Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin forge an unforgettable salmon
A limited collaboration brings together two independent watchmakers in a playful creation that celebrates craft and character. The Unfrogettable Salmon Seddiqi Edition is restricted to just 55 pieces.
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The collaboration between Louis Erard and Konstantin Chaykin speaks to something increasingly rare in contemporary watchmaking: the courage to embrace character alongside craft. Their Unfrogettable Salmon Seddiqi Edition represents a moment where independent watchmaking finds expression not merely through technical virtuosity, but through a distinctly playful point of view.
At its heart lies a salmon dial of considerable visual sophistication. The grained finish catches light in a manner that suggests movement even when the watch sits still, while the soft peachy tone carries an almost Art Deco sensibility. Against this backdrop, turquoise accents provide counterpoint, a chromatic choice that demands confidence. These are watchmakers who understand that restraint and boldness are not opposing forces; rather, they work in concert when applied with discernment.
The Unfrogettable collection has long carried a certain narrative levity. Yet the collaboration with Seddiqi demonstrates how such levity need never compromise horological substance. Each of the 55 examples represents a considered decision: to create something recognisably itself, unmistakably derivative from neither revival nor archival reference, but entirely contemporary in its sensibility.
Louis Erard has long occupied a particular space in independent watchmaking, one where mechanical sophistication coexists comfortably with accessible charm. Konstantin Chaykin brings to any project an almost theatrical dimension, a sensibility that transforms a watch into a narrative object. Together, they have created something that feels neither compromise nor collection of competing ideas, but rather a genuine synthesis.
The decision to limit the edition to 55 pieces reflects an understanding of what distinguishes limited release from mere scarcity marketing. This number exists in service of the work itself, not as a constraint imposed upon it. It ensures that each owner holds something genuinely rare, while the watches themselves remain undiluted by endless variation.
For collectors who have grown weary of the relentless seriousness that can afflict horology, this edition offers something increasingly precious: the permission to enjoy a mechanical watch that refuses to apologise for being delightful. The salmon dial and turquoise accents are not distractions from watchmaking virtue; they are expressions of it. They declare that independent watchmakers need not choose between technical excellence and visual audacity.
Imagery courtesy of Louis Erard x Konstantin Chaykin (@seddiqi_uae).