Only Watch 2021: Krayon Anywhere “Impression, Sunrise”

Haute horlogerie and metiers d’art.

Founded in 2013 by veteran movement constructor Rémi Maillat, Krayon made its debut with the impressive, enormously complex mechanical computer that calculates sunrise and sunset times in any location. It followed up with the more affordable Anywhere, which strikes a better balance between complexity and user friendliness.

And now for Only Watch 2021, Krayon is taking the Anywhere to the next level with a metiers d’art dial. The Krayon Anywhere Only Watch 2021 features a lacquer dial inspired by Monet’s Impression, Sunrise.

Initial thoughts

The standard Anywhere is compelling to begin with, complex but executed in thoughtful manner. Despite being ultra complicated – the movement is made up of over 430 components, rivalling a split-seconds chronograph – the Anywhere is rather easy to read and operate, as well as being wearable at just 39 mm wide and 9.5 mm high.

But the original design arguably left room for improvement. The hour markers, for instance, seem to interrupt the styling of the dial. And it appears that the Only Watch edition has picked up where the original left off by refining the dial design.

The highlight is the dial centre that’s a reinterpretation of Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet, a thematically-congruent decoration since both the watch and painting are centred on the Sun. Like the painting, the dial is Impressionist in its execution: the Sun rising over water is only visible at a distance.

Also notable is the movement inside, which is the original prototype of the Anywhere calibre. As with the UR-102 “Gaïa” that Urwerk put together for Only Watch, this unique Anywhere embodies the foundational period of the brand.

A prototype movement.

Intuitive complication

The dial centre of the Anywhere Only Watch is bestowed with a miniature painting, decorated in a process similar to champleve enamel. It is first engraved with tiny polygonal cells, which are then individually filled with lacquer of different colours.

Functionally, the Only Watch edition remains identical to the standard model. Adjusted entirely via the crown, the Anywhere indicates sunrise and sunset times for a specific location, which is set during assembly at the factory (though reprogramming the location can be done swiftly by a watchmaker). Naturally, the buyer of the Anywhere Only Watch will be able to specify the exact location desired for the movement.

It does so in an intuitive and beautiful manner. The two-colour ring around the lacquer centre represents the length of a day, changing with the seasons. The light blue segment indicates daytime while the dark blue segment, nighttime, with the intersection between the two being the sunrise and sunset times.

In addition, a sun-shaped pointer travels along the ring to show the hour on a 24-hour scale, functionally as a day-and-night indicator.

Turning the watch over reveals the hand-wind cal. C030 in its prototype form. Constructed in an unusual manner, the movement has its top half containing the gear train and balance assembly, with the bottom section dedicated to the complication.

The sunrise and sunset display is centred on an eccentric cam visible at six, which makes a full rotation in slightly over a year, just like the motion of Earth around the Sun, allowing it to control the motion of the two-colour, sunrise and sunset ring.

Krayon has also paid attention to the aesthetics of the movement, which is finished well and characterised by peculiar bridge shapes. The slightly jagged edges of the barrel bridge along with the arching Geneve stripes have a back story – the outline of the barrel bridge replicates the shoreline of Lake Neuchâtel, a historical watchmaking centre that’s home to Krayon.

Key Facts and Price

Krayon Anywhere Only Watch 2021 Edition

Diameter: 39 mm
Height: 9.5 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water-resistance: 30m

Dial: Engraved and lacquered

Movement: Cal. C030
Functions: Hour, minutes, sunrise and sunset times, 24-hour indicator, and calendar with month
Components: 432
Winding: Hand-wound
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 86 hours

Strap: Alligator leather

Limited edition: Piece unique
Availability: To be sold at Only Watch on November 6, 2021
Estimate: 95,000-120,000 Swiss francs

For more, visit Onlywatch.com.

Correction July 3, 2021: The dial centre is filled with lacquer, and not enamel as stated in an earlier version of the article.