In the run-up to Watches and Wonders, a new crop of emergent independents is making its debut. But even within a crowded field, the Cleguer Inspiration One manages to stand out with an ambitious proprietary escapement and clever construction. It’s a promising start for founder Mathieu Cleguer, an engineer who’s had a hand in developing several calibres for well-known independent brands.

Initial thoughts

The artisanal, highly finished time-only watch is a well-worn trope among independents, but occasionally one breaks from the pattern. The Inspiration One from Cleguer Horology is one such watch. Mathieu Cleguer is an industry veteran who has worked as a movement construction consultant and now produces watches under his own name.

The opening salvo in what is planned to be a larger ‘Inspiration’ series designed to explore alternative escapements, the Inspiration One is built around the so-called innate escapement, a fresh twist on Breguet’s natural escapement.

The system is Mathieu Cleguer’s own design, and from initial analysis it exhibits a surprising degree of ingenuity and is original in its execution.

Discreet signature on the interior bezel.

The open design — an off-centre dial with exposed escapement — is a familiar arrangement among independents, but the delicacy of the components gives it a refined quality. The 38.5 mm case is well-proportioned, though the 12 mm height borders on tall.

While there’s room to develop a more cohesive design language going forward, particularly in consolidating the elements on the dial, there are some promising details. The logo, for example, is a reference to Cleguer’s native Brittany, where this Blason de Bretagne motif is part of the region’s cultural identity.

The initial souscription series of 12 pieces was cased in titanium, and is already sold out with deliveries planned for late 2026. Cleguer will then produce 48 pieces in a range of precious metals, along with capacity for 20 unique commissions. In precious metal, the Inspiration One is priced at CHF95,300 — somewhat high for a time-only watch, but a good value considering the intellectual value of the proprietary escapement.

The innate escapement

In keeping an in-depth analysis of the innate escapement for a future story, we can still stick to the basics and discuss a few core traits of this novel system.

Glimpses of the innate escapement

Mathieu Cleguer cites both the Breguet natural and the Fasoldt chronometer escapements as inspirations behind his design. The mirrored double-escape wheel system is clearly a descendant of the Breguet concept, while the imparting of impulse is tangentially done through a multi-functional lever — much like in Charles Fasoldt’s chronometer.

The system has a number of subtleties, but it can be best described as a a double-wheel, indirect-tangential impulse escapement. The same description applies to the Rolex Dynapulse too — making Cleguer’s innate escapement functionally identical to the Rolex’s advanced mechanism.

That said, the execution of Cleguer’s innate escapement is very different from that of the high-tech Dynapulse, as the artisanal watchmaker resorted to a quintessentially traditional construction, with steel chronometer-like escape wheels and ruby impulse and locking stones. The innate escapement is rather clever in several ways, and will be the subject of an in-depth future story.

Solid engineering and solid finishing

Powering the Inspiration One is the appropriately named calibre I1, a carefully finished movement that is also well-engineered. The open architecture is now a familiar choice among independents, minimising the dial’s footprint while exposing as much of the mechanics as possible.

The Inspiration One is decidedly openworked, with a small off-centre dial positioned at roughly 2:30. Against the champlevé grand feu enamel, two stubby hand-finished hands repeat the Blason de Bretagne motif featured in the logo.

In contrast, the long and slender central seconds hand ticks in deliberate steps toward the chronometrically oriented escapement, which beats at a classical 2.5 Hz.

The dial side is deliberately asymmetric: part of the barrel drum is visible behind the small dial, while the exposed balance wheel floats in isolation at 7:30. A small power reserve indicator peers from beneath the barrel, adding to the movement’s strongly layered construction.

The oscillator is slow-beating but extremely well-crafted, being free-sprung and paired to a blued Breguet overcoil hairspring. All in all, it’s a worthy oscillator for the innate escapement, which sits largely hidden underneath.

The movement is equally impressive on the case back-side, starting with the large barrel click-wheel, which directly incorporates a Maltese cross stop-work. Mr Cleguer argues that only the chronometric portion of the reserve should be used — a philosophy shared by makers such as Roger Smith and Charles Frodsham, which also limit the power reserve to 36 hours to encourage a habit of daily winding.

The Inspiration One is richly finished, as the pricing demands. The predominant technique is soft graining, with the movement’s layered architecture creating a pleasing play of textures. Steel components are mirror polished throughout, with rounded bevels applied wherever the geometry allows.

The click wheel receives particular attention, combining solarisation with sharply bevelled and polished ratchet teeth. The driving wheels of the innate escapement are held in place by a black-polished steel bridge — a construction that brings constant motion to the rear of the calibre.

Key facts and price

Cleguer Horology Inspiration One
Ref. I1

Diameter: 38.5 mm
Height: 12 mm
Material: Souscription in titanium; choice of precious metals available for future series
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m

Movement: I1
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds power reserve and innate escapement
Winding: Manual
Frequency: 18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 36 hours

Strap: Leather strap with matching buckle

Limited edition: Yes, 12-piece souscription sold-out; total production of 80 pieces.
Availability: Directly from Cleguer.
Price: CHF95,300 excluding taxes

For more information, visit cleguer.com.