The limited-edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland was in fact originally conceived to be the first of the three watches in the Christophe Claret “Gaming” watch trilogy, but the sheer difficulty in combining the necessary additions to the timepiece movement, in addition to the normal hours and minutes hands common to the humblest of clocks, meant that the limited edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch would have to wait in line behind the release of both the Christophe Claret Baccara, and the Christophe Claret Blackjack before it too could be released. The complexity necessitated in engineering a watch and movement able to faithfully replicate Texas Hold’em poker, for gaming with three players, in a beautiful black PVD coated or natural titanium, 18k white or pink gold, or platinum case with cannot be underestimated. As well as telling the time with conventional hours and minutes hands, the limited edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical timepiece from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland had to be more than a timepiece, a watch which at the same plays poker and pack a total of 98,304 combinations of playing cards when gaming with three players.  What’s more, with strategy and sheer bluff being at the heart of Texas Hold poker, the limited edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland needed to implement the game in such a way that players would be unaware of the cards dealt to other players, or the hands those other players were holding (done by means of ingenious, tiny system of blinds), as well as all the in-game features, such as the flop, turn and river, to recreate a complete 52 card game. The result was the in-house designed Christophe Claret Caliber PCK05 movement, containing some 655 parts, running on both jewels (72) and ball bearings.

To play a game of Texas Hold’em and commence each betting round on the limited edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland, the pusher located at 9 o’clock must be depressed, the 9 o’clock push-piece in turn spinning a total of four rotating discs on which the playing cards are printed. It will come as no surprise, bearing in mind Christophe Claret’s expertise with chiming watches that each time a push-piece is depressed, a cathedral gong sounds. Friction dampers randomly stop the rotating discs, determining the combinations each of the three players is dealt with. As per the traditional rules of Texas Hold, (and remember the more than 98,000 combinations for three players required), each player is dealt hands of two cards, and a total of five public cards in sequence: flop, turn, and river. Thus, using the push-piece located at 10 o’clock, (the flop turn) three cards are initially visible, and the three gamers commence placing bets. Using the pusher at 8 o’clock, delighting in the sound of the cathedral gong every time no doubt, first the “turn” and then the “river” can be played, so flop turns a river in sequence, with gaming and betting proceeding as the three gamers see fit. The watch dial face is thus arranged, beneath the beautiful smoke gray sapphire crystal above, with the three public flop cards visible to all at 9 o’clock on the exquisitely card cut PVD coated watch dial face, with the private cards for each of the three players gaming visible only to them under louvred blinds above their cards. Very very neat.

As if playing Poker on the limited edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland, gaming with three-player friends on an utterly astounding watch (south of France casino anyone?), were not enough, this watch packs yet more punch. Beneath the beautifully transparent sapphire crystal case back, which stretches across the entire rear of the watch until reaching a case-coloured bezel adorned with playing card symbols, mounted above the Christophe Claret Caliber PCK05 movement (which still remains visible, skeleton style, through radiating spokes), sits a perfect example of a roulette wheel. A quick shake of the watch starts the roulette wheel turning, a friction system once again deciding when the roulette wheel stops spinning. Perhaps unexpectedly, the playfulness of the PVD titanium Poker from Christophe Claret doesn’t stop there: a little heavy breathing, to the dial side face crystal sapphire, reveals an image of a pinup model, very Vegas, very showy, very Texas Hold’em.

The limited-edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland is available in a range of 5N red gold and black PVD treated grade 5 titanium case and combinations of 5N red gold and titanium and natural titanium, with lacquered black PVD and Super-Luminova, treated hands, and black alligator leather strap. All are very low piece count limited editions, reference number Christophe Claret MTR.PCK05.001-20, for example, offers a variation with red highlighted hands and red-stitched black alligator leather strap.

The limited-edition Christophe Claret Poker mechanical wristwatch from Christophe Claret Watches Switzerland, clearly, the watch that the words ‘game-changing’ were invented for!