WATCH & JEWELRY /
SIHH＆BASEL
August 13, 2015
CHRISTOPHE CLARET | Blackjack on your wrist: an ultimate entertainment watch
CHRISTOPHE CLARET | Christophe Claret
Blackjack on Your Wrist!
The Ultimate Entertainment Watch
At Baselworld, there's an exhibition space set up in a tent. Gathering here are new and noteworthy independent brands, led by Japan's Casio, varying in scale and type. Among them, the one that truly shone this year was the maestro of complicated watches, Christophe Claret.
Reporting and Writing by Yasuhito Shibuya
The Maestro of Complicated Watches Makes His Grand Debut with His Own Brand
If you know Christophe Claret, you must be quite the watch connoisseur. As the founder and master of 'Manufacture Claret,' a watch workshop located in Le Locle, one of the heartlands of the Swiss watch industry, he is renowned in the world of complicated watches. He began his career in the watchmaking world as a restorer of antique timepieces. Over his more than 20-year career, he has developed numerous masterpieces of complicated watches commissioned by prestigious watch brands. He is particularly acclaimed for his expertise in chiming complications, such as sonneries and minute repeaters, considered to be among the very best.
However, regrettably, his name has only been prominently credited on works like Harry Winston's 'Opus 4.' He has consistently remained in the background of the watch industry.
But in 2009, he took a new step as a watchmaker. He established his own brand, bearing his name, and began to make his mark on the world.
Three Casino Games Integrated into a Wristwatch
The new "21 (Twenty-One) Blackjack" from the 2011 Baselworld is the third piece released under his own brand. In addition to its primary function as a wristwatch displaying hours and minutes, it features a Blackjack game with a sonnerie (which chimes when activated) on the front of the dial, and a roulette game on the case back. Furthermore, two dice are built into the side of the case, allowing for dice games as well. In essence, it offers three casino games that can be enjoyed anywhere.
The standout highlight of this wristwatch is undoubtedly the Blackjack game function, powered by a rotating disc mechanism. The dial features windows for the dealer and players, and by pressing buttons at the 10 o'clock and 8 o'clock positions on the case side, the discs adorned with card motifs spin to the elegant chime of the sonnerie, allowing you to play Blackjack.
As Claret himself said, "We pursued playfulness to the extreme." Indeed, a wristwatch embodying such a spirit of fun is unparalleled at Baselworld. We highly recommend it for those with the means to appreciate its subtle charm.
21 (Twenty-One) Blackjack
An "Interactive Haute Complication Watch" for Casino Gaming
Challenging the theme of how fun and interactive complicated watches can be, this is the "ultimate toy watch" that fuses the highest level of complication, sonnerie (chiming on the hour and also producing sound with hammers and gongs when the game functions are used), with three game functions. It comprises a total of 501 parts. To play the Blackjack game, you begin by pressing the push-button at the 9 o'clock position. This charges the mainspring that simultaneously operates the seven internal discs, and after a few seconds, two cards for the player and one card for the dealer appear. Based on these cards, if the player or dealer wishes to request more cards, they press the push-buttons at the 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock positions, respectively. The roulette on the case back is designed so that you set your target number using an included tool to play.
Self-winding, 45mm diameter white gold & titanium case, alligator strap, certified chronometer, limited to 21 pieces worldwide, ¥29,400,000 (estimated price). Scheduled for release in December.
Noble Styling
Tel. 03-5775-1866
http://www.noblestyling.com/