Showing posts with label CHRISTOPHE CLARET. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CHRISTOPHE CLARET. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

CHRISTOPHE CLARET – MAESTRO Mamba & PanthВrophis Edition

















CHRISTOPHE CLARETMAESTRO Mamba & PanthВrophis Black Titanium Limited Edition

Maestro Mamba
Formidable by nature!

Who’s afraid of the venomous Mamba? Definitely not Christophe Claret, who has tamed its dangerous beauty, the better to reveal it at the heart of the Maestro Mamba in a 28-piece limited edition. The sinuous, meticulously hand-engraved body of the African snake coils around the movement. Will you be able to resist the mortal enchantment of its bite?

Christophe Claret is a born provocateur, now venturing into the perilous wilds of the African jungle by placing the voluptuous undulations of one of the world’s most dangerous snakes at the heart of the Maestro watch. Agile, swift and incomparably aggressive, the green Mamba appears ready to strike anyone who comes within reach of its toxic venom. Wrapped around the movement, its undulating hand-engraved body creates a powerful contrast between the tangy green brilliancy of its scales and the matt black shade of the movement. Surging from the intricacies of the movement, between the hours and minutes hands, the MEMO function indicator and the sprung balance, the Mamba defies all challengers with its piercing eyes. A threatening and disturbing vision enveloping the horological mechanism with a dangerous aura of mystery.

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Having decided to craft the strap in authentic green Mamba skin, Christophe Claret left no stone unturned. An obstinate quest led him to Mozambique, where the Mamba was hunted on land belonging to the owner of the largest tsavorite mine – which is why the watchmaker chose these gems to adorn the Maestro Mamba.


Technical jungle

The Maestro watch was a natural choice to accommodate the rippling coils of the Mamba snake. Following the model unveiled in 2017 and infusing a new dynamic into the Tradition collection, the Maestro Mamba 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. 

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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.

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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 return to fundamentals

In terms of horological complications, the Maestro Mamba 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.

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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.

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Whether it’s a cue to pay a daily compliment to a loved one, to meditate for ten minutes a day, to do a good deed, to avoid a trap or avert a danger: there are any number of good reasons to activate the MEMO. But one thing is for sure: with death lurking in the black eyes of this snake that is as aggressive as it is venomous, and when the possibility of its mortal sting thus accompanies every minute, hour and day, the Maestro Mamba provides a constant reminder of fate and the fragile nature of time.

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The highly complex Maestro watches come in two new black PVD-treated titanium versions respectively fitted with green Mamba and orange Pantherophis snakeskin straps. These two 28-piece limited editions each retail at CHF 96,000.


===============
Technical specifications


Traditional Complications MAESTOSO Edition
 
Movement
Caliber: DMC16, mechanical hand-wound
Dimensions:  
Diameter: 36.25 mm
Thickness: 10.50 mm (without the hands)
Number of components: 346
Number of jewels: 33
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 tsavorite (for the Mamba version) or a sapphire (for the Pantherophis version) and a diamond serving to remind the wearer of a commitment
Aesthetic features:
  • - Stepped and skeletonized Charles X style bridges
  • - Skeletonized barrel
  • - 26 interior angles
Case
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 16.06 mm
Water resistance: 30 m (3 ATM)

Reference:  MTR.DMC16.230-258 MAMBA

Case: Black PVD-treated grade 5 titanium

Hands: Black chrome-plated,
green-lacquered sapphire with Super-LumiNova®

Snake: 4N pink gold, SpectraCoatTM green

Crown: Black PVD-treated stainless steel,
with cabochon-cut tsavorite

Strap: Green Mamba snakeskin

Limited series: 28


Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: CHF 96,000.-

===========
Reference:  MTR.DMC16.260-288 PANTHEROPHIS

Case: Black PVD-treated grade 5 titanium

Hands: Black chrome-plated,
orange-lacquered sapphire with Super-LumiNova®

Snake: 4N pink gold, hand-painted (orange)

Crown:
Black PVD-treated stainless steel,
with cabochon-cut orange sapphire

Strap:
Orange Pantherophis snakeskin

Limited series: 28

Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: CHF 96,000.-

---------------------------------------------
Christophe ClaretAlexandra Beurier
Tel : +41 32 933 80 26
Email : a.beurier@christopheclaret.com
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www.facebook.com - Manufacture Christophe Claret
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www.ChristopheClaret.com

Saturday, November 11, 2017

CHRISTOPHE CLARET – Traditional Complications MAESTRO Edition


















CHRISTOPHE CLARET – Traditional Complications MAESTRO 42 mm Limited Edition


MAESTRO
A new perspective on mechanical Art

Its name is inspired by the excellence of the Master-watchmaker. Its sleek style epitomizes mechanical power. At the crossroads between aesthetics and technicality, the new 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. 

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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 CHF 68,000 price tag. Nonconformist, dynamic, quintessential… It brings a fresh and youthful touch to the Traditional collection. Play it, Maestro!

Act I – ‘Wow’ effect

A case with pure lines that are both gentle and forceful, an ultra-dynamic curving silhouette, a panoramic vantage point from which to admire the mechanism… Maestro is first and foremost a distinctive signature, a daily art of living, a daring model designed for trendsetters, for insiders, for those on the cutting edge of fashion, often driven by the ardor and boldness of youth. Maestro sets the tone at first glance.

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The 42mm case – the smallest diameter in the Christophe Claret collections – in grade 5 titanium or 5N pink gold 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 with its matt and polished finishing, as well as Christophe Claret’s characteristic two-tone, bi-material hands – is truly striking. ‘Wow’ effect guaranteed!


Act II – Mechanical panorama

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.

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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.

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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.


Act III – The art of becoming indispensable

Christophe Claret is a natural-born anti-conformist who never misses out on a chance to express his creative audacity through original displays running counter to traditional design codes. Witness the large date that the watchmaker has cleverly placed at 5 o’clock. Composed of two cone-shaped aluminum disks, 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.

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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.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO











































Whether it’s a cue to pay a daily compliment to a loved one, to meditate for ten minutes a day, to take a half-hour walk, to eat five portions of fruit and vegetables, to write a love note every day to his sweetheart… Whatever daily objective the owner of the Maestro has set himself, the MEMO adorned with a sapphire or ruby and a diamond – depending on the version – is there to remind him of his commitment. Once the objective has been met, a simple press on the pusher pivots the MEMO function, which will return to its initial position each night in a twenty-minute process driven by a semi-instantaneous jump system.

Act IV – The final choice

In keeping with the previous Christophe Claret collections, the quest for perfection is vividly expressed through details. 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.

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Maestro is available in 5N pink gold or grade 5 titanium and both versions are issued in 88-piece limited editions.

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===============
Technical specifications


Traditional Complications MAESTRO Edition

Reference:  MTR.DMC16.100-188

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Case: Grade 5 Titanium
Hands: PVD-treated anthracite gray and blue anodized aluminum with Super-Luminova
Crown: Stainless steel
Limited series: 88
Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: CHF 68,000.-
=================

Reference:  MTR.DMC16.000-088

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Case: 5N pink gold
Hands: PVD-treated anthracite gray and red anodized aluminum with Super-Luminova
Crown: 5N pink gold
Limited series: 88
Price excluding tax in Swiss francs: CHF 76,000.-

Movement:
Caliber: DMC16, mechanical hand-wound
Dimensions:
Diameter: 36.25 mm
Thickness: 10.50 mm (without the hands)
Number of components: 342
Number of jewels: 33
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 disk and units on the lower disk
  • - MEMO function between 3 and 4 o’clock: cone shape adorned with a sapphire or ruby and a diamond serving to remind the wearer of a commitment
Aesthetic features:
- Stepped and skeletonized Charles X style bridges
- Skeletonized barrel and ratchet-wheel
Case:
  • Titanium
  • Pink gold
Diameter: 42 mm
Thickness: 16.06 mm
Water resistance: 30 m (3 ATM)
Strap:
Black alligator leather with black stitching

Limited Edition of 88 timepieces

---------------------------------------------
Christophe ClaretAlexandra Beurier
Tel : +41 32 933 80 26
Email : a.beurier@christopheclaret.com
------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - Manufacture Christophe Claret
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www.ChristopheClaret.com

Friday, March 17, 2017

CHRISTOPHE CLARET – X-TREM-1 – STING HD Black Tourbillon Edition

















CHRISTOPHE CLARETX-TREM-1STING HD Black PVD-treated Titanium Flying Tourbillon Edition

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Feel the burn!

Five years after unveiling the X-TREM-1 timepiece, the watchmaker joins forces with StingHD in launching a daring mechanical “memento mori”, issued in an 8-piece limited edition. While technical strength remains a key asset of this timepiece combining an inclined flying tourbillon with a retrograde hours and minutes display system based on magnetic fields, its aesthetic has evolved.


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Endowed with a black PVD-treated titanium case, a skull on the tourbillon carriage, and a stingray leather or personalized strap, the new X-TREM-1 – StingHD asserts anti-conformism as a deliberate lifestyle choice. In an additional spirited touch, breathing on the sapphire crystal reveals a skull motif. This somber and radical watch is fatally attractive!

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Christophe Claret moves to the dark side of the force with this original variation of the X-TREM-1. Unveiled in 2012 and since interpreted through a variety of limited editions, this bestseller associates the creative horological strike power of Christophe Claret with the trendy signature of the American brand StingHD. A trendsetter specializing in the production of accessories and high-end jewelry in leather and other materials, StingHD has been epitomizing luxury and finely tailored workmanship out of New York for more than 50 years.

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Mingling unbridled aesthetic power with avant-garde mechanics, the X-TREM-1 – StingHD plays the natural-born rebel. A sophisticated, excessive and extreme watch intended for bad boys, for movers and shakers, for rockers with a penchant for mechanical excellence and contemporary trends.

Ultimate technology

The X-TREM-1 has always been an anti-conformist by nature, starting with the innovative technical refinement of its retrograde hours and minutes display. The challenge was bold and some might say a little crazy: How could someone possibly think about introducing a magnetic field – the arch enemy of horological mechanisms – into the heart of a watch? The Christophe Claret team has done just that by creating a system where two small steel spheres – hollowed to make them lighter and encased within two sapphire tubes placed to the right and left of the caseband – are controlled by precision magnetic fields generated by two miniature magnets moved by cables.

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The cables are incredibly flexible, made from hundreds of Dyneema nanofibers all contained within an ultra-high-strength polyethylene gel, capable of withstanding tensile forces of up to a kilo. The entire thread is thinner than a human hair (4 hundredths of a mm in diameter). The resistance of the thread has been tested in the Manufacture Claret on an accelerated-wear simulator corresponding to six years of operation. The spheres have no mechanical connection with the movement, with each one floating inside the two tubes and creating outstanding horological magic. This technology was developed with the School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD) in Yverdon-les-Bains, and a team headed by Professor Besson.

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The entire construction and finishing of this timepiece meets the extreme demands systematically imposed by Christophe Claret. Ultra-light titanium was used for the three-dimensional curvex mainplate and the bridges. The flying tourbillon is fitted with double ceramic bearings to enhance its shock-resistance. It is inclined at a 30-degree angle in order to make it even more clearly visible to the wearer. The hand-wound watch draws its energy from two barrels enabling the use of a sophisticated display without disturbing the rate of the tourbillon, and thus the accuracy of the watch. The first barrel is reserved for the tourbillon, the second for the hours and minutes.

Deadly sophistication

While it has always sought to push the limits of technology, Christophe Claret has systematically sought to explore new aesthetic territory. The most immediately striking aspect of this new model is the entrancing – and almost terrifying – presence of the large inclined tourbillon, majestically placed at 6 o’clock and adorned with a black chrome-plated aluminum skull designed by StingHD. To create this hypnotically fascinating sight by incorporating the ruby-eyed skull within the tourbillon required the creation of a new tourbillon cage – a technical development accentuated by the colossal case of the X-TREM-1 – StingHD.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO

Like a high-powered machine perched on the wrist, the imposing titanium rectangle exudes a particularly potent appeal thanks to a remarkable black PVD treatment. The pure sapphire tubes previously framing the case of the X-TREM-1 and housing the steel hours and minutes spheres have been replaced by black PVD-treated stainless steel ring-bound tubes – thereby creating a resolutely technical look echoed by red lacquered numerals.

A rebel to its last breath

The X-TREM-1 – StingHD conveys its rebellious nature through every last detail. Never one to skimp on daring features, Christophe Claret has endowed the sapphire crystal with a special treatment that reveals a toothy skull when breathed upon. Another element that is bound to delight on-trend bad boys is the fact that the X-TREM-1 – StingHD radiates elegance right through to the manner in which it wraps itself around the wrist.

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This model comes with two straps designed by StingHD: one in black stingray leather, and the other which can be personalized by its owner. In addition, the presentation box also includes a matching, handcrafted bracelet adorned with a black diamond encrusted skull with ruby eyes. This is an elegant way of reminding the wearer of this watch that time is ticking and that one must remain firmly attached to life. What if there were only a few hours separating the ephemeral from eternity? The answer will be in the hands of the eight lucky owners of the X-TREM-1 – StingHD.

------------------------------
Technical Specifications

X-TREM-1 – STING HD

Ref. MTR.FLY11.160-168

Movement:
CaliberFLY11 - mechanical, hand-wound movement
Dimensions: 26.6 x 46.4 x 11.94 mm
Number of components:    432
Number of jewels:  66
Power reserve: 50+ hours
Dual barrels: one for the movement gear train, one for the time indications
Display-regulation escapement:
The tourbillon movement and the time indication gear trains each
have their own independent energy  supply  to optimize power
distribution and duration
Tourbillon:
-    Swiss lever
-    Frequency: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)
-    Tourbillon rotates once every 60 seconds
-    Flying tourbillon inclined at 30° supported by a double ceramic bearing, with cone-shaped pinion transmission
-    Black chrome-plated aluminum skull with natural red ruby eyes
Functions:
Mystery hours and minutes displayed with indications provided by hollowed steel spheres moving 23 mm inside two cylindrical sapphire tubes.
The metal spheres are driven by magnetic carriages following a thread.
-    Seconds displayed on the tourbillon cage
-    Movement state-of-wind indication
-    Fast time adjustment is via an integrated pusher on the caseband at 12 o’clock
Mainplate:
-    Curvex with sides inclined at a 30° angle
-    Mainplate and bridges in bead-blasted titanium
-    Open-worked ratchet and wheel
Distinctive features:
-    Use of precisely-shaped magnetic fields in a mechanical movement
-    No mechanical connection between the indications and the movement
-    Winding and time-setting via lift-out rotating “bows” on caseback
Case:
Rectangular with curvex profile
Dimensions: 40.80 x 56.80 x 15 mm
Water resistance: 3 ATM / 30 m / 100 ft

Ref. MTR.FLY11.160-168

Material
Black PVD-treated grade 5 titanium with red Super-LumiNova lines on the sides and red lacquered numerals
Cylindrical ring-bound tubes in stainless steel, black PVD treatment A skull appears on the sapphire crystal when breathed upon
Spheres
Stainless steel
Strap
Two watch straps supplied, one in black stingray leather strap and the other personalized
One complimentary matching, handcrafted bracelet adorned with a black diamond encrusted skull with ruby eyes


Price in Swiss francs (ex VAT): 278’000

Limited Edition of 8 timepieces

---------------------------------------------
Christophe ClaretAlexandra Beurier
Tel : +41 32 933 80 26
Email : a.beurier@christopheclaret.com
------------------------------------------------
www.facebook.com - Manufacture Christophe Claret
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------
www.ChristopheClaret.com

Saturday, May 21, 2016

CHRISTOPHE CLARET – X-TREM-1 Gold and Damascened Stee Limited Edition















CHRISTOPHE CLARETX-TREM-1 Gold and Damascened Stee Limited Edition NEW

The X-TREM-1
Ultimate watchmaking by Christophe Claret

Four years after unveiling the X-TREM-1 timepiece, the watchmaker from Le Locle reveals two new versions in damascened steel, issued in 8-piece limited edition. X-TREM-1, the first of a generation of exceptional timepieces, represents a major technical and aesthetic accomplishment: a flying tourbillon inclined at a 30° angle, mounted on a three-dimensional curvex titanium mainplate, equipped with a retrograde hours and minutes display system that is radically different from existing watchmaking conventions. Two tiny hollowed steel spheres, isolated within sapphire tubes on the left and right sides of the caseband, magically move with no mechanical connection thanks to magnetic fields

Technics

The Extreme Complications Watches line certainly deserves its name. It expresses Christophe Claret’s
determination to continue pushing the boundaries of mechanical watchmaking, integrating certain
fields of research never previously applied in this domain. X-TREM-1 is a fine example of this
approach that involves using a system driven by magnetic fields display the hours and minutes.

Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...                       BIG FOTO







































The challenge was bold and some might say a little crazy: How could someone possibly think about
introducing a magnetic field – the arch enemy of horological mechanisms – into the heart of a
watch? The Christophe Claret team has done just that by creating a system where two small steel
spheres – hollowed to make them lighter and encased within two sapphire tubes placed to the right
and left of the caseband – are controlled by precision magnetic fields generated by two miniature
magnets moved by cables. The cables are incredibly flexible, made from hundreds of Dyneema
nanofibers all contained within an ultra-high-strength polyethylene gel, capable of withstanding
tensile forces of up to a kilo. The entire thread is thinner than a human hair (4 hundredths of a mm in
diameter). The resistance of the thread has been tested in the Manufacture Claret on an accelerated-
wear simulator corresponding to six years of operation.

Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...                       BIG FOTO







































The spheres have no mechanical connection with the movement, with each one floating inside the
two tubes and creating outstanding horological magic. This technology was developed with the
School of Business and Engineering Vaud (HEIG-VD) in Yverdon-les-Bains, and a team headed by
Professor Besson.

Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...           BIG FOTO





























The entire construction and finishing of this timepiece meets the extreme demands systematically
imposed by Christophe Claret. Ultra-light titanium was used for the three-dimensional curvex
mainplate and the bridges. The flying tourbillon is fitted with double ceramic bearings to enhance its
shock-resistance. It is inclined at a 30-degree angle in order to make it even more clearly visible to
the wearer. The hand-wound watch draws its energy from two barrels enabling the use of a
sophisticated display without disturbing the rate of the tourbillon, and thus the accuracy of the
watch. The first barrel is reserved for the tourbillon, the second for the hours and minutes.


Click on the mouse wheel to see the large size ...                       BIG FOTO








































The pleasing aesthetic alliance between gold and damascened steel

Driven as ever by a determination to present avant-garde timepieces, white or 5N red gold and
damascened steel were the metals chosen to make the case of this new version of the X-TREM-1.

A keen student of history, Christophe Claret felt it would be an interesting exercise to craft the case
of the X-TREM-1 – the most innovative and contemporary model in his collection – from damascened
steel produced using ancestral methods. This material was first made in the Caucasus around 2500
BC, soon after the discovery of iron, and subsequently spread throughout Europe as well as to Asia.
Entirely forgotten during the Middle Ages, it was rediscovered by the Crusaders. Weapons equipped
with extremely sharp damascened blades were long considered the finest in the world. After a
further period of neglect, this type of steel reappeared under Napoleon and was used to make gun
barrels around the mid-19 th century. It has been consistently used in Asia, and Japanese samurai
warriors made their katana swords from this material combining the suppleness of the blade with an
extremely hard cutting edge. Its resistance in combat gave them a significant tactical advantage over
their enemies.


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Damascened steel is traditionally produced by layer-assembling two types of stainless steel. Several
successive forging and folding steps result in a piece of metal that may comprise several hundreds of
layers. This extremely technical high-end alloy boasts excellent properties: a homogenous structure,
pure material, as well as extreme resistance to corrosion and shocks. For this new X-TREME-1 model,
the grades of steel used are 316L and 304L. The difficulty lay in introducing gold or ceramic into
damascened steel for the time indication, and the second challenge involved actually machining the
case from the extremely resistant damascened steel.

The many details that make a difference and contribute to giving this model its strength include the
subtle color match between the case, the spheres, the hours and minutes numerals, the tourbillon
age and the Christophe Claret logo.

Each of the two versions is produced in an 8-piece limited edition.

Christophe Claret considers the creation of each object as a collective challenge that takes shape by
dint of passion and perseverance, along with a significant measure of emotions and dreams. He is
never happy just to redo something that has already been done. The brand is resolutely dedicated to
technological innovation and never hesitates to venture off the beaten track in its quest to offer
unprecedented ways of reading the time.

An interesting historical side note

In The Talisman, a romanticized account of the Crusades in Palestine, Sir Walter Scott tells the story of
an encounter between Richard the Lionheart and Sultan Saladin. The two adversaries boasted of the
respective qualities of their swords. To show the resistance of his heavy sword that he wielded with
two hands, Richard sliced through a steel bar. In response, Saladin drew his Damascus steel scimitar
across a silk cushion and “the cushion fell apart without even half sinking under the touch of the
Sultan’s blade. It seemed almost to separate itself.” The stunned Europeans were thinking it might be
a trick, when Saladin gave a further demonstration by splicing in two a supple silk veil that he held in
the air. Walter Scott describes the Saracen’s weapon as ideally sharp and maneuverable, “a curved
and narrow blade, which glittered not like the swords of the Franks, but was, on the contrary, of a
dull blue color, marked with ten millions of meandering lines. “

 --------------------------------------------------
Technical Specifications

CALIBRE FLY11:   
Dimensions:        26.6 x 46.4 x 11.94 mm
Number of parts:         419
Number of jewels:         64
Power reserve:         50+ hours
Barrels:  Dual barrels: one for the movement gear train, one for the time indications
The tourbillon movement and the time indication gear trains each have their own independent energy supply to optimize power distribution and duration.
Tourbillon:    
Escapement: Swiss lever type
Oscillation frequency of the balance: 3 Hz (21,600 vph)
Tourbillon rotates once every 60 seconds
Flying tourbillon inclined at 30° supported by a double ceramic bearing, with cone-shaped pinion transmission
Functions:        
-  Mystery hours and minutes displayed with indications provided
by hollowed steel spheres moving 23 mm inside two cylindrical
sapphire tubes. The metal spheres are driven by magnetic
carriages following a thread.
-  Seconds displayed on the tourbillon cage
-  Movement state-of-wind indication
-  Fast time adjustment is via an integrated pusher on the caseband
at 12 o’clock 
Mainplate:
Curvex with sides inclined at 30° angle
Mainplate and bridges in bead-blasted titanium
Open-worked ratchet and wheel
Distinctive features:
Use of precisely-shaped magnetic fields in a mechanical movement
No mechanical connection between the indications and the movement
Winding and time-setting via lift-out rotating “bows” on caseback
EXTERIOR:
Case:
Rectangular with curvex profile
Dimensions: 40.80 x 56.80 x 15 mm
Water resistance: 3 ATM  / 30 m / 100 ft
Material:
Ref: MTR.FLY11.130-138 Price in Swiss francs (ex VAT): 272,000.-
  • White gold and damascened steel with time indication in black ceramic
  • Spheres:   Black chrome-treated stainless steel
Ref: MTR.FLY11.140-148 Price in Swiss francs (ex VAT): 268,000.-
  • 5N red gold and damascened steel with time indication in 5N red gold or black ceramic
  • Spheres:   4N pink gold stainless steel
Polished rose gold/bead-blasted black PVD-coated grade 5 titanium
Hour and minute displays:
    Hours and minutes are indicated by two 4mm-diameter hollowed spheres weighing 0.100 grams that move past sapphire scales marked with thin Super-LumiNova graduations beneath the sapphire
Strap:   
Anthracite hand-sewn alligator leather or rubber-touch leather fitted with an innovative two-screw fastening system that facilitates strap change and avoids damaging the case
Buckle:      Black chrome-treated stainless steel
Number of watches: 
Each version is issued in a limited edition of eight pieces

Limited Edition of 8 timepieces

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www.ChristopheClaret.com