Place your bets, nothing else goes! Fans of roulette know this phrase by heart. Watch enthusiasts as well, no doubt, the casino seeming to be a regular source of inspiration for some brands.
So, for those who do not feel like trying their luck at the slot machine, here are some solutions to hit the jackpot thanks to your look. Discover some of the most beautiful watches inspired by the world of the casino.
Byrne Gyro Dial, the watch with four faces
Here is a brand that has made a remarkable entrance into Swiss watchmaking! Revealed in 2022 at the Geneva Watch Days, the young house founded by John Byrne has caught the eye of many enthusiasts thanks to an apparently simple yet very innovative concept: the watch with 4 faces.
Byrne even talks about a “world first” for his Gyro Dial, whose mechanical movement changes the dial’s design. Here, 4 cubes located at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o’clock rotate each day to display a new symbol. And to feel like at a casino, Byrne chose symbols of playing cards or “7” numbers worthy of slot machines, depending on the watch chosen.
Driven by a specific Swiss automatic movement LTM 5555, this Gyro Dial offered at 19,000 euros is undoubtedly far from done surprising us!
Perrelet Turbine Poker Royal Flush: a watch that keeps its cards close to its chest
Founded in 1777, Perrelet manufacture regularly claims “boundless imagination and a pioneering spirit”. Far from being empty words, these strengths have been embodied since 2009 by the Turbine technology that powers its watches.
The dial is thus topped by 12 blades made of black anodised aluminium, under which are fixed five tungsten counterweights. This process allows the blades to engage with every wrist movement, more or less quickly, revealing the pattern that adorns the dial.
For this aptly named Turbine Poker Royal Flush, Perrelet has designed a set of 12 cards. Fans of the genre will be delighted to learn that they have been fortunate as there are two royal flushes and a pair of 7s to be found.
Further references to the casino can be seen on this watch that is limited to 99 pieces, symbolized by the four colors on the railroad. Otherwise, the features characteristic of the Perrelet collections are present, with the iconic “P” adorned crown and the finely decorated oscillating weight of the movement, visible through the transparent back of the case.
Christophe Claret All In Blue: Blue Carpet!
Christophe Claret appears to be a true casino enthusiast! The number of models inspired by poker or roulette are ample proof. In 2014, for instance, the Swiss brand unveiled the incredible Poker watch, whose mechanical movement allows up to 3 players to play “for real”, with nearly 33,000 possible combinations of Texas Hold’em!
Closer to us, in 2020, Christophe Claret reinterpreted his iconic model with a limited edition of 12 pieces all equally exceptional. Named All In Blue, this version continues the functioning of the Poker, but this time presents a completely blue game mat, with an always fascinating 3D effect. Once again, the 3 players can discover their cards through a “blind” without revealing them to their opponents. It is then simply a matter of activating the push-buttons located on the case for the game to proceed normally.
As if that were not enough, Christophe Claret’s Poker is almost as impressive on the back: the transparent case back allows one to admire a genuine game of roulette animated by the oscillating mass of the movement! A jewel of precision and inventiveness, composed of 655 pieces, which raises the price of this watch to around 170,000 euros.
Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon: a one-armed bandit on the wrist
Before certain watchmakers took an interest in poker and roulette, Girard Perregaux offered as early as 2007 to a few lucky individuals the ability to tell the time while trying to hit the jackpot!
With the Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, the movement that brings the hands to life stages not only a superb tourbillon at 6 o’clock, but also an authentic slot machine mechanism at 12 o’clock. Like in the casino, all you need to do is operate the lever on the side of the case to try to align 3 identical symbols. 125 combinations are possible, but only one (the 3 bells) allows the jackpot bell to ring.
502 components are needed to animate this exceptional GPFAY08 Jackpot Tourbillon caliber, with 96h of power reserve. Initially offered with a 43 mm rose gold case, this watch has also been produced in white gold. But just like in the casino (again!), only a handful of chosen ones can proudly wear this watch on their wrist today!
Jacob & Co Casino Tourbillon: the most beautiful of all?
Finally, how can we talk about watches inspired by casinos without mentioning one of the most spectacular models in recent years? Unveiled on the sidelines of Geneva Watch Week 2023, the Casino Tourbillon allowed Jacob & Co to Follow up on its Astronomia Casino, which had already made a lot of headlines in 2019.
This time, 101 copies of this timepiece have been produced, with a price set at 280,000 dollars (about 250,000€). At the heart of the 44 mm rose gold case devoid of crown, the black onyx dial is traversed by two hands and “classic” gold indices. But when you press the push-button located at 8 o’clock, another spectacle unfolds before our eyes: the roulette wheel goes into action and the white ceramic ball jumps from square to square until you hit the jackpot (or not).
Already fascinating on the front, this Casino Tourbillon is almost as much so on the back: Jacob & Co has indeed chosen to reveal its tourbillon movement on the back, the manually-wound caliber JCAM51, some of whose elements recall the visual of the roulette.
You will have understood, it is often luxury watchmaking that draws inspiration from the hushed world of casinos to give birth to exceptional timepieces. Over the past few years, brands like Bell & Ross and Franck Muller have also let their fondness for gambling speak. And given the watches on offer each time, we keep asking for more!