A Passion For Time - Mr. Christophe Claret
Mr. Christophe Claret creates some of the finest timepieces on the planet. Currently creating 100 per year with sights set on 500 annually within the next five years, Mr. Claret’s passion is found in each magnificent work of timepiece art he creates. Just so, Christophe Claret is an artist and those fortunate to wear these magnificent timepieces understand that life changing experience is a powerful, surreal one.
Dane Kennedy: When did you passion for watchmaking begin?
Christophe Claret: My passion started as I was 12 years old. At the age of 14, my parents took me to visit a watch restorer’s workshop. This encounter proved to be a life-changing experience. Passionately interested in all things mechanical, I seized the opportunity to ask the craftsman if he would let me come and help him every Friday afternoon after school. The idea appealed to the watchmaker, who agreed. Every week from then on, I would work on taking apart watch mechanisms to clean them, maintain them or to restore to the original shape to the various holes deformed by the incessant motion of the component arbors. In parallel, I engaged in other activities including working on the mechanics of motorcycles or mopeds. I purchased various two-wheelers which I would take part to overhaul the engine, repair them and then put them back together again. At one point, the workshop was transformed into a full-fledged garage, since I was working on seven vehicles at once.
What design elements and features set Christophe Claret Timepieces apart from other luxury brands?
We have 4 collections for 4 different universes. The Complicated Traditional Watches, The Complicated Gaming Watches, The Complicated Extreme Watches and The Complicated Feminine Watches. In all these collections, there are time pieces extremely innovative, technical and aesthetic.
Where do you find inspiration for the intricacies of your designs?
My inspiration is not about watchmaking. It comes from nature, automobiles, magic, mechanics, aerospace, antiquity.
How has the market for Christophe Claret changed over the years?
We created the Christophe Claret brand in 2009, that is to say 10 years ago. It never stops progressing. However this progression is about 15%, because we do with the means we have as we are an independent brand.
What do you expect to change in the years to come?
I clearly have the ambition to develop the brand.Today, we produce only about 100 watches a year. We want to produce 500 watches a year within 5years.
What is your favorite piece you’ve created and why?
It would be very difficult for me to choose which is my favorite because I invest myself in all of my creations, in all designs and in all components of each watch. It is like asking me which of my children I prefer!
Do you see a higher demand in women's or men's watches? Why?
The Women universe represents about 15%of our sales. These timepieces are extremely complicated such as the Margot watch. Margot are the most complicated women's watches of the world with 730 components. In the Men universe, we have three different collections with a strong attraction to all of them. Our best sellers are the X-Trem-1, the Maestro, the Soprano and the Poker. We appeal to a wide variety of collectors with our wide variety of watches.
What are you currently working on?
Today, we are working on a limited edition in partnership with a boxing champion Vasyl Lomachenko. The Loma watch is a mono-pusher chronograph with striking mechanism and constant force escapement.
