Basel 2015: Christophe Claret Allegro. Renowned for his striking timepieces, master watchmaker Christopher Claret unveiled his latest creation during Baselworld 2015. Following models like Adagio and Soprano, the new Allegro combines one of the finest horological complication like a minute repeater with cathedral gongs with other useful complications such as big date and GMT with day/night indicator. The Christophe Claret Allegro has a price of Swiss Francs 268'000 excluding taxes.
Renowned for his striking timepieces, master watchmaker Christopher Claret unveiled his latest creation during Baselworld 2015.
Following models like Adagio and Soprano, the new Allegro combines one of the finest horological complication like a minute repeater with cathedral gongs with other useful complications such as big date and GMT with day/night indicator.
To make this possible, the movement has been completely redesigned, from the plates and bridges through to the inertia flywheel regulating the minute repeating mechanism, and including the regulating organ.
The anchor, the balance and even the balance spring have all been developed and manufactured in-house, making the Manufacture Claret one of the very few watchmakers to master all facets of production.
Housed in a 45 mm round case, Allegro's calibre is regulated by a 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) balance, and powered by a single mainspring barrel which guarantees 60 hours of power reserve.
The minute repeater is activated by the slide at 10 o'clock on the left side of the caseband. Part of the repeater mechanism, the rake, is visible through an opening in the lower section of the sapphire dial.
Instead, the hammers, the four-armed balance wheel and the repeater inertia governor are visible through the display back.
For Allegro, Christophe Claret selected a balance wheel with countersunk screws as it offers better inertia/weight ratio and ease of regulation and balancing.
Cathedral gongs, which circle the movement not once but twice, are manufactured using traditional drawn steel and benefit from a patented Christophe Claret invention that minimises excessive vibrations for a clearer crystalline chimes.
The GMT/second time zone with day/night indicator is displayed at 3 o'clock on the dial and is adjustable by means of a caseband pusher at 4 o'clock. The other pusher at 2 o'clock adjusts the big date. The small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock completes the dial layout.
The Allegro is available in three versions of 20 pieces each:
- red gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in smoked sapphire crystal;
- red gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in sapphire crystal with matte/slate grey metalization;
- white gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in smoked sapphire crystal.
The hands are crafted from either orange sapphire crystal and anthracite PVD treated titanium, or sapphire crystal, black lacquer and anthracite PVD titanium.
The skeletonized Charles X type bridges, visible through the display back, strongly characterises the movement. The Charles X style of bridge is also found on the balance cock, which features a patented regulation system and shock protection set in a ruby bearing housed in a gold chaton. The numbers of the three patents for the big date, the balance micro-regulation, and the gongs are engraved on the back of the caseback together with the individual number of each piece.
Completing the ensemble are a musical bar and a few notes, placed on Allegro’s back sapphire crystal using a metalization process.
The Christophe Claret Allegro has a price of Swiss Francs 268'000 excluding taxes. christopheclaret.com
Following models like Adagio and Soprano, the new Allegro combines one of the finest horological complication like a minute repeater with cathedral gongs with other useful complications such as big date and GMT with day/night indicator.
To make this possible, the movement has been completely redesigned, from the plates and bridges through to the inertia flywheel regulating the minute repeating mechanism, and including the regulating organ.
The anchor, the balance and even the balance spring have all been developed and manufactured in-house, making the Manufacture Claret one of the very few watchmakers to master all facets of production.
Housed in a 45 mm round case, Allegro's calibre is regulated by a 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour) balance, and powered by a single mainspring barrel which guarantees 60 hours of power reserve.
The minute repeater is activated by the slide at 10 o'clock on the left side of the caseband. Part of the repeater mechanism, the rake, is visible through an opening in the lower section of the sapphire dial.
Instead, the hammers, the four-armed balance wheel and the repeater inertia governor are visible through the display back.
For Allegro, Christophe Claret selected a balance wheel with countersunk screws as it offers better inertia/weight ratio and ease of regulation and balancing.
Cathedral gongs, which circle the movement not once but twice, are manufactured using traditional drawn steel and benefit from a patented Christophe Claret invention that minimises excessive vibrations for a clearer crystalline chimes.
The Allegro is available in three versions of 20 pieces each:
- red gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in smoked sapphire crystal;
- red gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in sapphire crystal with matte/slate grey metalization;
- white gold and grade 5 titanium treated with anthracite PVD combined to a dial in smoked sapphire crystal.
The hands are crafted from either orange sapphire crystal and anthracite PVD treated titanium, or sapphire crystal, black lacquer and anthracite PVD titanium.
The skeletonized Charles X type bridges, visible through the display back, strongly characterises the movement. The Charles X style of bridge is also found on the balance cock, which features a patented regulation system and shock protection set in a ruby bearing housed in a gold chaton. The numbers of the three patents for the big date, the balance micro-regulation, and the gongs are engraved on the back of the caseback together with the individual number of each piece.
Completing the ensemble are a musical bar and a few notes, placed on Allegro’s back sapphire crystal using a metalization process.
The Christophe Claret Allegro has a price of Swiss Francs 268'000 excluding taxes. christopheclaret.com
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