SIHH 2017 – A Second Look at the Sculptural Christophe Claret Maestro

Christophe Claret had been teasing us for a while, sharing glimpses of this new concept… The watch was revealed just before the SIHH 2017, which made us even more curious to see it in the metal. Well, as we have got the chance to do so when in Geneva, we were not disappointed by what is the smallest and least expensive Claret watch so far. We now share live pictures and have a second look at this stunning piece of watchmaking design: The Christophe Claret Maestro.

We have recently covered the Claret Maestro was unveiled a few days before SIHH and you can read our article to present its concept here. We will therefore not go through its technical specifications again but rather share some of our impressions.

The first thing to catch your eye with the Maestro is the three dimensional perspective on the movement. Its futuristic architecture rises from the main plate, to create a mechanical sculpture, consisting of watch components, space, shadow and light. The Charles X stepped bridges, the skeleton barrel or the cone-shaped date indication create an indeed dramatic feel. Above the calibre DMC16, the two-toned hands seem to be suspended in mid-air. The clean, minimalist frosted finish of the movement together with the color accents (hands, stones, date indication) are resolutely modern.

This resolutely non-conformist movement is housed in a curvex-shaped case without any bezel. The organic design of the case, with the glass perfectly extending the curves of the metal body is magnificent. The view into the movement through this sapphire dome is indeed eye-catching.

With its 42mm diameter and soft alligator strap, the Maestro wears extremely well. Overall, we feel the Maestro is a superb, elegant but distinctive wristwatch. At the same time, we do believe this is a smart move for the Claret to offer a more accessible product – even if it is obviously still not for every pocket! Kudos to Christophe Claret and his team for this creation.

Technical specifications – Christophe Claret

• Case: 42 mm diameter x 16.06 mm height – 18k pink gold or titanium – sapphire crystal on the front and on the back – water resistant to 30m
• Movement: Calibre DMC16 – manual winding – 7days power – 21,600 vibrations/h – 33 jewels – Hours, minutes, pyramid-shaped date, memo function
• Strap: alligator leather strap with folding buckle
• Limited editions of 88 pieces in titanium and 88 pieces in pink gold
• Retail price: gold 76,000 CHF, titanium 68,000 CHF