Haute Complication: Christophe Claret Angelico

With the Angelico has Christophe Claret created yet another masterpiece. In his own unique style, he puts the mechanical aspect of the watch on center stage. The result is a watch that is very modern in appearance, although many of the technical ideas behind it are rooted in the history of watchmaking. Christophe Claret often reinvents them, refines them, or gives them an unexpected twist. This avant-garde approach has become his signature and is also clearly visible in the Angelico.

With this watch, Christophe Claret is not only celebrating the 10th anniversary of his brand, but also the 30th anniversary of his manufacture. He is doing a lot of research and development work for other brands, and the Angelico is a perfect example of why others trust him with such a delicate task. The case is crafted from red gold, with a titanium model being available as well, and measures 45.5mm in diameter, with a height of 17.45mm. The watch needs this space because the movement itself is quite large, being 41.10mm wide and 14.20mm high.

Made out of 470 parts, it combines a tourbillon with detent escapement and a cable-type fuse. While the chain and fusee is a very traditional constant force mechanism, there is nothing traditional about this one. Instead of opting for a chain, Christophe Claret is using an ultra-thin Dyneema nanofiber cable. Because this cable produces less friction, there is also less energy loss, increasing the power reserve. Thanks to two mainspring barrels, it offers more than 72 hours of power reserve.

The tourbillon itself is a sight for sore eyes. It is not only quite large, with a diameter of 16mm, but it also features a detent escapement. While considered more precise, they are hardly ever used into wrist watches. To further increase the precision of this watch, the tourbillon carriage is made from titanium, while its bridge is crafted from aluminium.

The Angelico is a dual time-zone watch with jump hour function for both timezones. They flank the tourbillon, while a red ruby indicates the minutes by going around the edge of the dial. It makes this Christophe Claret surprisingly easy to read, despite its complicated and, dare we say, exotic movement. That’s another hallmark of the master, as he likes to push the envelope in a technical and aesthetic sense, but never forgets for what watches are used for in the first place.