With blatant inspiration from the sprawling and diverse landscapes of the French countryside, Clairette Watches aims to be different in the timepiece industry by taking their cues from the beauty found naturally in the world and incorporating it into their watches instead of improving upon other watches in the industry as so many manufacturers often do.
Clairette Watches uses mid-century stylings with a modern flair that is suitable for the fashionable and contemporary man or woman. Their watches are designed after the rolling plains, looming mountains and the breezy coasts of France, incorporating all of that natural beauty into a functional accessory.
Clairette Watches feature a smaller, rounded case than other watches in the industry, ranging from 34 to 38 millimeters in diameter. Each of their watches come housed inside of a stainless steel case that features your choice of a white or black dial. They also offer the option of a gold case with the same white or black dial. Whichever you choose, each style of watch boasts a scratch-resistant sapphire glass over the dial. Each of the three colors of straps that are offered by Clairette Watches features natural and vegetable-tanned leather from Tärnsjö Garveri.
Currently, Clairette Watches are being funded on the crowdfunding site, Kickstarter. As of the time of writing, these watches have surpassed their goal of $16,740 to raise a total of $19,298 with five days remaining in the campaign. Their watches are less than $150 and include shipping to anywhere on the globe.
I recently added the black dial in 38mm model to my stable. A few things are worth mentioning: The company itself is not French as the text above may lead you to think – they are located in Sweden. The watch itself is heavily influenced from the classic design on the Patek Philippe model 2526, or the later Omega Deville Prestige of the 1990-early 2000s. The watch case which is well made and heavier than one may expect (solid steel, and probably a metal holder fro the movement that is inside) hides a Japanese quartz movement with small seconds function that fits well with the case and dial design to create a very well balanced readout – unlike most modern small seconds dials that often tend to be awkward due to the coupling of smallish movements into a too-large case or dial. This one is well made. The presentation box is exquisite and presents like a multi-thousand dollar watch rather than an entry-level priced watch. An excellent choice for a person who wants the aesthetics of fine watches from an era gone by without the price tag or fuss of hunting down vintage mechanical timepieces.