Marking the fifth charity auction, Christophe Claret introduces the X-TREM-1 Pinball Piece unique for Only Watch 2013. Inspired by the brands love of gaming, as apparent from other selections, the design was crafted to reflect a precious children’s activity.
The very distinct interpretation of the timepiece includes the tiny metal balls that indicate hours and minutes seen through the grilled sapphire tubes. The Le Locle watchmaker crafted the appearance so that the inner movement resembles the inside a true pinball machine. Brilliantly laid out with bumpers, slingshots and balls, they are all evoked inside the very visible mechanism.
Reflecting the cool blue and bright orange colors you see in a gaming machine, they are captured in this timepiece to breath life into the concept. The watch was designed and dedicated to the auction to benefit research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The auction is held in Monaco, in September, under the patronage of HSH Prince Albert II.
The watch is truly exceptional and created for such a worthwhile cause. The Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 Pinball Piece Unique For Only Watch 2013 was manufactured with vision to try and capture the passion and perseverance that the brand wants to convey. Committed to excellence, precision and quality, the brand is making a statement with each creation, and this one is dedicated to such a great cause.
This timepiece is a result of the brand concept and each letter has specific meaning: X is for eXperimental, T for time, R for research, E for engineering, and M for mechanism. Capturing the very essence of what this watch was designed for, and continuing to push the brand to new levels of mechanical watch making, innovative time displays and reaching into new depths of research.
With each step in the manufacturing of the Christophe Claret X-TREM-1 Pinball Piece Unique For Only Watch 2013 it seems new achievements were met. The high strength, ultra-light titanium that was used for the three-dimensional curved main plate and bridges was the first of it’s kind for such a detailed and complex calibre. The flying tourbillon has been designed and manufactured with double ceramic bearings to maximize reliability and also tilted at a 30 degree angle to make it more visible.
The dial mechanisms were designed to reflect the playfield on an actual pinball machine. When the watch is wound, the entire timepiece comes to life. At 10’clock you will see a pinball-style slingshot, and the ratchet wheels and crown wheel are designed to be the pinball bumpers. The case is constructed from white gold and palladium, in addition to Perunal-type aluminum, a state of the art material currently being used in aviation.
Utilizing new mechanical technology, and introducing a magnetic field into the very heart of this watch, the brand has truly changed watch making for the future. This timepiece is an inspiration, not only to the cause it supports, but to the very heart of every watch maker who admires the work and dedication it takes to create such a marvel.