As recently as 2009, Christophe Claret(see previous) swore that he wasn't a watch brand, just a brilliant hired-gun watchmaker working for the top brands. That's all over with a new model released at this years Baselworld and a special edition for Only Watch 2013 (see previous years). Personally I think he should have stayed in the movement realm and let someone else handle the design, since his pieces are, almost universally, over-wrought hunks of post-modern excess, but mechanically peerless.
First from Claret is an addition to his X-TREM-1 line, the Pinball. He's retained the signature tourbillon and moving-sphere time indication, but reworked the case and movement to look like a pinball game (no reason was given), in a blue and orange color scheme. The case remains 40.8mmx56.8mm and 15mm thick, made of titanium with sapphire crystals and tubes. The movement is the FLY11 caliber, containing 419 parts, 64 jewels and maintains a 21,600 BPH for a power reserve of 50 hours. Winding and setting are done by independent flip-up levers on the back of the case.
 |  |
(source)
Released as regular production at Baselworld was the Kantharos, a automatic chronograph with constant-force mechanism (sometimes called a remontoire) and a strangely-pointless chime, which strikes a single note each time the chronograph button is pushed, to start, stop or reset the chrono. The case is round, available in Titanium or gold and measures 45×15.8mm. The movement, Claret caliber MBA13, is bigger then the average watch of only a few years back, at 37.6×10.5 mm, and contains 75 jewels in it 558 components. MSRP starts at 98,000 CHF, making this the entry-level model of Claret's line.
To answer the obvious questions:
- Yes. Part of the mainplate is made of synthetic sapphire, with synthetic rubies set into it for jewels. Claret pioneered this sapphire-as-plate in work he did for UN several years back
- Yes. It does list every feature of the watch on the subdials
 | |
 |  |
(source)
SJX has seen the beast in-person and has some live pics over at his blog, they're worth a look
A
Additional promotional material, crazy teaser movie
Leave a comment