Regulated Chance: Five Spectacular Gambling-Inspired Watches

Almost nothing, in the finely regulated world of watchmaking, is left up to chance. Every size, every ratio, every measurement — down to the very shape of the gear teeth themselves — is carefully calculated. It might come as a surprise, then, to see the level of intimacy between this world and that of gambling. What can a study of precision and perfection have to do with an industry founded on chance? What do the spin of a balance wheel and the spin of roulette wheel share? Simple: the same intoxicating rush. 

In their points of intersection, gambling and watchmaking have produced fantastic works of art. Inspired by the casino, watches are pushed to their mechanical and aesthetic limits as they take pure harmony and transform it back into entropy. Pure chance. Here are five of the greatest casino-inspired watches ever made, truly worthy of this outstanding legacy.

Christophe Claret Blackjack 21 

As the first of a gambling-inspired trilogy created by complications master Christophe Claret, the Blackjack 21 was inspired by an early 20th-century mechanical box. This box, rather simply, spun a pair of discs and randomly stopped them to emulate two dice. The same principle now finds voice in Claret’s exceptional timepiece, but scaled dramatically the level of a full deck of cards. Built into the caliber BLJ08 are discs printed with miniature cards, randomly distributed to the player and to the “dealer”, which is the watch itself. Using the pushers in the caseband, the owner is able to play a fully self-contained game of blackjack against their watch. Perhaps one might even gamble a bit of money into the watch fund for wins and losses.

The Blackjack 21 is, however, more than just a simulation of one card game. As a comprehensive gambling piece, its 45mm frame also features two more gambling essentials: a roulette wheel and a pair of dice. The dice are fully real here, just exceptionally miniaturized, and are located behind a pane of sapphire glass in the caseband. A simple shake of the watch is enough to roll them and allow the owner to see the results. Herein are many uses, not least of which is the simple game of craps. The roulette wheel is found through the exhibition caseback as, in effect, a modified automatic winding rotor. Like the dice, a shake of the watch causes this wheel rotor to spin rapidly, not only rewinding the watch’s twin barrels but also causing it to come to a stop at a specific number, indicated by an arrow. Note finally that these two aforementioned barrels provide the Blackjack 21 with a whopping 72-hour power reserve, ensuring it’s as diligent of a timekeeper as it is a casino companion.

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon 

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, despite its name, was released in 2007 and represents the pinnacle of 2000s watch design: big, bold, and charmingly unique. The star of this show is the fully functioning horological slot machine, actuated by the pull of a lever along the right side of the case. As soon as this lever has been used, the three rotating drums located at 12:00 begin to spin rapidly, before each coming to an abrupt stop on one of the slot machine symbols with an accompanying ding. Each drum has been hollowed out before receiving five symbols applied in lacquer, which creates a total of 125 combinations. Even the choice of symbols was far from random but rather modelled off those used in the first mechanical slot machine, the famous “Liberty Bell” of the late 1800s. 

The jackpot here is represented by three bells, which is, of course, a 1-in-125 chance. Powered by Girard-Perregaux’s in-house GPFAY08 caliber, this model is hand-wound and beats at 3 Hz with a minimum power reserve of 96 hours, or four days. Its slot-machine function is made possible by a unique rack that starts the drums when it reaches its highest point — when the lever arm is fully depressed — and then slowly begins to slide back down its track. When it reaches two-thirds of the way down, it triggers stoppers that one by one stop the drums and activate the striking mechanism for each, causing that lovely ding to play.

Apart from its playful gambling-themed feature, the Jackpot Tourbillon is also a lovely timepiece. Its case frame, which is GP’s rectangular Vintage 1945 style, is very attractive and crafted from 18-karat pink gold. It also features an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and 30 meters of water resistance. The only drawback? A large case: 43mm x 43.95mm, with a whopping 63mm lug-to-lug. It certainly takes some guts to pull this one off.

Christophe Claret Baccarat 

As the second installment in Claret’s gambling trilogy, the Baccarat is like its predecessor in very many ways. It still features the same game of dice and a roulette wheel, but the main show has received a tremendous upgrade. From a simple game of blackjack, the Baccarat has now reached the high level of… well, baccarat.

For the uninitiated, baccarat is played as a duel between the player and the banker, with both parties able to bet on which hand will get closer to a total of nine. Two cards are dealt to each and revealed to everyone; then, based on the score at this point, an additional card may be drawn.

Christophe Claret’s version of this game functions in a very similar way, with the player’s cards shown at 6 o’clock in three windows and the banker’s cards at 12 o’clock. The pusher at 9 o’clock shuffles the cards, the pusher at 8 o’clock distributes to players, and that at 10 o’clock distributes to the bank. In appearance, nothing could be simpler, but this mechanically powered game of chance is indeed tremendously complex.

Apart from its complications, the Baccarat is also an extremely attractive timepiece. It features, for one, Claret’s unique multi-level hands, which feature PVD-coated metal with a synthetic gem backing. He’s also included a cathedral gong to accompany the sound of dealing cards, turning his little baccarat world into a true sensorial experience. Like the Blackjack 21, the Baccarat features an ample 45mm case and is 15.92mm thick. Unlike the Blackjack, it includes a peculiar new feature: breathing on the sapphire crystal will reveal a hidden image of a pin-up girl. As if anything more were needed to grant this watch a thorough Vegas atmosphere!

Jacob & Co Casino Tourbillon 

Renowned watchmaker and jeweler Jacob & Co. has taken the idea of a roulette wheel to a whole new level. Rather than pairing it with something that would already be spinning — like Christophe Claret’s automatic winding wheel — Jacob & Co. created a fully powered roulette wheel that spins entirely independently of any wearer movement. Activated by a pusher on the caseband, this wheel immediately begins to rotate rapidly with a loose roulette ball on the inside, twirling over high-efficiency ball bearings until it eventually slows and comes to a stop.

This mechanism is amply powered by Jacob & Co.’s caliber JCAM51, which is hand-wound and has a 72-hour power reserve. Notably, it’s regulated by a flying tourbillon visible through the caseback side of the watch. Its 44mm case brings it in at just a hair smaller than the Christophe Clarets, although its large roulette wheel makes it taller at 16.30mm. Like the others, it features just 30 meters of water resistance. You’ll have to look elsewhere for your underwater gambling needs.

Christophe Claret Poker 

The pinnacle of Christophe Claret’s gambling series and perhaps the greatest gambling watch ever made is this: the superb Poker, which mechanically simulates a full game of Texas Hold ’Em with up to three real players. Those without friends may also play against the watch itself. Powered by the PCK05 automatic movement, it functions similarly to the Baccarat and Blackjack 21 in making use of spinning discs to randomly distribute cards, but operates on an entirely new level of complexity.

In traditional Texas Hold ’Em fashion, the watch first distributes three, then one, then one card into the middle, as well as providing each player with a hand of two cards — hidden behind a privacy shutter. Apart from the poker game, this model does retain the roulette-wheel automatic rotor but does not include the game of dice. Like the Baccarat, breathing on the crystal will reveal a “pin-up” girl. Released in January 2014, it also stars the classic Christophe Claret hands and is built around the same 45mm case, keeping time with a 72-hour power reserve.

Conclusion 

Horology draws its inspiration from many wells, but that of gambling is certainly among its sweetest sources. Uniting chance and precision is indeed a difficult game, but one that achieves superb results when it’s designed under the hand of a master watchmaker. From slot machines to roulette wheels, gambling’s iconic symbols have led to the creation of equally iconic timepieces. Many of these I wouldn’t mind in the least losing some money on.