Menu

Clerc Watches

Exploring For Clerc: Esteemed Nature Photographer Alejandro Prieto Tracking Jaguars in Mexico

_DSC0092-1

It is with great pleasure that we announce our recent partnership with the incredibly talented Alejandro Prieto. Over the course of less than 5 years the Guadalajara-based photographer has garnered over 20 awards for his incredible work both on land and under the sea. We first began working with Alejandro in late 2016, and we are proud to showcase the first in a series of photographic expeditions on the trail of the elusive Jaguars that roam the jungles of Campeche, Chiapas, and Marismas Nacionales Nayarit in Mexico.

_DSC0088

Roaming silently through the Marismas Nacionales Nayarit, Jaguars like the one seen here will strategically stalk and ambush their prey rather than chase it, and reserve their hunting for either dawn or dusk. Their diet consists of upwards of 80 different species of animals including mammals, fish, and birds. Unlike other big cats, Jaguars love the water, and in this region they spend a great deal of time in the marshes trying to catch their next meal.

_DSC0075

Captured near an ancient archeological site in the heart of the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve — a remote site discovered in the 1930s that is only accessible by horseback or small vehicles — Jaguars like this are still a rare sight. Using a harmless trap-based camera trigger system, Alejandro’s days of laying in wait finally paid off.

 

See more of Alejandro Prieto’s work via alejandroprietophotography.com

Exploring for CLERC: Climbing in Cogne, Italy with Rudi Hauser

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

On their latest expedition, extreme climber Rudi Hauser and acclaimed adventure photographer (and friend of the brand) Markus Berger —  struck off to Northern Italy for an intense round of ice climbing. As you can see from the imagery below, sheer ice faces were abound, and a brief dose of early morning sunshine provided ample opportunity to capture the picturesque wilderness before pushing off towards their final destination.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

As the day pressed on, a thin layer of cloud pulled temperatures down a few degrees, but this would not be enough to slow Markus and Rudi down. The pair pressed on with their day with a singular vision in mind — just keep climbing. The Cogne valley is one of the best ice climbing regions in the world — a region so vast that climbers can venture out and often not see another human over the course of their expedition.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

Stay tuned in the coming months as Markus continues to explore ice caves, climbing sites, and other uncharted regions of the world. We are proud to be partnered with a photographer with such a penchant for pushing boundaries and exploring further — both traits that are inherent to Clerc’s DNA.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.
Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.
Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.
Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.
Ice Climbing with Rudolf Hauser in Cogne, ITA.

The Making of a CLERC Hydroscaph Case

“A perfect circle in a perfect square” is how CLERC describes its famous and unique Hydroscaph case architecture design. Its inspiration came from a desire to unite two very basic geometric shapes in perfect unison and harmony. There’s also an element of mystery and surprise, of course, as the case geometry appears to change depending on the viewing angle. Is it a square? Is it a circle? No, it’s actually both!

No matter how you look at it, the Hydroscaph case is clearly the most instantly recognizable feature of the collection. No other watch looks anything like it – and that’s one of the many reasons the Hydroscaph appeals to people all over the world.

m10m11

The Hydroscaph case corresponds to one of the most complex constructions in contemporary watchmaking. Developed in close cooperation with a team of underwater exploration professionals, it comprises 81 to 103 individually machined parts ensuring that each individual case is truly unique. Developed and fine-tuned by series of formidably demanding tests, the high-tech case is guaranteed water-resistant from 500 to 800 meters and reflects an uncompromising approach to both functionality and aesthetics. The generously sized case – instantly recognizable by its iconic exclusive rotating bezel – forms a perfect circle in a perfect square and is protected from any inadvertent activation by an exclusive device.

Pivoting the bezel by means of the dedicated crown requires prior deployment of a retractable flap built in to the crown. Once retracted, the bezel is thus securely locked and protected from any accidental deregulation when diving. The time-setting and winding crown provides an optimal grip, while the glare-proofed 4 mm sapphire crystal protects this luxurious high-tech watch from any scratches or violent impacts.

Jpeg

The Hydroscaph is a powerful working “exploration machine” and as such it is designed and engineered for draconian environments – the kind you find very deep under the oceans. At those depths, there is zero tolerance for mistakes, zero margin for error, and no time for ambiguity. DLC coating ensures the Hydroscaph case is as hard as diamond – the world’s most resistant material. Five gasket barriers inside the case protect the watch internals from any chance of water penetration – even if the diver activates the bezel or the pushers on the chronograph model while under water (such usage is not recommended, but tested against anyway). The 4mm sapphire crystal is completely scratch and shock-proof.

 

Of course, the CLERC Hydroscaphs have a very unique advantage no other dive watch can offer: actual live testing in deep water. Thanks to our partnership with Sub Aviator Systems and their Nuytco-based laboratories and research center, CLERC is the only watch brand in the industry able to test its watches by attaching them to a real-life underwater submersible capable of reaching down thousands of feet of water. With access to these amazing underwater flying machines and the high-tech laboratories they come from, CLERC is writing a new chapter in what it means to really test the world’s most powerful luxury diving watches.

This article describes in detail the unique testing processes our Hydroscaph diving watches endure.

Testing Diving Watches the CLERC Way

CLERC Hydroscaph watches are designed as powerful luxury exploration machines built for extreme life conditions – the kind you find at 500-800 meters under the oceans. At those depths, survival depends on uncompromising quality, precision, toughness, and reliability. This is why CLERC Hydroscaphs undergo some of the most intense and comprehensive testing in the industry.

A diving watch is subjected to much harsher conditions than a regular time piece. And a luxury diving watch must also meet the aesthetic expectations of the most discerning owner. This is where the CLERC Hydroscaphs combine raw power with pure luxury.  Hydroscaphs are run through a set of particularly stringent tests well above and beyond conventional norms.

Testing starts at our Swiss land-based laboratory facilities where each Hydroscaph model type is tested for traction, shock, visibility (night-vision), magnetism, water-tightness, and resistance to seawater and corrosion. But these are just the basic starting qualifications for a Hydroscaph watch. Our three Hydroscaph versions – the Central Chronograph, the H1, and the new GMTs – all undergo extensive design and architecture testing a numerous levels.

GMT-CThe H1 is a COSC-certified chronometer. This means the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres has issued a unique serial number for its movement after each has passed a rigorous set of precision tests. Only 1% of all Swiss watches achieve this certification. COSC tests run for fifteen consecutive days and nights at multiple temperatures and operating conditions. A COSC-certified movement is guaranteed to have a specific precision and accuracy to within very strict parameters. COSC-certified watches are the thoroughbreds of the Swiss luxury watch industry. For an extensive dive into what it takes to score a COSC certification, click here.

Last but not least, CLERC is the only Swiss luxury watch company able to test its dive watches outside traditional labs under extreme depth conditions. That’s because within the framework of its long-term partnership with Sub Aviator Systems and Nuytco Research, CLERC has access to the most prestigious underwater manufacturing and Research & Development laboratory in the subaquatic world. Sub Aviators/Nuytco are to underwater research and innovation what NASA is to space travel. As a matter of fact, even NASA astronauts train at Nuytco facilities in Vancouver, Canada!

800x600For the first time, a watch manufacturer enjoys the benefit of the know-how and experience – enriched by half a century of innovations – of the pioneer in underwater exploration.  In this way, the specialist in submersible technologies makes its pool of scientific expertise available, notably benefiting the development of new watchmaking materials and ever more specialised technical solutions, able to withstand the extreme conditions encountered at great depths.

In addition, it allows CLERC to conduct its tests in conditions that are identical to those applied to Nuytco Research’s high-tech equipment. In other words, CLERC can test the resistance and performance of its powerful diving watches under realistic conditions. Corrosion, readability, air or water pressure, extreme temperatures, shocks, underwater storms, etc. The testing possibilities are unlimited both inside the research facility and using the SuperAviator personal submersible during real-life dive operations.

NGM_1828One such test was conducted last summer during the CLERC Underwater Flight Discovery Tour in Vancouver – where a Central Chronograph CHY-585 was integrated into the submarine’s heads-up display on the outside. Not only was the watch used to chronograph every dive that day, but it also withstood the rigors of eight consecutive dives strapped to the outside of the submarine!

Between CLERC’s own Swiss lab testing, the COSC certification of the H1 models, and the ability to test diving watches in the most prestigious underwater laboratory and in their natural deep-sea underwater environment, the CLERC Hydroscaph is indeed probably the most tested luxury diving watch in the industry. Which is exactly why we say “raw power meets pure luxury”!

 

Learn to Fly Under Water, Then Tell the World About it

UPDATE: Dates for our Underwater Flight Discovery experience have been set for July 16th and 17th.

CLERC – the first and only Swiss luxury watch company with its own line of personal luxury submersibles – invites carefully-selected members of press and media to learn how to fly under water. Then tell the world about it!

If you were at Baselworld last March, you may have seen footage of Super Aviator at the CLERC booth. This amazing and unique submersible is the precursor to Orcasub – the personal luxury submersible we are producing and marketing in partnership with Nuytco/Sub Aviator Systems in Vancouver, Canada. In a way, you could say it’s Orcasub 1.0.

These super-fast, easy-to-use, and maneuverable submersibles can fly two pilots in atmospheric comfort and safety down to 2,000 feet. In all human history until now, people who have personally witnessed life at such depths can be counted on a single hand. But now CLERC and Sub Aviator Systems are putting underwater flight at anyone’s hands – anyone, that is, who happens to be a member of the press or media interested in sharing this unforgettable experience with their audience!

Because in the second half of July this year, CLERC and Sub Aviator Systems will be hosting press and media guests at the Vancouver manufacture for an exclusive two-day Underwater Flight Discovery experience.

DAY ONE will include a full guided tour of the factory and R&D facilities at Nuytco Headquarters. Evoking the quintessential “Q Branch” scene in every James Bond movie is the best way to describe this experience. For a quick glimpse, check this out or visit our dedicated Facebook page.

DAY TWO consists of pre-flight instruction and certification. After successful completion of this phase, “students” gear up, head out to the water shore, and jump into a Super Aviator cockpit to experience hands-on underwater flight.

Guests who have already booked this event are bringing video crews with them – including underwater photographers. If you qualify and would like to reserve your underwater flight discovery experience with us, email us at: openwater@clercwatches.wpengine.com or catch us on Twitter or Facebook. Seats are extremely limited – we will do our best to accommodate as many guest as we can. Thank you for your understanding.

CLERC is defining a new extreme luxury category, and opening a new era in the history of human exploration machines. You may not have ridden on the first train, on flown on the first airplane, or sat inside the first space mission rocket. But now thanks to CLERC, you might very well be among the few chosen human beings to have experienced underwater flight up close and personal in 2015!

Diving for CLERC: Meet Professional Underwater Photographer Chris Leidy

They work during day or night, and spend their lives changing time zones using boats or airplanes. They travel to the most exotic and challenging dive sites on earth. They’re more at home 100 feet under water than anywhere on land – except maybe for the local hotspot bars – and they can carry, fix and field-strip and reassemble video equipment faster than the most seasoned TV war correspondent.

They’re super tough, infinitely persistent, resourceful, and consummate professional divers. But most importantly, they’re passionate. Passionate about the oceans, passionate about sea life, and passionate about getting the right shot or film no matter what it takes.

These rare and talented CLERC Professional Underwater Photographers are the amazing folks who help us deliver unique underwater content to the world on a regular basis. They don’t run the streets. They’re difficult to find – it’s a very small community. Word of mouth matters. And because of this, they’re also booked most of the year. Most of them have packed agendas many months ahead.

Meet professional underwater photographer Chris Leidy. Aka: “TRUE TACK” – His motto: Move in truth against the winds of life. We like it 🙂

Chris travels the world connecting with people through the language of his photographs. Throughout his long career, he’s been to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Micronesia, Vanuatu, Coco’s Islands, Sumatra, Tonga, and the Solomon Islands, to name a few. Never one to follow guidebooks, he lets fate define his experience while experiencing different cultures and settings. Chris will often spend months in a given location – sometimes in draconian conditions – while he absorbs the local culture and fauna through his lenses.

He is a master at conquering his fear and makes an art form of living on the edge. These difficult and dangerous locations give him solace and allow him to re-connect with his soul.

In the ocean, in its mysterious and unpredictable depths, among the landscapes and creatures that he encounters is where he snaps his extraordinary photographs, bearing testimony for the rest of us. Chris consistently attracts the attention of art collectors, ocean enthusiasts, and photography buffs who often bid on his works. Several months ago, he attracted the eye of CLERC CEO Gérald Clerc, who was then able to track him down and sign him on as one of our official CLERC underwater photographers.

IMG_0132Chris embodies the values of our brand: courage, curiosity, an insatiable appetite for exploration, discovery, and pushing the boundaries. That, and the ability to thrive in the most extreme conditions of life. That’s why he likes to wear one of many CLERC Hydroscaphs from his multi-series collection (Central Chronographs and H1) on his underwater missions.

Chris is the grandson of renowned designer Lilly Pulitzer and great-grandson of Joseph Pulitzer, but namesake aside, he has clearly established his own legacy. His work has been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions across the country including a prominent place in the Elle Décor Show House at Miami’s Art Basel. Chris’ photos have been featured in major publications including Wall Street Journal, Forbes, House Beautiful, Architectural Digest, Ocean Home, Conde Nast Traveler, and Domino Magazine, to name a few.

See Chris Leidy’s work on our CLERC Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts. And visit his website or his Instagram account to learn more about the man and his work. Here are some of his most celebrated shots: