Just when you think you know every prestigious Swiss watch brand, another one comes along to surprise and delight you.
But you are forgiven if the name Christophe Claret is new to you. Unless you are an astute observer of the luxury watch industry it is very likely that you have not heard of him or appreciate his significance within the Swiss watch industry.
Many of Claret’s customers in the past have chosen to downplay his involvement in the development of their projects (although it is generally common knowledge in the industry.) However, Claret, along with his state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, has been behind some of the most exceptionally complicated watches ever made.
To date Christophe Claret has devised and executed 68 unique complicated movements. These include the groundbreaking Chapter One for Maîtres du Temps, the Opus 4 and Tourbillon Glissiere for Harry Winston and the superlative Jean Dunand collection.
In 2009, Claret emerged from the shadows to release Dual Tow, a watch collection under his own name. Now following its immediate success, Claret is launching a second signature collection. His encore is called Adagio. This minute repeater, large date and GMT model also heralds further surprises to be unveiled at Baselworld 2011.
The Christophe Claret
The Adagio features central hour and minute hands, small seconds at 9 o’clock in a window or subdial, depending on the versions, along with a large date at 6 o’clock and a dual time-zone (hours and minutes) display complete with day/night indication in a subdial at 2 o’clock.
This timepiece is equipped with Calibre SLB88, created entirely in house, composed of 455 parts and measuring 34mm in diameter. Striking the hours, quarters and minutes on demand, the ‘cathedral gongs’ of the striking mechanism are fitted with a patented device preventing them from knocking against each other when they vibrate under the hammer blows. The other patent is the large date display, which features an all-new construction. The crown is equipped with a security system: when the mainspring is fully wound, a mechanism disconnects the winding stem to avoid any potential damage due to excessive tension.
The Adagio is available in three colours – rose gold, white gold or platinum. The 44mm case is water-resistant to 30 meters. It’s fitted with two pushers at 2 and 4 o’clock to adjust the large date and dual time-zone displays, as well as a slide-piece controlling the striking mechanism at 9 o’clock.
The dial comes in a choice of three versions. The first highlights the ancestral art of guilloché-work or engine-turning on gold – white gold in this particular case – enhanced by the blued hour, minute, seconds, and dual time-zone hands.
The second option is created using gemstones such as black onyx, ruby, jade, opal or lapis lazuli.
And finally, the third features a rhodiumed anthracite gold base punctuated by stamped dials, creating a three-dimensional effect.
All models are supplied with an alligator leather strap and issued in a limited edition of eight per dial and case version.
As for price, Christophe Claret knows the value of his masterpieces: the Adagio is priced at around US$268,000 for the rose gold and white gold versions and US$318,000 for the platinum version.
