Christophe Claret unveils a timepiece whose symbolic power is highlighted by the ingenious optical phenomenon of the mirascope. At the center of this limited edition conveying a message recalling the history and civilizations of the East which founded the foundations of modern society: AL- ULA, a basin stretching from Jordan to the Arabian desert, sumptuous witness of the Nabatean civilization, the iconic monument symbolizing appears to literally burst out of the dial.

Christophe Claret never ceases to surprise. This true virtuoso of the watchmaking art plays with mechanics, reinvents style codes and creates a fresh and very personal vision of the passing of time. This approach has driven the creation of the Mecca timepiece that uses the optical phenomenon of the mirascope in paying tribute to a civilization and a rich culture more than three thousand years old.

AL-ULA, the capital of the Kingdom of Dedan, is today a site of major cultural significance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It welcomes Al-Hegra and Mada’in Saleh into its signature. The site has several dozen monuments that have been incredibly preserved from late antiquity.

One of these monuments, very famous in its symbolism, is micro engraved and highlighted thanks to the mirascope, a process invented about thirty years ago at the University of California. The mirascope is composed of two identical parabolic mirrors arranged one on top of the other, creating an elliptical shape. The convex mirror on top has a hole in the middle.

When an object is placed in the center of the concave bottom mirror, the reflection from the top mirror creates a hologram of the object, which appears nearly two times larger than it actually is. In implementing this optical effect in the Mecca model, the monument looks as if it is thrusting out of the middle of the watch and offers a 360-degree view of the emblematic memorial which has withstood all phenomena to bear witness to the grandiosity and talent of the past civilization.

AL-ULA, like all Christophe Claret signature timepieces, epitomizes the highest standards of fine watchmaking embodied by the brand. Developing the technically demanding mirascope to function perfectly took extreme dedication and focus. Two months of research and several prototypes were integral to obtaining the desired optical effect. The next critical step was designing and crafting the hour and minute hands, which had to be reconfigured, as the mirascope was now the centerpiece of the watch.

The hands became pointers revolving on an invisible ring around the perimeter of the dial, each equipped with a counterweight to optimize stability. The challenge of creating the hands was to find a material light enough to compensate for the relatively larger – though mainly concealed – size of the display mechanism. The solution was to use anticorodal (aluminum), which has an excellent rigidity/weight coefficient.

The AL-ULA timepiece features a wealth of emblematic elements and references to the ancestral culture of the region. First, the dial which opens on the iconic Mada’in Saleh monument is engraved in solid rose gold. The color green, in connection with the Arab culture of the past and the present. To accentuate the symbolism of the piece, the Arabic hour numerals and the “AL-MIM” motifs have been engraved on the flange. The front of the watch reveals a calligraphy drawn in the Diwani style by a master calligrapher, “AL-ULA and THE MAGIC OF THE ORIENT”, this one is filled by a hand engraving.

The aesthetic and symbolic spectacle is continued on to the back of the AL-ULA timepiece. The ball-bearing cover is decorated with an engraving of the coat of arms of the Christophe Claret brand around which the green sapphire oscillating weight of the self-winding movement rotates. It should be noted that Christophe Claret has obtained a patent for the sapphire element connecting the ball-bearings to the oscillating weight concealed behind a circle Crafted in green sapphire so as to reveal the meticulous movement finishing, all decorated with a motif around the edge engraved by hand with a green enamel filling.

Finally, the back bezel is engraved with the symbolism of AL-ULA’s current geographic location. The back of the watch shows important inscriptions relating to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, guardian of today AL-ULA. All adorned with green enamel, the inscriptions “LA ILAH ILA ALLAH MOHAMAD RASOOL ALLAH” and “THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA” are also calligraphed in the Diwani style and engraved by hand to perfect this extraordinary masterpiece.

Technical specifications

Movement
Caliber: AVE15, self-winding
Diameter: 26.20 mm
Thickness: 3.37 mm (without hands)
Number of parts: 186
Number of jewels: 28
Barrels: Twin barrels
Power reserve: 72 hours
Escapement: Frequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph) – Swiss lever
‘Mystery’ oscillating weight with sapphire crystal segment and transferred motifs

Functions
Hours and minutes display

Case
Grade 5 titanium/ Red gold 5N
Dimensions: Ø 44 x 18.49 mm
Water resistance: 3 ATM / 30 m / 100 ft

Strap
Green alligator

Distinctive features

Front
The AL-ULA watch is inspired by the Aventicum model: the center of the dial, the mirascope with the emblematic monument of Mada’in Saleh micro-engraved. Around, oriental calligraphy engraved and lacquered in green and gray color.

Back
The oscillating weight is in green sapphire revealing the movement, adorned with an “Al-Mim” motif engraved and enameled in green around the circumference of the weight.

On a decorative plate, green decal of two inscriptions Arabic:
– At 12: “LA ILLAH ILA ALLAH MOHAMAD RASOOL ALLAH” “There is no god but GOD and Muhammad is his messenger”
– At 6: “AL MAMLAKA ALARABIA ALSAOUDIA” “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”
– At 3 and 9: the sword symbol of the flag of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Models

Reference MTR.AVE15.600-617
Case: Grade 5 titanium
Hands: Anticorodal, anodized green with 4N red gold tips, black lacquered
Crown: Grade 5 titanium and anthracite gray grade 5 PVD titanium
Limited edition: 17
Price: 69’000 Swiss francs (ex VAT)

Reference MTR.AVE15.620-637
Case: Red gold 5N
Hands: Anticorodal, anodized black with 4N red gold tips, black lacquered
Crown: Red Gold 5N Strap: Green alligator
Limited edition: 17
Price: 77’000 Swiss francs (ex VAT)

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Seamlessly blending aesthetics and technicality, Maestro showcases an original take on the horological creativity of Christophe Claret. Its glass dome provides a striking, almost dizzying view of the movement architecture and the famous Charles X bridges. Endowed with a seven-day power reserve, a cone-shaped large date display and a 3D MEMO function, Maestro asserts itself as the first Haute Complication watch by Christophe Claret with a price of 72’000 CHF.

The 42mm case – the smallest diameter in the Christophe Claret collections – in grade 5 titanium, 5N red gold or platinum asserts its style with a curvex shape that accentuates its trim design. The choice of a glass dome to serve as a bezel provides a whole new perspective on the movement. The airy and graphic architecture – reinforced by the inner bezel ring featuring matt and polished finishing or set with baguette-cut gems, as well as Christophe Claret’s characteristic two-tone, bi-material hands.

The show really gets going with an exploration of the mechanical hand-wound movement. In line with previous models in the Traditional collection, Christophe Claret has lavished great care on every detail and focused on ensuring an ideal match between technical and aesthetic aspects. The visual journey begins with the famous Charles X style stepped and skeletonized bridges that have become a signature of the Maison through its various collections.

The skeleton-working of the bridge supporting the escapement represents a clever blend of classicism and modernity that affords a chance to appreciate all its subtle features. The balance-wheel with countersunk screws has been entirely developed and produced in-house.

Expressing a permanent concern for details, a natural ruby or a natural sapphire, depending on the version, adorns this assembly in order to conceal the shock-absorbing system. This rare degree of mastery, encompassing the full range of Haute Horlogerie professions, enables the Manufacture to transcend technical sophistication by its constant pursuit of aesthetic perfection.

The visual adventure through the intricacies of the movement continues with two series-coupled barrels ensuring optimal efficiency and majestically positioned at 12 o’clock. Here too, the bridges are skeletonized to provide an exemplary view of the blade spring of the first barrel and thus enable the wearer of the watch to gauge the state of the seven-day power reserve. A fine example of the golden rule tirelessly followed by Christophe Claret: techniques and aesthetics join forces in serving useful complications.

Christophe Claret never misses out on a chance to express his creative audacity through original displays running counter to traditional design codes. An excellent example is the large date that the watchmaker has cleverly placed at 5 o’clock. Composed of two cones, one for the tens on the upper part and the second for the units, this patented large date display performs a semi-instantaneous jump between midnight and twenty past midnight. Lending the perfect finishing touch, its top is set with a natural ruby or a natural sapphire.

As if to echo the 3D effect of this voluminous date display, another cone shape – also topped with a sapphire or ruby – draws the gaze to the space between 3 and 4 o’clock. Never one to stint on playful complications liable to fire the imagination of watch connoisseurs, Christophe Claret unveils here another brand-new function.

Inspired by the expression “tie a knot in your handkerchief” to help one remember something important, MEMO is an ingenious mechanical reminder intended for absent-minded individuals as well as fans of technical gadgets. Whatever daily objective the owner of the Maestro has set himself, the MEMO is there to remind him of his commitments. In the initial position, meaning when the owner must do something, the gem visible at 6 o’clock on the side face of the MEMO is the same color as the one at the top of the MEMO, meaning two rubies or two sapphires depending on the model.

Once the objective has been met, a simple press on the pusher at 2 o’clock pivots the MEMO function, which will display a diamond on its side face at 6 o’clock, instead of the ruby or the sapphire. The MEMO will return to its initial position each night in a twenty-minute process driven by a semi-instantaneous jump system.

Hand-finished according to the noblest Haute Horlogerie traditions, the Maestro reveals a level of finishing that few watch manufacturers can claim to master, such as the stepped Charles X style bridges featuring 26 interior angles. A sapphire crystal pane fitted on the back of the watch provides a chance to admire the meticulous movement decorations.

Maestro Indian is in grade 5 titanium pink chrome movement, issued in 17-piece limited editions.

Technical details

Model: Christophe Claret Maestro Indian
Reference: MTR.DMC16.330-337

Movement
Caliber: DMC16, mechanical hand-wound Dimensions: – Diameter: 36.25 mm – Thickness: 10.50 mm (without the hands) Number of components: 349 Number of jewels: 33
Barrels: Two series-mounted barrels Power reserve: 7 days (approx. 168 hours)
Escapement:
– Swiss lever escapement
– Balance-wheel with countersunk screws
– Balance-wheel oscillation frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)

Functions
Pointer-type display of the hours and minutes
Pyramid-shaped large date display at 5 o’clock, with tens on the upper cone and units on the lower cone
MEMO function between 3 and 4 o’clock: cone shape adorned with a sapphire serving to remind the wearer of a commitment

Movement decoration/finish
Stepped and skeletonized Charles X style bridges
Skeletonized barrel
26 interior angles

Case
Grade 5 titanium
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 16.06 mm
Crown: Stainless steel
Water resistance: 30 m (3 ATM)

Hands
Black chrome-plated and blue anodized aluminum, with Super-Luminova®

Strap
Blue alligator

Edition
Limited series: 17

Retail price
Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: CHF 72,000.-

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Introduced in 2014, Poker is the third addition to Christophe Claret’s trilogy of gaming watches followed by the Blackjack and Baccara models. This year, Christophe Claret presents a new Poker version featuring black PVD-treated grade-5 titanium case and Blue PVD titanium dial.

The Poker watch houses an extremely sophisticated mechanism to reproduce the randomness of the game within a case just 45mm in diameter. For up to three players, there are an incredible number of game play possibilities.

Poker was actually to be the first of the gaming timepieces launched by Manufacture Claret. While the game seems simple to organize on a table, its watchmaking version is an extreme test and no technical solution had been found until Mr Christophe Claret himself came up with the answer. While the first prototype was working in 2011, it required two years to perfect the intricate complication.

Devising the gearing and bringing it all together in a mechanical movement – in other words, orchestrating a complete 52-card game following the rules of poker – is a real feat, one which offers Haute Horlogerie exciting new technical prospects. In total, Poker packs in 32,768 different combinations, i.e. 98,304 combinations for three players. The probabilities have been calculated so that everyone has approximately the same chances of winning.

Users can immerse themselves in real three-player games of the most popular variant of poker: Texas Hold’em. As a recap of the rules, a game of Texas Hold’em starts with two closed cards being dealt to each player, i.e. visible only to the player. Five other open cards are dealt out in stages: three, known as the flop, after the first betting round; an additional card, the turn, after another betting round; and finally a last, the river. To have the best hand in Texas Hold’em poker, the player must have the best possible combination of five cards from the seven in their hand.

This is how the PCK05 movement came into being. This completely original automatic-winding in-house caliber comprises no fewer than 655 components, and features two mainspring barrels that provide approximately 72 hours of power. Poker has not abandoned its time display role, with two central hands providing excellent legibility.

Poker is the very first timepiece that manages to replicate the game in an automaton watch. The ease of use when playing Poker is as impressive and unexpected as its intrinsic complexity. Up to three players face each other around the watch. The first hand is dealt by means of a pusher at 9 o’clock. This winds up a spring, which simultaneously spins four concentric discs − one of which made from sapphire − on which the cards are printed. There is no way of speculating as to the position of the discs. After a few moments the discs are immobilized at random by dampers. All the discs are mounted on ceramic or ruby bearings so they turn as freely as possible.

Once the push-piece at 9 o’clock has been pressed, the now shuffled cards are dealt in windows at 6 o’clock, 10:30 and 2:30. An ingenious mechanism of angled shutters makes them invisible to the other players. After this first betting round, the pusher at 10 o’clock reveals the flop, i.e. three cards which appear on the left of the dial. Another push-piece at 8 o’clock then reveals the turn, one card on the right of the dial. Finally, the same push-piece deals out the river, also on the right of the dial. True to his mastery of chiming watches, Christophe Claret equipped Poker with a cathedral gong, which sounds whenever the flop and turn/river pushers are pressed. Now comes the showdown.

The dial of Poker is entirely made and assembled within Manufacture Claret and was designed to offer excellent legibility of both the time and the Poker game. The dial is animated, on this model, by tokens, cards and casino tip in 3D, that is all that is found on a Texas Holdem carpet, for more visual realism. Emblematic of the brand, the ruby and black PVD-treated titanium hands – among the most expensive to make because of the complexity of machining these precious materials – are enhanced by a luminescent coating. The hour indexes are on the bezel so as not to crowd the stage. Although the dial has an incredible 85 components, its balanced harmonious design ensures that the players are not distracted.

This world of the casino even continues through to the back of the watch. The transparent case-back provides a view of the oscillating winding rotor in the form of a roulette wheel. This rotor design is already an icon of the Christophe Claret Interactive Gaming Complication collection.

Once activated by one or two shaking motions, the roulette turns for a few moments before stopping: no more bets please! An arrow points to one of the 37 numbers on an inner ring. Did your number come up by chance? If so, it may have been thanks to a special key opposite a green emerald set on the case-back. This personalization is much appreciated by those who believe in their lucky number.

This Poker is produced in a 12-piece limited edition.

Technical specifications

Reference: Christophe Claret Poker, MTR.PCK05.001-020

Movement
Caliber: PCK05, automatic-winding mechanical movement
Dimensions: 38.6 x 9.92 mm (with cathedral gong)
Number of components: 655
Number of jewels: 72
Double barrels
Power reserve: 72 hours (approx.)
Escapement: Swiss lever, 4 Hz /28,800 vph

Functions
Hour and minute display
2 games: Texas Hold’em Poker game with chime, and roulette wheel
Patented cathedral gong

Case
Black PVD-treated grade-5 titanium
Dimensions: 45 x 15.95 mm
Water resistance: 3 ATM / 30 m / 100 ft
Crown: Black PVD-treated grade-5 titanium

Dial
Blue PVD titanium
Tokens: Anticorodal color anodized
Hands: Red ruby and black PVD-treated titanium, with Super-Luminova®

Strap
Black alligator

Edition
Limited edition of 12 pieces

Price
Price in Swiss francs (ex VAT): 164’000.-

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Christophe Claret has created a masterpiece to honour one of ancient Mexico’s main deities: the Quetzalcoatl watch, available as a limited edition of 8 pieces. Engraved by hand in meticulous detail, the feathered serpent is skilfully incorporated around the Maestro’s movement.

Quetzalcoatl, the important Aztec deity – patron of the priesthood, inventor of the calendar and protector of craftsmen – proudly snakes across the Maestro’s movement. This feathered serpent can be glimpsed between the hour and minute hands, the indicator for the MEMO function, and the spring balance. This divinity, embodied by a feathered serpent, is now shrouded in mystery within the heart of this new Maestro.

The Maestro watch was a natural choice to accommodate the rippling coils of the Quetzalcóatl snake. Following the model unveiled in 2017 and infusing a new dynamic into the Tradition collection, the Maestro Quetzalcóatl appeals through both its shape and its proportions, including the pure and powerful lines of its 42 mm black PVD-treated titanium case topped by an impressive sapphire crystal dome.

A boldly contemporary model intended for trendsetters and influencers, the Maestro offers a spectacular view of the movement and the snake’s sinuous body, which may be admired from every angle and along every sleek scale. The Maestro is also ideal because of its hand-wound movement, whose skilfully arranged components are displayed in all their glorious technical profusion, vividly reflecting that of a luxuriant jungle.

The overall construction is revealed through a multi-dimensional architecture. Like all timepieces by Christophe Claret, the Maestro showcases a wealth of details mingling technical and aesthetic elements in an exceptionally coherent manner.

Brand enthusiasts will recognize the watchmaker’s inimitable touch in the famous Charles X stepped and skeletonized bridges – with 26 interior angles – that have become a signature of the Maison. The skeleton-working of the bridge supporting the escapement represents a clever blend of classicism and modernity that affords a chance to appreciate all its subtle features.

The visual adventure through the intricacies of the movement continues with two series-coupled barrels ensuring optimal efficiency and majestically positioned at 12 o’clock. Here too, the bridges are skeletonized to provide an exemplary view of the blade spring of the first barrel and thus enable the wearer of the watch to gauge the state of the seven-day power reserve.

In terms of horological complications, the Maestro Quetzalcóatl once again illustrates the creative audacity cultivated by Christophe Claret. Witness the patented large date display at 5 o’clock, composed of two cones – one for the tens on the upper part and the second for the units – and performing a semi-instantaneous jump between midnight and twenty past midnight. As if to echo the 3D effect of this voluminous date display, the Maestro’s characteristic MEMO function appears between 3 and 4 o’clock.

Inspired by the expression “tie a knot in your handkerchief” to help one remember something important, the MEMO is an ingenious mechanical reminder intended for absent-minded individuals as well as fans of technical gadgets. Whatever daily objective the owner of the Maestro has set himself, the MEMO is there to remind him of his commitments.

In the initial position, meaning when the owner must do something, a tsavorite appears at 6 o’clock on the side face of the MEMO, like the gem set at its top. Once the objective has been met, a simple press on the pusher at 2 o’clock pivots the MEMO function, which will display a diamond on its side face at 6 o’clock, instead of the tsavorite. The MEMO will return to its initial position each night in a twenty-minute process driven by a semi-instantaneous jump system.

Technical details

Model: Christophe Claret Maestro Quetzalcóatl Limited Edition
Reference: MTR.DMC16.320-328

Movement
Caliber DMC16, mechanical hand-wound
Diameter: 36.25 mm
Thickness: 10.50 mm (without the hands)
Number of components: 349
Number of jewels: 33
Barrels: Two series-mounted barrels
Power reserve: 7 days (approx. 168 hours)

Escapement
– Swiss lever escapement
– Balance-wheel with countersunk screws
– Balance-wheel oscillation frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)

Aesthetic features
– Stepped and skeletonized Charles X style bridges
– Skeletonized barrel
– 26 interior angles

Functions
Pointer-type display of the hours and minutes
Pyramid-shaped large date display at 5 o’clock, with tens on the upper cone and units on the lower cone
MEMO function between 3 and 4 o’clock: cone shape adorned with a natural ruby and a diamond serving to remind the wearer of a commitment

Case
Grade 5 titanium
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 16.06 mm
Water resistance: 30 m (3 ATM)
Crown: Black PVD-treated stainless steel, with cabochon-cut tsavorite

Dial
Hands: Black chrome-plated, green-lacquered sapphire with Super-LumiNova®
Snake: 4N pink gold, Quetzacoalt (green)

Strap
Green snake Elaphe

Edition
Limited series of 8 pieces

Retail price
Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: 96’000 CHF

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