The X-TREM-1 watch represents a major technical and aesthetic accomplishment: a flying tourbillon inclined at a 30° angle, mounted on a three-dimensional curvex titanium mainplate, equipped with a retrograde hours and minutes display system that is radically different from existing watchmaking conventions. Two tiny hollowed steel spheres, isolated within sapphire tubes on the left and right sides of the caseband, magically move with no mechanical connection thanks to magnetic fields, a first in watchmaking history.
This year, white or 5N red gold and damascened steel are the metals chosen to make the case of this new version of the X-TREM-1.
A keen student of history, Christophe Claret felt it would be an interesting exercise to craft the case of the X-TREM-1 – the most innovative and contemporary model in his collection – from damascened steel produced using ancestral methods. This material was first made in the Caucasus around 2500 BC and subsequently spread throughout Europe as well as to Asia. Entirely forgotten during the Middle Ages, it was rediscovered by the Crusaders. Weapons equipped with extremely sharp damascened blades were long considered the finest in the world.
Damascened steel is traditionally produced by layer-assembling two types of stainless steel. Several successive forging and folding steps result in a piece of metal that may comprise several hundreds of layers. This extremely technical high-end alloy boasts excellent properties: a homogenous structure, pure material, as well as extreme resistance to corrosion and shocks.
For this new X-TREME-1 model, the grades of steel used are 316L and 304L. The difficulty lay in introducing gold or ceramic into damascened steel for the time indication, and the second challenge involved actually machining the case from the extremely resistant damascened steel.
The many details that make a difference and contribute to giving this model its strength include the subtle color match between the case, the spheres, the hours and minutes numerals, the tourbillon age and the Christophe Claret logo.
Each of the two versions is produced in an 8-piece limited edition.
