French-born watchmaker Christophe Claret has produced yet another work of art. And this week, the Baselworld booth is his personal gallery.

Christophe Claret is all about the fantasy of watchmaking. For him, the telling of time is almost secondary – not to diminish the quality of Christophe Claret’s movements in any way. But even great movements can come in second place when the design resembles more a work of art than a traditional timepiece.

And Christophe himself is aware of his artistic talents. And he’s not shy about it:

“You might call me the Van Gogh of horology."

You might have heard that coming from the Christophe Claret booth at Baselworld from the man himself. But he’s not too far off, either.

The brand’s new ladies timepiece/artwork – the Marguerite – is case in point. Clothed in emerald green, the watch reveals the phrase “Il m’aime passionnément” (He loves me passionately) at the press of the pusher at 2 o’clock. And if love is not your thing, the message can also be personalized on the brand’s website. Romantic and practical.