around the dial as each day progresses, above a peripheral day/night ring that lengthens or shortens with the seasons.
The progression of the day on the dial, and how close the current time is to the sunrise and sunset times, can be seen, creating a dynamic and ever-changing visual of how time and days change with the seasons. The daytime portions of the ring are executed in an iridescent light blue, but not as light as the mother-of-pearl, while the dark blue night section is splattered with white for the added illusion of stars across the sky.
Place & Time
Turning the watch around reveals an open caseback, where the inner workings of the Anywhere are revealed. Inside is the manual-winding Cal. C030, which beats at a slower 3Hz (21,600VpH) beat rate atop a 72-hour power reserve. Compared to their marquee Everywhere collection, the Anywhere’s movement is its simplified younger brother. However, with 432 components, it’s hardly any lesser in mechanical mastery.
The Cal. C030 powers all of the associated complications: the date, month, 24-hour, sunrise and sunset indicators. What makes the watch even better is that any adjustments to the date can be done locally through the crown, allowing for an enhanced level of convenience without the tedium of built-in case pushers.
However, the Anywhere uses a specified latitude and longitude to tell the sunrise and sunset times of your specific location. That configuration requires a trained watchmaker at Krayon to calibrate a few screws within the movement upon ordering the watch.
While it might not sound like the most convenient, and on-demand adjustment seems more preferable, remember that the Everywhere suffers no such drawbacks. But also remember that the Everywhere is also CHF 170,000 more expensive than the CHF 430,000 Anywhere Parhelion, even with its gem-setting. So, if you have the cash to splash, the choice is entirely yours.
Initial Thoughts
Krayon is such a distinctive case in the watch world. Given the presence of so many horological heavyweights in the independent scene, it’s progressively getting harder and harder to stand out. Yet, Krayon has been able to do so without the need for extravagant, in-your-face hyper-horology. With the new Anywhere Parhelion, it seems that they’re tackling the idea of maximalism, but entirely on their own terms.
From its stunning gem-set case to its iridescent dial and ‘Krayon Cut’ sapphires, this watch exudes a contemporary charm like no other. Compounded by the brand’s singular complication, the end result is a watch that looks, wears and behaves like no other in the entire business. A near-impossible achievement, made possible through Krayon’s incredible dedication to the craft.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | Krayon Anywhere Parhelion |
| Dimensions | 42mm case diameter × 9.5mm thickness |
| Case | 18k white gold with 134 baguette-cut gradient blue sapphires & 1 ‘Krayon Cut’ white sapphire |
| Dial | Light blue mother-of-pearl with 11 invisible-set ‘Krayon Cut’ diamond indexes & dark blue accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Manual wind Cal. C030 with date, month, 24-hour, sunrise & sunset indicator complications |
| Power Reserve | 72h |
| Beat Rate | 3Hz / 21,600VpH |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 3bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Dark blue alligator leather strap with white gold pin buckle set with 35 baguette-cut blue sapphires |