It's the third time in a row that Christophe Claret takes its place alongside the Monaco Association against Muscular Dystrophy (AMM). For the 7th edition of Only Watch, the brand donated the Magicafiore, a unique piece for ladies. This altruistic momentum has driven the Maison to take an authentic artistic approach in giving life to the Magicafiore watch. Inspired by the Marguerite watch that is part of the collection, Magicafiore is a unique floral marvel stemming from a blend of fine craftsmanship and aesthetic creativity.
At the heart of this watchmaking fable, a 3D depiction of the cherry blossom revisited by Christophe Claret gives pride of place to artistic crafts. To ensure the closest possible resemblance to the actual flower, each petal is first manually sculpted and coated with white lacquer, making each of them a truly unique element. The blue enameled center of the flower features a pistil topped with a blue sapphire and stamens represented by 28 emeralds, each topped with a white gold rod bent and adjusted by hand. Christophe Claret invites two hand-engraved and green lacquered dragonflies, featuring wings enhanced by sky blue Super-LumiNova®, to provide a joyful escort for the passing of time. One is perched on a flower petal that rotates every hour. The other one, fitted at the end of a stem attached to the center of the flower, literally flutters around the white mother-of-pearl dial, thereby playing the role of minutes hand. The white gold case is adorned with 59 blue sapphires and 15 marquise-cut emeralds symbolizing the leaves of the cherry tree. The unique green and blue setting of the case, like central stones, demonstrates the particular attention that Christophe Claret devotes to aesthetics.
The visual enchantment does not end there. The ultimate romantic watch, Magicafiore 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. One press on the pusher at 2 o’clock makes the numbers disappear to reveal the phrase specially created for Only Watch: “Pour l’amour de la vie” (For the love of life). This message can be personalized via a configurator on the brand website. The watch can display any message requested by the owner, in the desired language, with a limited number of characters. 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 blue varnished mosaic incorporating the text and the numerals. Releasing the pusher makes the hour display reappear instantly.
The sapphire caseback provides an opportunity to admire the movement’s oscillating weight sculpted like a flower and set with eight precious stones (4 emeralds and 4 blue sapphires). 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 Middle Ages. 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 stone closest to the red-lacquered heart provides the response : an emerald with the indication “yes” or a blue sapphire with the indication “no” in the center.
A great fan of detail, Christophe Claret includes a great many references to the delicacy of flowers. 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 crown, as well as the flower-shaped screws securing the strap.
More than ever, the Magicafiore watch establishes itself as a vivid symbol of the romantic game of love and chance. A unique piece for a unique woman.
