Wynn Magazine - Las Vegas
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/81170
MACAU SPOTLIGHT QUALITY TIME CHRISTOPHE CLARET DEALS IN TIME AND LUCK WITH THE BACCARA WATCH. BY ROBERTA NAAS W 72 WYNN hen he was just eight years old, Christophe Claret decided he wanted to be a watchmaker. Building things was always a talent of his, and in his very young teens he fixed motorbikes to earn extra money. At the age of 14, Claret visited a watch restorer's workshop, which proved to be a life-changing experience. Today, at age 50, he is one of the most successful and sought-after watchmakers in the world. In his career thus far, Claret has invented and developed more than 68 unique and complicated movements for some of the finest watch brands (including Ulysse Nardin, Jean Dunand, Harry Winston, and more). Claret is driven by a passion to build the most complex calibers—most housing anywhere from 500 to 1,000 parts in the tiny diameter of a watch. They offer complex functions such as minute repeaters (Claret's specialty), off- center tourbillons, or totally new and unusual complexities. "For me, to create and invent the mechanism for something truly unique is a great challenge and honor," says Claret. "This is why I work with many different companies on so many projects at once." It is under his own brand name, however, that Claret has recently unveiled to the world some of the most creative timepieces ever made. Among them is the Baccara watch. The second in a trilogy of gaming watches (the first, 21 BlackJack, was unveiled last year, and the third may be released in 2014), Baccara spent nearly two years in the concept and development stages, including a visit by Claret to Wynn and other Macau resorts for inspiration. "Timepieces are always inspired by the way of living of my clientele," he says. "A good example are the gaming pieces BlackJack and Baccara, which are directly inspired from my observations on the spot in Macau." Baccara is a spectacular timepiece that doubles as a mini casino with three games built in that actually work: baccarat (with chimes), roulette, and dice. Each game has an audible, visual, or tactile appeal. The movement alone—with more than 500 parts—required over a year to bring to fruition. "I wanted to craft three calibers with games built into them," says Claret. "This is not easy to do, but it is very interesting and original." Indeed, the cre- ation of these watches requires more thought, innovation, and restructuring Christophe Claret Claret's Baccara watch "For me, to invent and create the mechanism for something truly unique is a great challenge and honor." of movement parts than most conventional complications. "Even though I am not a gambler, I visited Macau and got a private tour of the casinos so I could understand the market and the culture of gaming there, so I could build what the player really loves." This interactive timepiece is representative of Claret's radical thinking. The player's baccarat cards literally "appear" on the dial in three small win- dows at six o'clock, while the banker's cards appear at the 12. To shuffle the cards, the player presses a pusher at the nine that arms a spring, which then simultaneously turns six gold disks (on which the cards are printed) and distributes the cards to the player and banker. Two pushers located at the seven and 10 allow the banker and the player to uncover their cards and play the game. Each time the shutter opens to reveal a card, a cathedral