There are a thousand ways to love and just as many ways of saying so. There are a thousand different ways to salute the passing of time and to make each moment precious and unique, endlessly… For women, and women alone, Christophe Claret has chosen just one of them. Romanticism. An undeniably poetic watch driven by a unique sense of playfulness and optical illusions, Marguerite is part of the Margot line, Christophe Claret’s very first ladies’ model. This creation affirms the brand’s determination to give substance to a full-fledged feminine collection that consists of complications exclusively devoted to women. 

When ephemeral charm evokes timeless elegance

At the heart of this new watchmaking fable, interpreted in four versions, two graceful butterflies flit around a daisy whose white lacquered petals overlap in the same way as a real flower. Christophe Claret invites two butterflies in blue, orange or red Super-LumiNova, depending on the version, to provide a joyful escort for the passing of time. The darker one, symbolizing the female, is perched on a daisy petal that rotates every hour. Meanwhile, the lighter one, embodying the male, indicates the minutes. Sitting lightly atop a stem attached to the precious pistil made of rubies or blue sapphires, it literally flutters around the white mother-of-pearl dial. 

Falling in love can happen anytime

The visual enchantment does not end there. The ultimate romantic watch, Marguerite turns loving passion into the stuff of intimate daydreams. In addition to the Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock, the dial presents a second display. This one is more personal, with a delightfully heartening message. One press on the pusher at 2 o’clock makes the numbers disappear to reveal the phrase: “Il m’aime passionnément” (He loves me passionately). In developing this optical illusion game, Christophe Claret drew inspiration from the famous “Wow!!” magic trick, which has never before been incorporated into a watch. The changeover of the two dials is achieved by superimposing two disks: the metallized transparent sapphire upper disk bearing a mosaic of transparent squares rotates over the fixed mother-of-pearl lower disk overlaid with another pad-printed black or blue varnished mosaic incorporating the text and the numerals. Releasing the pusher makes the hour display reappear instantly. 

Precious, original enchantment

Christophe Claret matches the boldness of this charmingly romantic mechanism with an equally daring case design. The 42.50 mm silhouette in white or rose gold is delicately accentuated by two newly invented types of setting. The “flake” setting adorning both versions of the Marguerite watch is an elegant interpretation of the snow-setting technique. One hundred variously sized diamonds appear to be randomly sprinkled over the bezel and lugs just like delicate flakes. The “champagne” setting on the other two versions also features a hundred diamonds of different sizes. Concentrated on the lower part of the case, and then freely set here and there on the upper part of the bezel and the 12 o’clock lug, the diamonds are reminiscent of sparkling bubbles that give the entire creation a light, airy appearance. 

Poetry in every detail

Because Christophe Claret excels in the art of mechanics, the Marguerite watch is equipped with a self-winding Manufacture movement whose double barrel ensures an impressive 72-hour power reserve. The sapphire caseback provides an opportunity to admire the movement’s oscillating weight sculpted like a daisy and set with eight rubies. At will, the owner can indulge in the “He loves me, he loves me not” game, the simplified English version of daisy petals, that typically feminine distraction invented in the 18^th century. In order to play, the watch must be placed in a horizontal position and accompanied by one or two undulating movements. The oscillating weight then turns for a few seconds prior to standing still. The ruby closest to the red-lacquered heart provides the response – “yes” or “no” in the center. 

A great fan of detail, Christophe Claret includes a great many references to the delicacy of the marguerite daisy. In the center of the oscillating weight, a flower-shaped circular satin-brushed and diamond-polished element serves to conceal the ball-bearing mechanism. This motif is echoed by the petal-like fluted motif adorning, as well as the flower-shaped screws securing the strap.

More than ever, the Marguerite establishes itself as a vivid symbol of the romantic game of love and chance. A watch to be loved passionately in all four versions – white or rose gold, “flake” or “champagne” set – each available in 30-piece limited editions from July 2015.