Baselworld 2014 Review: Christophe Claret Margot – The First Ladies’ Watch by the Brand Premiers a Charming Poetic Complication

At the Baselworld 2014 Show, Christophe Claret has premiered its first ladies’ watch that came after three years worth of extensive research and development. The timepiece named Margot has a very interesting poetic complication that replicates the “He loves me, he loves me not” game. Its lovely mother-of-pearl with words of a poem by Victor Hugo on it dial has a daisy flower in its middle. Once the original complication is activated with a press on the pusher, the petals of the flower featured on the face of the watch are plucked, while five different phrases from “not that at all” to “madly” substitute one another, all the way until the last petal is picked and the answer is revealed. Each picking of the petal (or two or more of them which is decided randomly and automatically) is accompanied with the strike of a gong. The chiming mechanism is embellished with a red ruby and revealed through the side of the case. This charming women’s watch which is issued in four 20-piece limited variations features a mother-of-pearl dial and it has a housing made in either white or red gold. There are also two levels of diamond settings for the newcomer and they include either snow-set diamonds weighing 3 carats or even more lavish 5.2 carats worth of baguette-cut stones.

Ladies’ Piece by Christophe Claret

The high-end watchmaker Christophe Claret has entered its 25th year of existence and so far has not been making watches meant specifically for women. This changes with new Margot piece which in a way compensates the long wait by presenting a truly unique complication. It is entirely based on a famous game where you want to predict if your loved one loves you back by plucking petals of a daisy until all that remains is a pistil and the final answer is unveiled in an aperture placed at the lower right part of its dial. There are five answers to the all-important question, all written in French and in calligraphic letters. These are “not at all”, “a little”, “a lot”, “passionately” and finally “madly”. Even though they change subsequently, the answer to the question is always random, since there is no way to tell how many petals will be plucked once you activate the mechanism by pressing the pusher at the two o’clock position. As it has been said, every time the mechanism is set in motion, it also triggers the chiming of the watch’s striking mechanism which only accentuates the suspense. A press on another pusher which is placed at the four o’clock resets the mechanism. While the flower gets all of its petals back, the answer is replaced with ellipsis.

Christophe Claret Margot White Gold Watch

An Additional Color Feeling Game

There is also addition to the game on the rear skeletonized side of the watch. Over there, the movement’s rotor with a cabochon in the center that hides its ball bearings rotates with every press. It includes eight different colored precious stones which all represent a specific feeling attached with love (they include hope, passion, tenderness etc). Once the answer is revealed at the front, one of the triangles is aligned with a heart painted in red lacquer in order to provide a bit more depth to the final verdict.

These poetic complications are enabled by self-winding mechanical Caliber EMT17 which integrates 95 jewels and has as much as 731 components that constitute its intricate structure. It is 38.4 mm wide and 9.76 mm thick. It has a Swiss lever escapement which operates at the frequency of 28,800 vph. Thanks to the included two barrels, it has a long-lasting power reserve that lasts for three days. Apart from the “He loves me, he loves me not” game displayed on the dial and the additional color feeling game executed via rotor, the only supported feature is the basic timekeeping which is shown with two central hands which are made with precious stone tips that match the color of the flower’s pistil.

Christophe Claret Margot Red Gold Watch Back

The complex automatic movement of Christophe Claret Margott watch is held in a round case which is 42.5 mm wide, 50.15 mm long (with lugs included) and 14.52 mm thick, whereas the supported water resistance measures to 30 meters. Its dial which bears the words of a Poem by Victor Hugo is made of mother-of pearl. On its top there is the brand’s logo in gold, while other three major hour markers are executed by gold prongs which are set with diamonds in pear shape. Finally, the watch’s white strap made of alligator leather includes a quick release mechanism and a clasp whose material matches the case.

Christophe Claret Margot White Gold Watch Profile

Two Materials and Two Lavish Scales of Diamond Decorations

There are four different variations of the watch and each of them is restricted to 20 copies. There are two different types of case materials; white (palladium alloy) and 5N red gold. While two versions in white gold have pink mother-of-pearl dials, the red gold ones are from the same material but in a pink shade. Each of the materials is likewise available with two types of diamond decorations. The first one includes 423 snow-set diamonds on the bezel and lugs which cumulatively weigh 3 carats. The even more lavish level of decoration includes 68 baguette-cut stones (and one hexagonal-shaped diamond on the top lug) which altogether weigh 5.2 carats. Even though the manufacturer has not yet revealed the official pricing for the watch, its extraordinary complication, exclusivity and noble materials that were used in its creation will certainly place it out of reach of mere mortals.

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