STAR CHRONICLE MECHANICAL BLUE

The STAR CHRONICLE collection was recognized with a Gold award at the MUSE Design Awards 2024: Season 2, an international design competition in USA in the Fashion Design nomination.

The HVILINA Star Chronicle collection is inspired by Belarusian myths and legends about the Moon and the Sun, and our ancestors' perception of celestial mechanics. Many of these legends appeared even before the advent of writing. 

Irina Klimkovich, a journalist and publicist, former employee of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus, and co-author of the encyclopedic dictionary "Belarusian Mythology," helped the HVILINA team gather this rare material. 

In the descriptions of the models, you will be able to familiarize yourselves with the nuances of design and engineering solutions, as well as some of these amazing stories that served as the foundation for creating the Star Chronicle collection! The complete collection of myths is published in the "News" section on our website.

Specifications:

• Mechanism: Miyota 9122 premium automatic, 26 ruby stones, 40-hour power reserve, -10+30 sec/day accuracy;
• Functions: day date, week day, month;
• Front and back glass: sapphire;
• Case material: stainless steel;
• Quick-release genuine leather strap with a butterfly clasp;
• Water resistance: 100 m;
• Engraving on the back case;
• Decorated winding crown;
• Specially made sector of the mechanism decorated with a seal;
• Case diameter: 43 mm;
• Case thickness: 12.6 mm;
• Strap width: 22 mm;
• Limited collection: 500 psc. of each model.

Our ancestors’ understanding of the cosmic order and the interaction of celestial bodies in the sky has evolved over centuries under the influence of science, culture, and religion. Yet, many of the most archaic legends reflect real astronomical events. The Star Chronicle collection is inspired by these incredible stories.

As a visual representation of the Moon and Sun on the dial, the HVILINA designers developed a stylization of Francysk Skaryna’s original coat of arms from the 16th century.

It is no coincidence that the Moon on the dial was depicted in its crescent form. In archaic tradition, the Moon and the crescent were perceived as two different celestial bodies. The crescent symbolized the masculine principle, while the Moon represented the feminine. Compositionally, the dial represents the sky with the Moon and Sun placed on it, executed in the style of medieval visual art: massive hands of complex shape, a starry sky pattern, and indication elements.

According to one of the ancient myths, known as "The Celestial Family" or "The Celestial Wedding," the Sun and Moon represent the perfect marital couple: the Sun embodies the feminine principle, representing the ideal housewife, while the Moon embodies the masculine principle, appearing as the ideal householder. The stars are their children. The cosmos is a palace and courtyard, representing a perfectly ordered Universe together.

However, even in this perfect order, disruptions sometimes occur, with the Moon often being the culprit due to its changeable nature. For example, the Moon sometimes courted the Evening Star (Venus), for which it was severely punished by Perun. Astronomically, this corresponds to the periodic conjunctions of Venus and the Moon in the sky.

The watches are equipped with a Japanese Miyota 9122 premium automatic movement, featuring 26 ruby stones. They come with calendar discs displaying the date, week day, and month. The case is made of stainless steel. The winding crown is decorated with a voluminous brand emblem. Front and back sapphire glass reliably protects against scratches. The water resistance is up to 100 meters.

The transparent back cover reveals a specially made sector of the mechanism with a seal in the form of a batleika, where the Sun and Moon are the main characters in the "cosmic theater." Batleika is a Belarusian folk puppet theater that became popular starting from the 16th century. The batleika stylization on the mechanism sector embodies the theatricality and lyricism with which our ancestors described the phenomena they observed.

The voluminous box is also designed in the style of an improvised batleika and can accommodate up to two models: a man’s and a woman’s for a couple’s order. The collection is limited, with only 500 pieces of each model being released.

As part of the release of the limited collection, 1% of the models are crafted with a unique print on the calendar disk. The print replaces one of the date numbers and, for men’s models, features an image of a bull associated with the Moon. This connection dates back to the Paleolithic era when people noticed that during a new moon, the crescent shape of the night sky resembled a bull’s horns. Through this design, we emphasize the symbolism of the celestial body, representing strength, determination, and perseverance. It is not possible to intentionally select these models; they will find their owners randomly.