The master watchmaker

Claret would eventually make the cycle of time his own There was nothing to suggest that the young Christophe rer at the age of 14 that the possibility presented itself From that point on, the mechanics of time would grow to become his passion. At just 19 years of age, he gra duated from the Geneva Watchmaking School, conti. nuing his education with the master watchmaker Roger Dubuis who, in taking him under his wing, passed on the secrets of restoration and the mysteries of complex horological mechanisms. It was only after a chance visit to a watchmaker-resto- Upon returning to his native city of Lyon, Christophe Claret set up his first horological workshop in the family home. He decided to specialize in restoring antique timepieces, perfecting his finishing techniques and crafting open-work or “skeletonized” watches. 1987 was a year of revelation: during his first visit to the Baselworld international watch fair, Christophe Claret met a man who would alter the course of his life. Rolf Schnyder, a Swiss industrialist who had just acquired the Ulysse Nardin brand, placed an order with Mr Claret for twenty minute repeater movements with San Marco jacquemarts. It provided the impetus he needed and two years later Mr Claret founded his first which was soon followed by another, company, Manufacture Claret. Within a decade, the name Christophe Claret became a benchmark in the field of complicated movements. Following on from Ulysse Nardin, seventeen other prestigious customers, including Franck Muller, de Grisogone

Girard-Perregaux, Jean Dunand and Harry Winston, turned to him to develop their most complex calibers. Christophe Claret therefore decided to establish his company within a setting worthy of his reputation and his ambitions. In 1999, Christophe Claret acquired the Manoir du Soleil d’Or, a venerable mansion on the hills overlooking the nearby town of Le Locle, a stone’s throw from the Musée d’Horlogerie des Monts. There he set up his workshops, breathing new life into the residence formerly owned by the watchmaker Urban Jürgensen.

From 2002 to 2008, Manufacture Claret expanded its workshops by a further 2000 m2. Today, operating at the cutting edge of technology and expertise, it employs almost a hundred highly qualified experts in over thirty separate disciplines. While continuing to design exceptional movements for the most prestigious brands, Christophe Claret often also produces watches bearing his own name, one-of-a-kind creations commissioned collectors won over by Mr Christophe Claret’s superlative horological mastery. Initially a low-key activity, his Christophe Claret branded pieces gained a higher profile in 2009 when he created the DualTow to celebrate the Manufacture’s 20th anniversary. This mechanical distillation of all of the watchmaker’s talent unlocked a freedom to create which resulted in highly complex, exclusive pieces. The Christophe Claret brand now belongs to the extremely exclusive circle of independent Haute Horlogerie brands that design, develop and produce their watches entirely in-house. An exceptional position at the heart of Swiss watchmaking, placing it firmly at the forefront of horological innovation.