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Lot Essay
No. 6 of a limited edition of 21, this awesome limited edition titanium and white gold automatic ‘Blackjack’ casino wristwatch is an astounding and highly complicated piece of miniature engineering, an interactive gaming timepiece by the visionary independent master watchmaker Christophe Claret. An expression of true luxury, in addition to the timekeeping function it features three casino games; Blackjack, Roulette and Dice.
It is said that the idea for the Blackjack watch germinated when Christophe Claret saw an old mechanical dice throwing machine in a market in Saint Tropez. The vintage box had a mechanism that turned two discs and stopped them randomly. This chance encounter fired Claret’s creative imagination resulting in this most sophisticated of playthings.
The dice game of chance features a pair of miniature dice which are enclosed in an aperture on the side of the case viewed through a sapphire crystal.
The back of the case displays the roulette wheel through a sapphire crystal. Ingeniously, the roulette wheel is also the winding rotor, when set in motion and placed on a flat surface the wheel stops after a short time.
The aim of playing Blackjack is to draw cards equal to or as close to as possible to 21. The players four cards are shown in windows in the lower half of the dial, two are visible and two concealed. In the upper half of the dial are a further three windows for the dealers cards, one visible, the other two concealed. Every time a shutter opens for either the player of dealer, a patented cathedral gong is struck, the mechanism for which can be viewed in a window in the side of the case at 2 o’clock.
This extraordinary and entertaining timepiece will enrapture collectors with its miniature casino for the wrist. A highly ingenious and very wearable piece of haute horology, it was designed and made by one of the greatest names of contemporary independent watchmaking.
It is said that the idea for the Blackjack watch germinated when Christophe Claret saw an old mechanical dice throwing machine in a market in Saint Tropez. The vintage box had a mechanism that turned two discs and stopped them randomly. This chance encounter fired Claret’s creative imagination resulting in this most sophisticated of playthings.
The dice game of chance features a pair of miniature dice which are enclosed in an aperture on the side of the case viewed through a sapphire crystal.
The back of the case displays the roulette wheel through a sapphire crystal. Ingeniously, the roulette wheel is also the winding rotor, when set in motion and placed on a flat surface the wheel stops after a short time.
The aim of playing Blackjack is to draw cards equal to or as close to as possible to 21. The players four cards are shown in windows in the lower half of the dial, two are visible and two concealed. In the upper half of the dial are a further three windows for the dealers cards, one visible, the other two concealed. Every time a shutter opens for either the player of dealer, a patented cathedral gong is struck, the mechanism for which can be viewed in a window in the side of the case at 2 o’clock.
This extraordinary and entertaining timepiece will enrapture collectors with its miniature casino for the wrist. A highly ingenious and very wearable piece of haute horology, it was designed and made by one of the greatest names of contemporary independent watchmaking.