BIOGRAPHY: Gerald Clerc is a man seemingly destined for substantial achievements in the world of fine watchmaking, being a descendant of a long line of watchmakers and jewelers who date back to the late 19th century. The Clerc family has long been involved in the creation of timepieces, having partnered with such illustrious houses as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin and Rolex over the years. Yet, Gerald Clerc desired more--he sought to create his own brand using the Clerc name, producing watches with a unique and boldly expressive design. After finding success in the American market with more than 40 high-end stores to his credit, Clerc returned to Switzerland, determined to conquer a broader market with prestigious complications and horological specialties.
The Clerc Odyssey watch collection is the result of Gerald Clerc's passion for creativity and world recognition. Inspired by space exploration and research, the Odyssey collection daringly combines numerous exotic or precious materials--titanium, palladium 950, ceramic, and gold among them---to elaborate upon the successful design of the original Clerc models. The Odyssey line showcases many original and remarkable details, from the patented sliding crown protector, to an intricate caseback that features a protective grill. Elements of the complex mechanics appear through open-worked dials, whose futuristic details and intricate craftsmanship produce true thrills for the connoisseur.
VIALUXE:
Hi Gerald – It’s great to be able to sit down and talk to you for a few moments. We are especially interested in hearing about the Odyssey - which has definitely turned some heads at this show. Can you introduce yourself to our viewers and tell us a little more about this incredible new piece?
GERALD CLERC: Yes, absolutely. Hi, I am Gerald Clerc, watchmaker and designer for Clerc watches in Geneva. We are a fourth generation family company. The company was initially created by my great grandfather in 1874. In the course of our history we have made a number of specialty and unique pieces for royalty, artists and other celebrities including Maurice Chevalier, Jeanne de Gaulle, and Princess Grance, and many others.
I am here to talk to you today about the Odyssey which is our latest collection. The Odyssey is a mostly handmade watch manufactured in Geneva. It is inspired by space research and space exploration. It features a mix of precious metals such as red gold and palladium with grade 5 titanium, regular titanium, carbon, ceramics and rubber.
The watch also houses a unique and exclusive manufactory made movement with a double barrel which gives it a five day power reserve. It has the highest level of decoration including chamfered bridges, blued screws and all the detail expected from a haute horologerie movements.
It has a very complex case structure of which one of the unique features is this lateral sliding mechanism that we developed. It alternatively protects the crowns and pushers.
This here is the inner rotating bezel, the retrograde date pusher, and the regular crown. This is the red gold and titanium version and this here is the bracelet version in a mix of black titanium, white titanium and stainless steel reinforcers on the side.
The dial has a classic feel to it because it is inspired by dials from watches from the turn of the century but treated in a very modern and futuristic way. It has a lot of details - a richness that is unusual in a modern or futuristic watch.
The bracelet is extremely soft - extremely comfortable and has a unique pattern on the links which is found on manufactured movements.
View the Clerc Odyssey Watch Press Release here.