Independents

DonCorson
[AHCI]
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Christophe Claret at BaselWorld 2012

Christophe Claret at BaselWorld 2012

This years new model from Christophe Claret in the E-Xtrem-1.  The unique feature of this watch is the time display with little spheres in class tobes at the sides of the watch, the hours display on the left, the minutes on the right.  These spheres appear to float held in place by magical forces.  Actually while the forces are invisible they are not magical.  A system of magnets on rails moves along the side of the watch causing the movement of the spheres.  I can hear you already, magnets?  Isn't magnetism the greatest evil in a watch?  Well that thas my first take too and I though that Claret would at least be making the hairspring and escapement in silicon so it couldn't be effected by magnetic fields.  But actually the hairspring and escapement are completely standard steel parts, but the magnetic system is completely shielded from the rese of the movement.  Great attention was also given that the magnetic system would have as little stray magnetic fields as possible.  Mr. Claret told me that they tested one watch for 3 months without the magnetic shielding just to see what would happen and found no magnetisation of parts outside the magnetic system after those 3 months.

Note also that the tourbillon is mounted at an angle so it is easier to see while wearing the watch.

While this watch has the advantage of not being terribly big as so many are these days the lisability of the time is its weak point.  It may even be better at night as there are Superluminova stripes behind the spheres making the spheres visible.  I think some more work is needed on the color scheme to make the spheres more visible.

Christophe Claret is also continuing his series of cambling themed watches with a Baccara watch.  The cards are dealt using one button, two other buttons open windows to show the dealers and players hands.  The roulette automatic rotor and the dice in a side window make the watch part of the gambling series.