The esteemed Russian watchmaker Raketa is back with a piece made in partnership with the State Tretyakov Gallery named the Classic "Big Zero" Malevich. Based on the radically abstract artistic approach that the renowned Russian artist Kazimir Malevich was known for taking with his avantgarde "Black Square" painting, the Classic "Big Zero" Malevich envisages a simplistic yet polarising take on the worlds of watchmaking and design.
To describe the Classic "Big Zero" Malevich without explaining what the "Black Square" painting symbolizes wouldn't really do the piece any justice. The "Black Square" masterpiece was unveiled in 1915 to critical acclaim. Malevich explains that it symbolizes a "Big Zero", the end of the previous period of artistic evolution and the beginning of a new artistic reality. The "Black Square" has since become one of the most influential and important modern pieces of art and has inspired many artistic and design approaches over the last century.
The Classic "Big Zero" Malevich is a wonderful portrayal of the "Black Square" artwork. It features a handcrafted dial made in a mosaic of three different stones, black jade, white jade and violan. The natural patterns of the respective stones remain, reminiscent of the craquelures that appeared over the years on the "Black Square" painting.
The dial is of course the focal point with the Classic "Big Zero" Malevich. Its geometric design is modern but not at all boring with thanks to the natural elemental look of the stones. Legibility may prove to be a bit of an issue, but this isn't the kind of watch you would buy with ease of use in mind. This is something different and completely against the grain.
The Classic "Big Zero" Malevich's steel case measures 38.80mm across and holds the Raketa calibre 2615, a Soviet-era automatic movement that beats at a very atypical 2.5 Hz with a power reserve of 40-hours.
Raketa's approach to the Classic "Big Zero" Malevich was to marry the worlds of artistry, modernity and tradition and I feel that the Russian watchmaker achieved that and then some.
The Raketa Classic "Big Zero" Malevich is priced at €1,450 and will be made in a limited run of only 300 pieces with part of the proceeds being donated to the State Tretyakov Gallery.