The Wizard of the Emerald City

Description

Dmitry Chugunov’s The Wizard of the Emerald City refers to Alexander Volkov’s fairy-tale novel, based on the work of L. Frank Baum. It tells the story of Ellie and her faithful companions. The dial is made of green aventurine, with its characteristic soft shimmer. At the centre is a miniature sculptural group in gold and silver: Ellie, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Lion. The figures are hand-engraved and finished by abrasive blasting. At first glance, only four characters can be seen, but a more attentive viewer will notice a fifth: brave Totoshka sitting in Ellie’s arms.

Chugunov’s main task was to make the time display part of the overall composition. For this reason, he abandoned conventional hands: the motion of the indicator discs is hidden beneath the upper level of the dial. In the upper aperture, the hours are shown by the Sun. As it leaves the visible zone, the Star appears below and continues the hour display until 9 o’clock. At the same time, the Moon glides smoothly above the scene as a striking element of the mechanical animation. The minutes are indicated by the tailed Comet, which moves from one aperture to the other.

Thanks to the height of the 43 mm case, the watch has a fairly substantial presence. Its architecture is built in several levels: a domed sapphire crystal, a tall bezel, and a case band shaped with lateral recesses. The crown is topped with a cabochon – a hydrothermal emerald. On the reverse side, the caseback is secured with six screws and decorated with thematic engraving. Here, the heroes are shown from behind, while the towers of the Emerald City rise ahead of them. The palette of the watch is continued by a green strap with a purple lining. The series is limited to 500 pieces.

Supplied by the brand to the GPHG for its entry.