The painting "Reflection on the Birth of Time" is the artist’s attempt to look at the Universe – and at the creation of a watch – through the lens of philosophy and natural theology. Chaykin presents himself as a creator bringing a small new world into being. His workbench divides the canvas much like the horizon divides heaven and earth. The table turns into a “sky”, while gears, screws and bridges become the Moon, the Sun, the stars and a passing comet, echoing Albrecht Dürer’s engraving Melencolia I. In this way the artist leads the viewer to the image of the fourth day of Creation, when, together with light, time itself was born and began to flow according to the divine plan.

At Phillips The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, held on 10–11 May 2024, this self-portrait became the main sensation – the painting was sold for 63,438 US dollars, a record result for Chaykin’s painting.