CHRISTOPHE Claret the man this year celebrates his 30th anniversary as a movement-maker, while Christophe Claret the company also marks its first decade as a brand of timepieces. To toast these twin milestones, the company is releasing a watch whose tourbillon is fitted with a long detent escapement, and whose twin barrels are linked by a cable fusee. This special watch, limited to only 10 pieces, is called the Angelico, and its name takes after the Renaissance artist who had a penchant for painting angels — Fra Angelico. The name, Monsieur Claret says, is apt as the Angelico honors the art of watch-making.
A tourbillon using a long detent escapement first saw duty in 18th century marine chronometers mounted on gimbals — at the time a tourbillon of such type needed to be in a very stable mounting so that it could stay accurate. But while reliable during most instances, it was sensitive to jarring lateral motions, making the long detent system impractical to use in a wristwatch.
Centuries later, the Angelico rose to this challenge. Christophe Claret’s Maestoso model already has a mechanism — a cam with a safety finger — that could prevent a long detent from turning over. And it’s this piece the watchmaker turned to in creating a tourbillon meant for use in a wristwatch to be fitted with a long detent escapement.
Further stabilizing the tourbillon is a bearing attached on the wheel and connected to the balance, absorbing any excess energy. The tourbillon also relies on a couple of lightweight metals — its carriage is made of titanium, its bridges constructed of aluminum — so that it isn’t as affected by inertia as it would have been otherwise the case with heavier materials. To let its horological theatrics be admired (it makes a full rotation in six minutes), the mechanism is contained in an airy cage measuring 16 millimeters across.
The other tricky bit in the Angelico is the Dyneema nanofiber cable linking the movement’s two mainspring barrels, which are traditionally done via a chain. But because a chain creates too much friction, a cable is seen as providing a better solution. Apparently, it does not “rob” energy supplied by the mainsprings as it transfers this to the regulator, as well as being able to more precisely maintain the springs’ power reserve (which, incidentally, is pegged at 72 hours).
Christophe Claret says this cable is unlikely to break, too. Though it’s only about as thick as three strands of hair, it can pull nearly 10 kilos of weight. Plus, it is tied and then wrapped twice around the barrel.
Joining the tourbillon in the Angelico’s horologic show are the dual time zone indicators read out via a pair of jumping hour displays at 5 o’clock and 7 o’clock. The minutes are displayed via a hand adorned either with natural ruby or blue sapphire, depending on which of the two case materials are opted for — one is red gold, the other titanium, both measuring 45.5 millimeters. Sapphire crystals cover their front and back, putting the hand-winding cal. DTC08’s mechanical bits, like hand-chamfered Charles X bridges, Incabloc shock absorbers and instant-jump dual-time mechanism, in full show.
In the Angelico, timekeeping readouts take a backseat to the virtuoso methods by which these are achieved.
