Recently my ‘Independent Watchmakers’ book was featured in the New York Times. It was a huge honour to have a detailed review written about this publication because the project was immensely enjoyable. The journalist who interviewed me is a highly professional British lady called Melanie Abrams. We spoke in depth about the brands included and why I embarked on the project in the first place. I explained (as watch designer) it fascinated me how companies go to enormous creative lengths to create extraordinary timepieces. A great example can be found in luxury label Christophe Claret.
One of the main questions Melanie Abrams kept asking me (for her New York Times interview) was why did I choose these specific 62 brands for the ‘Independent Watchmakers’ book. The simple answer was that they all displayed exceptional merit. It is crucial to mention not all the timepieces featured are extraordinary expensive but the majority are. Certainly, Christophe Claret’s watches are beyond the realms of most people budgets including his newly released Angelico.
Within the world of horology, there are certain watchmakers that really stand out. Christophe Claret is one of these personalities and has worked alongside Roger Dubuis, Dominique Renaud and Giulio Papi. He also collaborated with Steven Holtzman’s Maîtres du Temps and co-founded luxury brand Jean Dunand (with Thierry Oulevay). That’s why collectors always highly anticipate new models from the maestro. In my opinion, he’s certainly delivered big style with the amazing new Angelico.
The 45.5mm x 17.45mm Angelico is available in either 5N red gold or Grade 5 titanium. Personally, I much prefer the aesthetic of the titanium model with contrasting blue accents. However, for investment purposes, I would probably pay 20,000 CHF for the gold version. Features like the architectural 3-dimensional dial with exposed elements of the complicated (470 individual components) chain (Dyneema nanofiber cable) and fusee constant-force mechanism. Other features include an exposed tourbillon carriage (located 6 o’clock) dual time jumping hours (5 and 7 o’clock) and day/night indications. Overall the Angelico is an extraordinary looking watch will undoubtedly be the pride of any collection.
