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Christophe Claret presents the Soprano – a tourbillon minute repeater with four cathedral gongs

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October 2012


The Soprano is a timepiece of contrasts: traditional haute horlogerie with state-of-the-art manufacturing; English Parliament with French King; historic complications with contemporary design; aural indications with visual displays; noble gold with high-tech titanium, and metal components with sapphire elements.

The Westminster chimes – named after the distinctive tune played by the Big Ben clock at the Palace of Westminster, home of the British Parliament in London – are the ultimate in minute repeaters because of their complex melody. To provide an even fuller and richer sound than standard repeaters, the Christophe Claret Soprano features four patented cathedral gongs, each circling the perimeter of the movement twice (a normal gong goes around only once). And to further ensure that the rich sound reaches the listener’s ears, the central case band is in grade 5 titanium, a metal known for its superior acoustic properties and used in musical instruments.

Soprano Minute Repeater by Christophe Claret
Soprano Minute Repeater by Christophe Claret

A few decades before Big Ben began chiming Westminster Quarters over London, the French king Charles X was making a significant impact on art, architecture and horology. One of the defining characteristics of pocket watches created during this period were stepped bridges, which became known as Charles X bridges. Having spent much of his early watchmaking career restoring beautiful timepieces from this epoch, Christophe Claret incorporated this historic design element into the Soprano.

In 1997, Christophe Claret was the very first to use sapphire bridges (even then Charles X style) and plates in wristwatch movements, and the Soprano makes liberal use of sapphire components to allow visual access into the mechanisms. From the smoked ring circumscribing the movement that discreetly hides yet subtly reveals the cathedral gongs, to the transparent mainspring barrel at the top of the open dial, and turning over to the clear repeater inertia governor cover visible through the sapphire display back.

Christophe Claret has not just mastered the mysterious art of minute repeaters, but has brought the genre into the 21st century. Working with a piano tuner, Claret developed a computer programme called Analyser 2000 that records and analyses the notes for pitch, duration and loudness, and even the length of the silent pauses between notes. This enables the Christophe Claret manufacture to consistently create harmonious and musically accurate melodies with strong crystalline notes. Each note is determined by the precise length and diameter of the gongs. The hammer has to strike forcefully for a loud sound, but immediately leave the gong so as not to deaden the ring.

Like all Christophe Claret manufacture movements, the Soprano mechanism features a 60-second tourbillon, which is visible through an open dial at 6 o’clock and is supported by a single arm stepped bridge in the characteristic style of Charles X.

Source: Christophe Claret