Some anniversaries invite reflection on the path travelled. Others remind us of the enduring strength of an origin.

The thirtieth anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier belongs to the latter. It does not merely celebrate the founding of an independent watchmaking Maison. It honours the work of a man who dedicated his life to understanding time, before seeking to create it.

Michel Parmigiani has never approached watchmaking as a realm of appearances. He approached it from within: through restoration, through listening to historic objects, through the patience of the hand, and through a profound respect for what previous generations had conceived, transmitted, and at times left unspoken.

From him, restoration has never meant looking at the past with nostalgia. Restoration meant learning. Deciphering. Understanding the intelligence of an architecture, the logic of a movement, the memory held within the hand. It meant discovering, within every object entrusted to his gaze, not only beauty, but thought.

Parmigiani Fleurier was born from this conviction.

For thirty years, the Maison has carried within it a rare form of purpose: to create from profound knowledge, to innovate without rupture, to bring contemporary expression into dialogue with memory. What Michel Parmigiani has built extends far beyond a collection of timepieces. It is a culture. A discipline of observation. A way of bringing together the hand, the mind, mechanics and time itself.

Created to mark its thirtieth anniversary, the Carillon Tourbillon, stands among the most personal expressions of this legacy. It gives voice to what has animated Parmigiani Fleurier since the beginning: restoration as a source of invention, complication as a language of culture, haute horlogerie as a work of transmission.

Within this timepiece resides the memory of historic watches, the intelligence of chiming mechanisms, the patience of the ateliers, the precision of the constructors, the knowledge of the artisans, and the endless pursuit of balance that has always guided Michel Parmigiani. Nothing here is gratuitous. Everything is considered, constructed, attuned.

Through the Carillon Tourbillon, we do more than unveil an exceptional creation. We pay tribute to a life’s work, to a fidelity to craft, to research and to transmission. We acknowledge what Michel Parmigiani has given this Maison: an exacting standard, a conscience.

Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier continues to move forward guided by this legacy. With gratitude, with respect, and with the responsibility to carry forward what has been entrusted to us.

For Michel Parmigiani’s legacy belongs not only to the Maison’s history. It continues to guide its future.

Guido Terreni

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER 30 YEARS OF HISTORY

THE MAISON’S SOUND SIGNATURE

For its 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier unveils a creation that does more than mark a milestone. It reveals an essential part of its history, its culture, and its singular way of conceiving haute horlogerie.

With the Carillon Tourbillon, the Maison opens one of its most intimate realms: that of sounding time. A place where restoration, mechanical memory, and attentive dialogue with materials and contemporary invention converge.

This atelier piece, limited to five examples, is born of a conviction that has accompanied Parmigiani Fleurier since its origins: before creating, one must understand. Understand historic objects, their architecture, their energy, their inner logic. Understand what time has deposited within them, then transform that knowledge into a contemporary expression.

Inspired by an early nineteenth-century Perrin Frères pocket watch, from the Sandoz Collection, restored in the ateliers of Parmigiani Fleurier in 2000, the Carillon Tourbillon does not reproduce a form from the past. It carries forward an intelligence: that of sound, gesture, balance and horological construction.

Entirely conceived, developed, constructed, assembled and finished within the Maison, it bears the vision of Michel Parmigiani and the savoir-faire of the watchmakers, constructors, artisans and finishers of the Manufacture.

The Carillon Tourbillon is more than an anniversary piece. It is a way for Parmigiani Fleurier to reveal to the world what lies at the founding of its haute horlogerie: a creation born of restoration, nourished by transmission, constructed from within, and guided by an intimate pursuit of mechanical and aesthetic harmony.

PERRIN FRÈRES : FROM RESTORATION TO RESONANCE

At the origin of the Carillon Tourbillon lies a seminal piece: a pocket watch signed Perrin Frères, made in Neuchâtel in the early nineteenth century, from the Sandoz Collection, and restored in the workshops of Parmigiani Fleurier in 2000.

This historic masterpiece was not approached as a model to reproduce, but as a living object to understand. It carried within it a knowledge of sound, energy, balance and mechanical architecture, extending even to the serpentine presence of its gongs, an immediately recognisable formal signature that the Carillon Tourbillon reinterprets within a contemporary construction.

This lineage illuminates one of Parmigiani Fleurier’s deepest convictions: history is never a static archive. It is a source of creation.

UNDERSTANDING AS THE FIRST ACT OF CREATION

The Maison’s Founding Discipline

Understanding before drawing. Restoring before inventing. Listening to the inner logic of objects before proposing a new expression.

A restorer before becoming a creator, Michel Parmigiani shaped his perspective through close contact with historic timepieces, automata, clocks and chiming mechanisms.

From this practice emerged a singular way of thinking about watchmaking from within: through the hand, through memory, through the mechanical intelligence of objects.

The Carillon Tourbillon emerges directly from this lineage: that of a Maison that learned to create by first learning to understand. It expresses a vision of haute horlogerie in which complexity is never an effect, but a necessary architecture.

Michel Parmigiani remained closely involved throughout its development, working alongside the watchmakers and constructors, guiding, refining and transmitting a vision of mechanics as an architecture that is legible, enduring and profoundly mastered.

This piece does not merely bear the signature of the Maison. It is the expression of its most intimate culture.

FROM TOWER TO WRIST: THE INTIMACY OF SOUNDING TIME

From medieval bell towers to the great chiming watches, the carillon belongs to a singular history: that of time made audible.

Once, it gave rhythm to the life of the city. Reimagined within the intimate space of a timepiece, it becomes a personal experience. The tradition of the carillon reminds us that sound is never a mere effect: it carries memory, gesture, continuity.

In the Carillon Tourbillon, this culture of sound leaves the public realm to inhabit the space of the wrist. Time no longer imposes itself. It reveals itself, on demand, through the vibration of a miniature architecture.

The Carillon Tourbillon is unmistakably a Parmigiani Fleurier creation of today. Its language neither looks to the past with nostalgia nor seeks demonstrative effect. It expresses its modernity through the clarity of its construction and through its relationship with volume, transparency and light.

The redesigned white gold case, the vertical gadroons inspired by the classical columns so dear to Michel Parmigiani, the glass box sapphire crystal, the visible hammers on the dial side and the hand-hammered Morning Blue dial; the aesthetic signature of the thirtieth anniversary places the piece firmly within a contemporary expression. One of its most recognisable gestures lies in its four serpentine gongs. Directly inspired by the Perrin Frères pocket watch restored by Parmigiani Fleurier, their long undulating curves embrace the architecture of the Carillon Tourbillon, giving it its visual identity, structuring space and marking the reading of the hours.

Here, acoustics become form.

Between silver and azure, the Morning Blue dial enters into dialogue with this architecture without ever dominating it. Its deliberately restrained proportions free the space required for the presence of the hammers and the unfolding of the gongs.

Here, mechanics do not add themselves to form: they structure it.

Yet within this contemporary presence remains a profound memory: that of gesture, of sound, of restored objects, and of the watchmakers who conceived of time as a living material.

The Carillon Tourbillon embodies a rare tension: a contemporary creation, shaped by the intelligence of the past

VIRTUOSITY HELD IN RESERVE

The piece also expresses a distinctly Parmigiani Fleurier philosophy of visibility.

The tourbillon and the power-reserve indicator are positioned on the reverse of the watch, where the movement opens fully to the eye. On the dial side, the reading remains clear, balanced, almost silent.

Virtuosity does not seek immediate effect. It reveals itself through depth, through observation, through use, through time spent with the object.

This restraint does not diminish the chiming complication. It stages it with precision.

On the dial side, the hammers are visible in both their function and in their mechanical choreography. They reveal the very instant in which time is about to become sound.

Around them, the serpentine gongs envelop the piece like memory turned into architecture. Their presence introduces an almost musical tension between silence and release, between anticipation and vibration.

A CALIBRE TUNED FOR RESONANCE

The calibre is a true demonstration of craftsmanship, composed of 456 components meticulously assembled by hand. Its construction is based on a highly sophisticated mechanical architecture built around two superimposed barrels, ensuring the transmission of power through the gear train and guaranteeing an exceptional 12-day power reserve, a rarity in a timepiece incorporating a chiming complication.

The third barrel, dedicated to the striking mechanism, is automatically rewound when the striking slide is activated, and only when the minute repeater is engaged.

The construction of the calibre has also been conceived to make the mechanics fully legible in motion. The components related to the striking mechanism are positioned on the case back side, offering the eye a view of the mechanism unfolding at the very moment when it transforms time into sound. The open architecture reveals the inner logic of the complication: the circulation of energy, the cadence of the hammers, the vibration of the gongs.

The mechanism incorporates a regulating flywheel, ensuring a constant flow of energy and a perfectly regular cadence. This essential component provides a fluid chime, without acceleration or slowing, for an acoustic experience mastered from the first strike to the last.

In the Carillon Tourbillon, the movement is therefore not only a motor. It becomes an instrument. It measures, it stores, it releases, it regulates, it gives sound to time.

A MELODY IN FOUR NOTES

The four gongs compose a complete and nuanced chime:

one low-pitched gong for the hours one high-pitched gong for the minutes two additional gongs, each with its own note, for the quarters

Together, they create a four-note melody – distinctive, harmonious and immediately recognisable.

The striking mechanism is equipped with an integrated regulating flywheel, ensuring a constant flow of energy and a perfectly regular cadence.

This essential component guarantees a fluid chime, free from acceleration or slowing, for an acoustic experience that remains controlled from the first strike to the last.

A CASE BUILT FOR RESONANCE

The white gold case extends the lineage of the Armoriale, with its vertical gadroons inspired by the classical columns so dear to Michel Parmigiani.

This choice continues an acoustic sensibility deeply rooted in his approach to haute horlogerie: in a chiming timepiece, the case does more than house the movement; it contributes to the transmission of sound — its density, clarity and resonance.

White gold offers here a controlled resonance, in harmony with the spirit of the Carillon Tourbillon.

Reimagining this architecture to accommodate a dial, a tourbillon and a carillon striking mechanism transforms the aesthetic language of the Armoriale into a complete horological construction.

Integrated into the case band, the striking slide calls for a gesture that is simple, direct and almost ceremonial.

MADE FOR TRANSMISSION

Produced in only five examples, the Carillon Tourbillon belongs to a different temporality from that of novelty.

Its rarity is not a launch statement. It is the natural consequence of a creation that demands time, hands, attentive listening and an almost confidential mastery.

This piece is conceived for transmission, for collections that look beyond the instant, for those who recognise in a horological creation not only an achievement but a culture.

With the Carillon Tourbillon, Parmigiani Fleurier does more than celebrate thirty years of existence. The Maison reveals one of the deeper sources of its creative philosophy: a vision of haute horlogerie born of restoration, nourished by transmission, constructed from within, and capable of transforming complication into culture.

Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier’s voice in time continues to resonate.

THE SERPENTINE SIGNATURE

The four serpentine gongs constitute one of the most recognisable signatures of the Carillon Tourbillon. Visible beneath the glass box sapphire crystal, they trace long undulating curves that envelop the piece and give the acoustic architecture its singular presence.

This form derives directly from an element observed on the Perrin Frères pocket watch restored by Parmigiani Fleurier. Reinterpreted within a contemporary creation, it becomes more than a historical recollection: it becomes a principle of construction, at once acoustic, aesthetic and spatial.

The serpentine curves accompany the reading of the hours and inscribe sound within the very form of the watch. They lend the chiming mechanism a fluid, almost organic presence, perceptible even in silence.

Here, the gong is not merely an acoustic component. It becomes sign, structure and memory.

MAKING RESONANCE VISIBLE

The movement, too, becomes a field of expression.

Its components are adorned with the mezzo vibrato decoration, a language previously explored by Parmigiani Fleurier on the dial of the Armoriale, the Maison’s emblematic Objet d’Art and now transposed into the very heart of the movement.

Executed entirely by hand by the engravers, surface after surface, this slow and demanding work brings the material to life.

Here, the gesture leaves the surface of the dial to enter the mechanical architecture itself. It acts as a visual resonance of the chiming mechanism: what the carillon makes heard, the mezzo vibrato makes visible.

MORNING BLUE, HAMMERED INTO LIGHT

The Morning Blue dial, crafted in hand-hammered white gold, extends this dialogue between material, light and vibration.

Between silver and azure, the Morning Blue tone engages with the metal without ever concealing it.

This hammered texture forms one of the defining aesthetic signatures of Parmigiani Fleurier’s thirtieth anniversary, in continuity with the Toric Anniversary creations.

It expresses a shared idea of the hand: a living gesture, never standardised, through which each surface carries its own subtle variation.

The post OBJETS D’ART COLLECTION CARILLON TOURBILLON THE SOUND OF THIRTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENT HIGH-HORLOGERIE appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

For over three decades, Parmigiani Fleurier has shaped a singular vision of watchmaking: one rooted in the intimate study of historical masterpieces and expressed through inventions that have left a lasting mark on the industry.

Michel Parmigiani devoted much of his life to restoring some of the most complex horological creations ever conceived. Each restoration – disassembling, analysing, rebuilding – became an act of understanding. Beneath the surface of grand complications, he sought the inner logic: the constraints that shaped them, the ingenuity that liberated them. This culture was never about preservation alone. It was about exploring what remained possible.

Since 2022, the Maison has articulated a distinctive signature: complications that reveal themselves only when called upon.

Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante. Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante. And now, Tonda PF Chronograph Mystérieux.

Three World Premieres in four years. A coherent trajectory. Here, complication does not assert itself permanently. It appears on demand, then withdraws restoring the purity of the dial.
This is not an aesthetic gesture. It is a philosophy. Mechanics are placed at the service of experience, and experience honours the hierarchy of time.

On its 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier applies this vision to one of the most codified mechanisms in watchmaking: the chronograph.

VISION BEFORE MECHANICS

The project was never conceived as the simple addition of a chronograph to the collection. It began with a more essential inquiry: how can a historically demonstrative function be reconciled with an architecture founded upon purity, balance, and the primacy of civil time?

Traditionally, the chronograph fragments the dial. Sub-dials multiply. Permanent counters assert themselves. Visual signals accumulate. Yet within the Tonda PF universe, legibility remains sovereign, and formal restraint is not negotiable. Here, the function must exist only when it is called upon. No existing construction permitted such an absolute alternation between deployment and disappearance.

The PF053 calibre was therefore conceived exclusively for this creation, structured around an unprecedented kinematic principle that enables the complete disappearance of chronograph indications at rest, restoring the dial to the serene expression of civil time.

Designing an integrated chronograph already demands considerable mastery. Rethinking it at the level of its logic of appearance requires an even deeper command: precise control of inertia, flawless synchronisation, calibrated energy management, and a form of mechanical memory capable of orchestrating invisibility without compromise.

Such capability cannot be improvised. It is cultivated. At Parmigiani Fleurier, invention is not episodic: it is a sustained programme. A dialogue between intelligence and emotion, where mechanical excellence serves an experience defined by quiet elegance.

A REINVENTED READING OF THE CHRONOGRAPH

At rest, the timepiece presents itself as a three-hand Tonda PF. Visual silence. Balance. Clarity. The dial reveals nothing that is to come. Then comes the first press of the monopusher integrated into the case at 7:30; one of the most demanding configurations in chronograph architecture. One command. One gesture. Three perfectly orchestrated sequences.

First press: deployment
The three rhodium-plated chronograph hands execute an instantaneous flyback: reset, immediate start, perfect synchronisation. From civil time display, they become chronograph hands. Simultaneously, the rose gold hour and minute hands indicating civil time appear. The dual display organises itself without conflict.
Measurement unfolds at large scale, liberated from traditional sub-dials. The chronograph no longer resides at the periphery. It fully inhabits the dial.

Second press: stop
The reading becomes immediate: hours, minutes, seconds. Without fragmentation. Without hierarchical confusion.

Third press: withdrawal
The final gesture is not merely a return to noon. The rhodium-plated hands align precisely with the rose gold hands of current time. The seconds hand resumes its natural course.
The complication disappears. The dial returns to its original purity.
A single hand performs the dual function of civil seconds and chronograph seconds. Complexity remains invisible.
At Parmigiani Fleurier, discretion is not an aesthetic posture. It is the consequence of mastery.

A MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT OF AUTHORITY
The integrated chronograph remains one of the most demanding constructions in traditional watchmaking. Few contemporary manufactures fully command its architecture.

The PF053 manufacture calibre was developed as an autonomous structure, conceived from the outset around a kinematic logic of disappearance. Each interaction requires instantaneous precision and absolute coordination.

This new integrated chronograph manufacture movement with column wheel comprises 362 components and beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). Its thickness is 6.8 mm and its power reserve extends to 60 hours. It is finished and decorated according to Parmigiani Fleurier’s standards: a 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight alternating sandblasted and polished surfaces, open-worked satin-finished bridges with hand-bevelled angles. Structural rigour dialogues with artisanal execution.

The monopusher concentrates this complex architecture. Where most chronographs distribute functions across two separate pushers, Parmigiani Fleurier orchestrates the entire sequence through a single integrated point of action positioned on the case. Construction, energy management, mechanical transitions, everything converges towards one intention: ensuring that structural complexity serves clarity of use. Innovation resides at the kinematic level. It is there that contemporary watchmaking history is written.

A TRULY NEW CHRONOGRAPH ARCHITECTURE

Very few contemporary manufactures today can conceive a genuinely new chronograph architecture. The Tonda PF Chronograph Mystérieux does not simply reinterpret a design. It redefines the underlying structural logic. It reveals a Maison able to operate at the structural level of a historic complication, supported by the legitimacy of profound horological culture.

In the year of its 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier does not celebrate its past. It asserts its capability.

A watchmaking vision intended for cultivated aesthetes and discerning collectors who recognise the value of a watch that embodies mechanical genius, intelligence and discretion.

“The chronograph has long lived at the margins of the dial, confined within small technical counters. I wanted to offer something different: the full amplitude of the dial. Space. Presence.
In the Chronograph Mystérieux, measured time no longer hides within reduced sub-dials. It unfolds across the dial at large scale, fully deployed. Reading becomes immediate, natural — almost self-evident. You no longer search for information; it comes to you.

Yet behind this apparent simplicity lies an extraordinary level of mechanical intelligence. Everything has been conceived so that the function appears, lives, and then withdraws without ever disturbing the purity of the lines. This ability to emerge and disappear carries a form of mechanical magic — something truly singular in contemporary watchmaking.

I deeply believe that watchmaking must evoke emotion: a gesture that triggers an unexpected moment. Three hands that meet, then vanish. It is not merely a high complication; it is a living interaction. Purity is never acquired — it is a quest: the pursuit of a complexity so perfectly mastered that it ultimately disappears.”

Guido Terreni, Chief Executive Officer

The post WORLD PREMIERE 2026 TONDA PF CHRONOGRAPH MYSTÉRIEUX appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

As the warmer season reshapes the horizon, Parmigiani Fleurier introduces a new interpretation within the TONDA PF Sport collection: the TONDA PF Sport Chronograph Silver Verzasca.

A high-frequency automatic chronograph housed in a 42 mm steel case and powered by the COSC-certified manufacture calibre PF070, this creation brings together mechanical mastery and sporting elegance in a balance that is unmistakably Parmigiani Fleurier.

It bears all the attributes of an instrument conceived for performance. Its 5 Hz frequency ensures exceptionally precise measurement of short intervals. Yet where it might appear as a purely technical device, the TONDA PF Sport Chronograph reveals another dimension: a sports watch defined by discreet elegance, where mechanical intensity meets a refined and perfectly controlled aesthetic.

THE SPIRIT OF VERZASCA: A LANDSCAPE OF MINERAL LIGHT

Its name evokes Switzerland’s Verzasca Valley, a singular landscape where alpine mineral clarity meets light of rare purity. Between rugged relief and a gentle climate, the region reveals a natural harmony that feels almost architectural.

At its heart runs the Verzasca, a river famed for its crystalline waters. Flowing between granite rocks polished by millennia of erosion, it captures and reflects the shifting sunlight with remarkable intensity. A kind of Alpine Riviera: spectacular nature, understated elegance and a culture shaped by life outdoors.

Rather than attempting to reproduce this landscape, the watch translates its balance; an art of living where precision, movement and contemplation meet.

PF070: A HIGH-FREQUENCY MANUFACTURE CHRONOGRAPH

At the heart of the timepiece beats the PF070 calibre: an automatic integrated chronograph developed within the Fleurier manufacture and certified by COSC.

Equipped with a column wheel: the most refined system for chronograph control; it oscillates at 36,000 vibrations per hour (5 Hz) and ensures remarkable chronometric stability together with exceptionally fine time measurement. Its power reserve extends to 65 hours.

Composed of 288 components and 42 jewels, the movement reveals through the sapphire caseback a refined construction: openworked, satin-finished bridges, hand-executed bevelling and a skeletonised 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight, alternately polished and sandblasted.

THE DIAL: LIGHT SHAPED BY GEOMETRY

The dial features the Maison’s signature Clou triangulaire guilloché motif. This finely engraved micro-relief captures the light and transforms each movement of the wrist into a subtle play of reflections.

Against the silver-toned surface, Verzasca green accents structure the chronograph counters with clarity and evoke the mineral transparency of alpine waters.

The rhodium-plated 18-carat gold applied indices are set by hand and enhanced with a black luminescent coating to ensure legibility and contrast.

Skeletonised delta-shaped hands for hours and minutes extend the collection’s visual purity, while the chronograph and small seconds-hands introduce a discreet technical accent.

THE CASE: SCULPTED IN STEEL

The 42 mm case, crafted in polished and satin-finished stainless steel, is conceived as a study in proportion and precision. Satin surfaces interact with polished edges in a finely balanced alternation, revealing the tension of the lines and the clarity of the volumes.

The knurled bezel: an immediately recognisable Parmigiani Fleurier signature; captures reflections with rhythmic regularity and introduces a tactile dimension to the watch. Historically associated with functional instruments, this knurling enhances grip and subtly anchors the piece within the world of technical timekeeping.

The case middle naturally integrates the chronograph pushers, while the screw-down crown ensures water resistance to 100 metres.

THE RUBBER STRAP: CRAFT AND PERFORMANCE

The rubber strap reflects a thoughtful exploration of contemporary materials applied to traditional craftsmanship.

Its multi-layer construction draws inspiration from fine saddlery techniques: a rubber base coated with a textile-like surface; reinforced by a structural intermediate layer; and completed by an outer layer that provides depth and refinement.

Between these layers sits a tear-resistant technical membrane: borrowed from high-performance industries; ensuring long-term structural stability and durability.
This construction gives the strap its gently curved profile, allowing it to follow the natural contour of the wrist while offering a level of comfort rarely achieved in this category of sports watches.

DISCREET EXPRESSION OF PERFORMANCE

The TONDA PF Sport Chronograph Silver Verzasca embodies a demanding vision of the sports chronograph: a timekeeping instrument that never relinquishes its aesthetic ambition, and an object of style firmly grounded in mechanical excellence. It is conceived for those who view watchmaking not as ornament, but as a companion present in moments of effort as well as in quieter interludes; equally at ease on a mountain trail as at an exceptional dining table.

In the tradition of Michel Parmigiani, a master restorer of historic clocks before founding the Manufacture, each creation of the Maison is designed to endure and accompany generations.

“The TONDA PF Sport Chronograph Silver Verzasca expresses controlled power.
Its high frequency, integrated architecture and certified precision reflect uncompromising technical standards, while the design maintains an essential restraint.
We do not pursue spectacle; we seek balance — between performance and purity, between mechanical tension and aesthetic serenity.

This piece is intended for those who understand that true authority never imposes itself; it reveals itself through coherence and discretion.”

Guido Terreni, CEO, Parmigiani Fleurier

The post TONDA PF Sport Chronograph Stainless Steel – Silver Verzasca appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

This year, to honour his 75th birthday, the Maison unveils La Ravenale: a singular Objet d’Art where restoration, artistic craft, and mechanical purity converge.

This unique pocket watch is conceived as a dialogue between nature’s geometry and the highest expressions of horological savoir-faire. At its core lies a restored minute repeater calibre from the 1920s, a mechanical voice reborn through the Maison’s mastery of restoration.

A TRIBUTE TO THE ARCHITECTURE OF NATURE

The name derives from the Ravenala madagascariensis – Madagascar’s Traveller’s Palm – whose perfect fan symmetry follows the laws of the Golden Ratio and whose trunk gathers water to sustain wanderers in distant landscapes.

To Michel Parmigiani, these natural forms reveal an underlying order. This spirit informs the engraving that animates the case, dial, and bridges, as well as the opal-and-jade marquetry adorning the caseback, a composition that balances reflection and stillness, sky and earth.

The Lépine pocket-watch format, featuring a thinner, bridgeless movement, amplifies this artistic vocabulary. Its generous architecture offers clarity and space, allowing métiers d’art to unfold with full expressive depth: engraving, marquetry, and stonework breathing across surfaces shaped specifically for them.

THE VOICE OF A REBORN MINUTE REPEATER

More than a visual creation, La Ravenale is a timepiece that speaks. Its minute repeater – restored from a historical Ed. Koehn calibre – conveys time through sound, the most intimate form of mechanical expression. On demand, the watch strikes the hours, quarters, and minutes on two distinct tones: a low note for the hours, a high note for the minutes, and a blend of both for the quarters. Two precisely tuned gongs give the timepiece its acoustic identity, carefully refined to regain the clarity and balance of its original voice.

The Lépine construction naturally favours this sonic presence: the open internal architecture allows the chiming mechanism to resonate with greater purity, an essential characteristic for
a repeater.

For Michel Parmigiani, mechanical musicality embodies the soul of horology. Reviving a century-old chiming calibre restores not only its function, but the emotion it once carried.

PERPETUATING THROUGH RESTORATION

At the heart of La Ravenale is a historical chiming calibre from the workshops of Ed. Koehn, one of Geneva’s most discreet but esteemed maisons.

The ultra-thin movement – with central hours, minutes, and small seconds at 6 o’clock – has been revived through a process where time itself becomes material. Its bridges, engraved with
palm-inspired motifs, unite mechanical structure with natural geometry, turning precision into ornament.

Michel Parmigiani’s private reserve of antique movements, nearly thirty calibres gathered over decades, is the source of this mechanism. Each was safeguarded for the day it could
return to life; La Ravenale fulfils that long-held intention.

Restoration required intuition, patience, and an uncompromising respect for authenticity. With no spare components available, every original part was preserved. Jewels friction-set into the bridges and mainplate remain in place during engraving; anglage and découvertes are finished with traditional wooden- peg tools; historical calibration-marks were re-established by hand, renewing a dialogue that began a century ago.

The repeater mechanism remains discreetly integrated. Nothing on the dial reveals its presence; the slide activating the chiming sequence blends seamlessly into the case architecture. When engaged, the watch alternates low, high, and combined tones to express the hours, minutes, and quarters, respectively. Sound transmission has been carefully rebalanced, and the Lépine
construction enhances resonance by opening the internal volume and allowing vibrations to unfold with clarity.

THE DIALOGUE OF MATTER: OPAL AND JADE

The white-gold case reveals a double back adorned with opal-and- jade marquetry. Opal, delicate and ever-changing, demands exceptional precision as each fragment is cut, shaped, and polished individually. Jade provides a quiet counterpart, diffusing rather than reflecting light.

The dial displays a deep blue achieved through a calibrated PVD treatment, depositing an ultra-thin layer of colour in a vacuum to create exceptional chromatic depth, a contemporary gesture within an object shaped by ancestral craft.

Together, jade from Guatemala, milky opal from Turkey, and blue opal from Australia form a composition of balanced contrasts, a serene interplay between shifting and stable matter.

THE GOLDEN HANDS BEHIND LA RAVENALE

A constellation of Mains d’Or surrounds this Objet d’Art — the Maîtres Artisans who translate Parmigiani Fleurier’s ideals into form. Their work spans engraved bridges, sculpted gold, stone marquetry, and a hand-forged chain requiring nearly one hundred hours to complete.

Among them, the engraving was entrusted to Atelier Blandenier, one of Switzerland’s rare ateliers dedicated exclusively to traditional hand-engraving for haute horlogerie, a discipline that extends to the movement’s decoration. The chain, created by Laurent Jolliet, Switzerland’s last master chain-maker, is entirely fashioned in 18-carat white gold. Its hexagonal links mirror the geometry of the bail, while the oval links recall the elliptical purity of the PF emblem.

La Ravenale reflects the discipline and grace that have defined Michel Parmigiani’s journey, a creation where time, craft, and proportion converge.

A MASTERPIECE IN THE MAKING

Behind La Ravenale stand the Masters, the Golden Hands, chain-maker, engravers, lapidaries, and restorers who transform Michel Parmigiani’s vision into living matter.

THE OPAL AND JADE MARQUETRY

On the reverse of La Ravenale, the double back reveals a marquetry of two stones that have never before shared the same watch: opal and jade.

This exceptional composition was realised by Maîtres Artisans whose refined handling of precious-stone marquetry bridges the worlds of horology and art. Their work transforms the caseback into a true tableau — a mineral landscape where light, colour, and matter converse in silence.

Each stone was chosen not only for its beauty, but for its symbolic resonance — one mutable, the other immutable.

Opal, with its iridescent spectrum, mirrors the changing skies and waters of a journey. Its fire dances beneath the surface like captured light, a reminder of movement and impermanence. Working opal demands extreme delicacy; the slightest excess of pressure and it fractures. Each fragment must be individually cut, shaped, and polished before being set into the white- gold base — a process closer to micromosaic than to lapidary art.

Jade, conversely, anchors the composition. Dense, serene, and revered in ancient cultures for its link to wisdom and balance, it offers visual stillness. When polished, its surface diffuses light rather than reflecting it — giving depth rather than brilliance.

Together, opal and jade create a mineral dialogue — between the ephemeral and the eternal, translucence and opacity, vibration and calm.

This union of opposites embodies the spirit of La Ravenale: a harmony born from contrast, conceived as nature conceives her own perfections.

THE MOVEMENT A MASTERPIECE SIGNED ED. KOEHN

At the heart of La Ravenale beats a movement of exceptional lineage. Signed Ed. Koehn, Genève, it dates from the 1920s — an age when horology reached ist most refined expression of precision and grace.

Edouard Koehn, once Technical Director at Patek Philippe before founding his own manufacture, embodied the Genevan ideal of discreet mastery. His calibres were celebrated for their slender architecture, their acoustic purity, and the harmony of their mechanical layouts. He sought not complication for its own sake, but proportion and equilibrium — a philosophy that resonates deeply with the values of Parmigiani Fleurier.

The calibre within La Ravenale is an ultra-thin minute repeater, with central hours and minutes and a small seconds at 6 o’clock. Restored entirely by the Maison’s Atelier de Restauration, it now sings again with crystalline resonance — its chime clear, balanced, and musical.

The bridges on the visible side have been engraved by hand with the palm motif, echoing the theme of the piece and linking mechanical construction to organic geometry. Two additional bridges, hidden beneath the dial, are engraved in the same spirit — a gesture invisible

to the eye yet essential to the integrity of the work.

The main plate was also restored and finely chiselled by hand between the bridges on the movement’s verso. Each bevel has been manually retouched, and the anglages delicately softened by hand. Around the jewels and screws, the découvertes — those minute openings that let light reveal the depth of the mechanism — were cut and finished in wood, using a traditional engraving technique that demands infinite patience.

On the dial side, the surface was carefully refinished and cleaned, its outer edge treated by hand-applied circling(cerclage à la main). Along this perimeter, fine minute-checking marks used by the watchmaker to verify the repeater’s precision were meticulously re- engraved by hand — subtle traces of human mastery, perpetuating the dialogue between the restorer and the original craftsman.

Each component, from the hanging barrel with its Maltese-cross stop-work to the symmetrical hammers and split bimetallic balance, bears the imprint of Genevan excellence. Nothing is superfluous, nothing is left to chance: every curve, every sound, every reflection serves the pursuit of harmony.

THE ENGRAVERS, THE ART OF LIGHT IN METAL

The engraving of La Ravenale was entrusted to the artisans of Atelier Blandenier, in Neuchâtel — one of Switzerland’s last ateliers dedicated to the ancestral craft of hand-engraving for haute horlogerie.

Their work extends from the bridges of the restored movement to the dial and the white-gold case itself. Under the microscope, every line becomes a sculpture of light: traced by a burin guided only by the artisan’s breath, rhythm, and intuition.

The motif, inspired by the geometry of the Traveller’s Palm, is not decorative in the usual sense. It translates the veins of the palm leaf into a pattern of equilibrium — a visual metaphor for the Golden Ratio that Michel Parmigiani considered the divine measure of beauty.

Each engraving is a micro-architecture, where depth is counted in microns, yet emotion resonates far beyond the surface.

 THE CHAIN BY LAURENT JOLLIET, MASTER CHAIN-MAKER

The chain of La Ravenale is not a simple accessory — it is the expression of a discipline that stands on the edge of extinction, brought to life by the hands of Laurent Jolliet, the last master chain-maker of Switzerland.

Forged entirely in 18-carat white gold, weighing 36.5 grams and measuring 31.5 cm, this chain embodies one of the most demanding crafts of traditional horology. From raw metal wire to the final articulated links, every stage is executed by hand — drawn, shaped, bent, soldered and polished with tools that have changed little in a century.

Historically, pocket-watch chains were both guardians and statements. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, gentlemen wore them not only to secure their timepieces but to display refinement through the artistry of the chain itself. Whether simple curb links or elaborate “Albert” chains adorned with seals and medallions, they expressed status, taste, and the intimate relationship between owner and object.

In La Ravenale, this heritage is reinterpreted with architectural precision.

The hexagonal links are inspired by the shape of the bail of the pocket watch, their mirrored symmetry creating a perfectly elongated form. Alternating with oval links that recall the elliptical geometry of the PF logo, the composition achieves both balance and rhythm, an echo of Michel Parmigiani’s devotion to proportion.

Each of the approximately 100 hours of work required to complete the chain is guided by instinct as much as by measurement. Every bevel, every joint, every polished facet reflects the dialogue between metal and hand, between structure and grace.

The PF-engraved link and the seamless articulation of ist form testify to an art that resists industrial repetition. In La Ravenale, the chain is far more than a functional link, it is a gesture of continuity, joining the case to the hand, the hand to the artisan, and the artisan to time itself.

The post OBJET D’ART LA RAVENALE IN HONOUR OF MICHEL PARMIGIANI A MINUTE REPEATER BORN FROM HIS ART AND LEGACY appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Since its debut in 2021, the TONDA PF collection has established itself as benchmark reference in contemporary Haute Horlogerie. Borne of a quest for absolute aesthetic perfection, TONDA PF Micro-Rotor embodies Parmigiani Fleurier’s philosophy of minimalist elegance, made for purists and watch collectors with an appreciation for ‘private luxury’. With the Micro-Rotor, the watch is pared down to its essence with just two hands and a date window – the dial an open stage for intricate craftsmanship.

The Ahmed Seddiqi limited edition TONDA PF Micro-Rotor Corail features a 40mm case crafted in stainless steel with a platinum 950 knurled bezel, and a unique, coral-coloured hand-guilloché dial. The dial features the Maison’s iconic Grain d’Orge pattern and 18ct gold rhodium-plated indices. A nod to the region and partner, the date is displayed in Arabic numerals. Sculpted lugs taper into a meticulously finished integrated bracelet, alternating seamlessly between polished and satin surfaces.

“The launch of this limited edition is a testament to our relationship with Parmigiani Fleurier and the brand’s innovative design and quality craftsmanship. We are honoured to share this collaboration with our audiences, as part of our 75th anniversary, and look forward to celebrating this moment,” said Mohammed Abdulmagied Seddiqi, CEO of Ahmed Seddiqi.

At the heart of the TONDA PF Micro-Rotor Corail lies the ultra-thin PF703 calibre, its beauty and innovation visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. Manufactured entirely in-house, the movement features a platinum micro-rotor, a small and complex oscillating weight integrated into the structure that allows a significant reduction in thickness. Measuring just 3mm, the calibre offers a 48-hour power reserve. Every finish within, from the Grain d’Orge guilloche-adorned micro-rotor to the hand-decorated Côte de Genève bridges and perlage baseplate, reflect the Maison’s commitment to the finest in watchmaking traditions.

“The Seddiqi family’s legacy in watchmaking is extraordinary and widely respected across the industry. It is a true pleasure for us to join their 75th anniversary celebrations with the TONDA PF Micro-Rotor Corail. Created for the UAE’s sophisticated collectors, who recognise the beauty in restraint and the power of meaningful detail, this timepiece represents the essence of who we truly are: understated, refined and uncompromising in our pursuit of horological purity,” said Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier, speaking of the limited edition.

Parmigiani Fleurier’s partnership with Ahmed Seddiqi was announced in May 2025 and heralds a new era for the brand in the region. The new limited edition timepiece, along with the Maison’s latest collections, is available at the Ahmed Seddiqi boutique in Dubai Mall.

The post PARMIGIANI FLEURIER UNVEILS AHMED SEDDIQI 75th ANNIVERSARY EDITION: TONDA PF MICRO-ROTOR CORAIL appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Following its elegant return in 2024, the collection expands with renewed clarity: to free the dress watch from inherited rigidity, offering instead a softened, more personal, and meaningful expression.

Toric proposes a new rapport with time. With its sober proportions (40.6 x 8.8 mm), architectural lines inspired by Doric columns, and dial tones drawn from nature, it exemplifies a quiet yet assured elegance. This is watchmaking rooted in purity, rarity, and high craft, an elegance conceived not as display, but as personal language.

TWO MOODS, TWO DIMENSIONS OF LIGHT
The two new references – limited to just 50 pieces each – explore contrast not in opposition, but in harmony:

Dune: 18ct rose gold case, hand-grained solid gold dial, “Sand Gold” sand-coloured nubuck alligator leather strap, hand-stitched punto a mano. A soft, solar light, warm and enveloping.

Golden Hour: 950 platinum case, hand-grained solid gold dial, “Akoya Grey” grey-green nubuck-treated alligator leather strap, hand-stitched punto a mano. A structured, mineral freshness inspired by natural light.

Color here is structural. Inspired by Le Corbusier’s architectural polychromies, these hues serve to emphasize the innate personality of the materials: the glow of rose gold, the tensioned neutrality of platinum. The dials, grained by hand using a 17th-century method revived by Michel Parmigiani, possess a surface that reads like soft stone: matte, mineral, textured.

THE PF780: A TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC MANIFESTO
Beneath the formal clarity of the Toric Petite Seconde lies a caliber designed not to impress at first glance, but to reward prolonged attention. The manually wound PF780, developed specifically for the collection, measures just 3.15 mm in thickness. It beats at 4 Hz and is powered by two barrels offering 60 hours of reserve.

Its construction is uncompromising. Two full bridges in 18ct rose gold are open worked with surgical precision, revealing twin sunray-finished barrels and the regulating organ in a carefully orchestrated asymmetrical display. The layout is intentional, graphic yet serene, a visual statement that reflects the brand’s belief in expressive restraint.

The finishing tells its own story. The hand-executed Côtes de Fleurier alternate with sandblasted surfaces, playing with light and texture in a way that never seeks brilliance but cultivates depth. This is not a movement that shouts; it is one that breathes.

In essence, the PF780 is a manifesto, a visible expression of Parmigiani Fleurier’s belief that true modernity lies in the tension between simplicity and intention.

THE ART OF GRAINING: TRADITION MADE VISIBLE
The coherence of the Toric Petite Seconde goes beyond aesthetics. It is embedded in the mechanics, the construction, and the intent. Every component, solid gold movement, signed full bridges, hand-finished indices and hands, is selected not for show, but for consistency.

At the heart of this philosophy is the dial. Made from solid gold, it is hand-grained using a 17th-century method rediscovered by Michel Parmigiani. Each gold disc is coated in a natural compound of cream of tartar, sea salt and silver, then brushed by hand with specific tools to produce a surface that is matte, regular, soft to the touch and visually diffusive. The result is a texture that resists reflection, evoking the character of mineral plaster or aged parchment.

The dial and strap as parallel surfaces of expression
The same ethos extends to the strap. Cut from exceptionally dense nubuck hides, each strap is crafted without surface pelting and stitched entirely by hand.

The finish is velvety yet architectural, more structure than flourish. Like the dial, it is made to be felt, to age with grace, and to remain quietly eloquent over time.

These choices are not nostalgic. They are deliberate acts of continuity, between hand and surface, tradition and wear, integrity and daily use.

“With Toric, we didn’t seek to echo the past, we wanted to reframe it. The dress watch, once rigid and codified, deserved a more liberated expression. Not nostalgia, but a reimagining of classicism through a modern lens: more intimate, more tactile, more quietly confident.

We brought a sartorial eye to horology where every detail matters: the balance of form, the integrity of materials, the precision of hand-finishing. Toric revives traditional techniques the industry had all but forgotten, and privileges noble metals like gold and platinum, paired with in-house movements finished to the highest standards.

These are timepieces for those who see luxury not as display, but as dialogue between the hand and the material, between self and time. Toric isn’t simply a style. Toric expresses a way of being in the world.”

– Guido Terreni, CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier

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Purpose-built for performance, the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph is powered by a high-frequency automatic movement, certified by the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres). Operating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, it ensures exceptional precision in short time measurements — leaving no room for error.

Where the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Sandstone could be perceived as a pure technical instrument, it has a very different facet to it; that of a refined and precious timepiece adorned with 18ct rose gold and a textured rubber strap named Tufo, inspired by Mediterranean rocks that are so unique in their hue. Its presence breathes the ease of serenity, the warmth of a South conducive to special moments. One can imagine the shores of Mare Nostrum, on the side of Sicily and southern Italy, the islands of this sea separating Europe from Africa: serene colors, light, and sunshine come together to invite inward reflection. The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph is associated with these moments of introspection steeped in style.

It’s name – Sandstone – leaves no room for ambiguity. It evokes the warmth of summer and a bright environment through the soft hues of sand for the sub-dials dotting the silver guilloché background of the Triangular Nail pattern, which enhances the light. Its sophisticated textured rubber strap in Tufo colour reinforces the summery character of the watch.

We understand that this watch is aimed at those who wish to enjoy their time calmly and elegantly.

However, it can also take on a very functional guise and accurately measure short intervals of time with formidable precision: nothing escapes the extreme accuracy of its high-frequency automatic movement, which allows no approximation. Its 22ct rose gold oscillating mass ensures smooth winding for a power reserve of 65 hours. It is set in an 18ct rose gold case, with finishes alternating between satin and polish that play perfectly with the light.

Both a technical timepiece and a sport watch crafted for pleasure; the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph embodies the spirit of the Maison. With its relaxed silhouette and design conceived for moments of refined enjoyment, it invites a serene escape — beyond the bounds of time.

STRAP IN «TUFO» LIGHT

The strap of the Tonda PF Sport is far from conventional. Crafted from high-grade rubber, it is textured to evoke the appearance of Cordura — a technical fabric valued for its durability and structured elegance. The result is a corduroy-like effect, both visual and tactile, merging the character of woven textile with the precision of sculpted material. It lends the watch a distinct sport-chic presence.

Each strap is reinforced and hand-finished with saddle-style stitching, drawing from the artisanal techniques used for fine alligator leather straps. This considered choice reflects the Maison’s unwavering commitment to detail and excellence.

The chosen hue, «Tufo», draws inspiration from the pale volcanic stone found on Mediterranean landscapes. Mineral, luminous and understated, the tone anchors the timepiece in a minimalist yet culturally rich aesthetic. It conjures sun-drenched coastlines, timeless architecture, and the effortless elegance of a Mediterranean living. Resilient, fluid, and seamlessly integrated with the case, the strap embodies Parmigiani Fleurier’s vision: a pursuit of harmony between performance, beauty, and artisanal refinement.

MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT

The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph features the COSC-certified PF070 caliber, an automatic manufacture movement. With a column wheel and high-beat frequency of 36,000Vph (5 Hz), it offers a 65-hour power reserve. The 22-carat rose gold skeletonized oscillating weight and satin-finished openworked bridges with bevelled edges add a touch of sophistication.

“The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph in rose gold sandstone reflects our pursuit of essential beauty in watchmaking. It merges mechanical excellence, through a high-frequency chronograph calibre with the informal elegance of a summer lifestyle. From the luminous tones of the dial to the textured strap inspired by Mediterranean « tufo » stone, this piece is crafted for those who seek substance, refinement, and effortless elegance.”

Guido Terreni, CEO Parmigiani Fleurier

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A LUXURY CRAFTED FOR PURISTS
Parmigiani Fleurier speaks to those for whom excellence is a personal quest, an introspective journey. With the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum Stone Blue, the Maison illustrates a serene and refined luxury, characterized by unparalleled expertise and a minimalist sophistication.

Every component reflects exceptional attention to detail: from the sandblasted Stone Blue dial, inviting contemplation and imagination, to the 18-ct rhodium-plated appliques, and the 950-platinum case and bracelet. This minimalist design and chromatic choice, inspired by Le Corbusier’s palette and timeless aesthetic, highlight the essentials while avoiding the superfluous. This creation is an intimate masterpiece, designed for those who value authentic distinction and distinctive perspective.

AN ODE TO RARITY
This precious and durable metal embodies a subtle form of perfection, perfectly aligned with the values of Parmigiani Fleurier. Rarer than gold, platinum stands as the ultimate symbol of exclusivity: each watch in this collection is destined for discerning enthusiasts who view rarity as a discreet privilege.

Unalterable, platinum retains its natural glow over time, representing a vision of durable and timeless luxury. Its soft, white-gray hue offers an incomparable visual serenity, far more soothing than the intense shine of white gold. Unlike white gold, often enhanced by rhodium plating, platinum diffuses a velvety light—subtly elegant and never ostentatious. This exceptional material seduces with its harmonious nuances, perfectly aligning with a philosophy of personal distinction.

THE SECRET ELEGANCE OF CONNOISSEURS
Platinum is not limited to its visual qualities; it also meets the most rigorous technical demands. Its density gives it a unique presence, balancing apparent lightness with noble weight. This resilient material embodies permanence, much like Parmigiani Fleurier’s creations.

At the heart of the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum Stone Blue lies the PF703 caliber, a perfect symbiosis of beauty and innovation. This ultra-thin movement features a platinum micro-rotor adorned with the iconic Grain d’Orge guilloché. Nestled within the movement’s structure, it ensures an exceptional thinness of just 7.8 mm while providing a 48-hour power reserve. Unlike traditional oscillating weights, this miniature rotor frees space to reveal a carefully balanced and refined architecture, a testament to Parmigiani Fleurier’s unmatched expertise. Every finish—from hand-decorated bridges to delicately satin-finished surfaces—embodies the brand’s unwavering commitment to exceptional craftsmanship

TIMELESS RADIANCE ON THE WRIST
Wearing the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum Stone Blue is an embrace of luxury where time fades to reveal the essential: the perfect harmony of beauty, rarity, and mastery. More than a watch, it evokes a subtle emotion, an intimate connection to an enduring aesthetic, far beyond fleeting trends.

On the wrist, it exudes a unique presence: an exceptional object that does not seek to dazzle but to resonate deeply. Every detail, every texture tells a story of craftsmanship and delicacy. The Stone Blue dial, with its soothing shades and velvety reflections, harmonizes with the platinum case to invite silent, almost meditative contemplation.

AN INTIMATE TREASURE, A LIFE COMPANION
This watch is not a statement; it is a companion. It does not speak of wealth but of discernment. It does not shout but whispers to those who know how to listen. What the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Platinum Stone Blue promises is excellence that transcends time—a personal pleasure where every moment becomes precious, shared solely with oneself.

An enduring masterpiece, it redefines the bond between man, time, and beauty.

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Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse captures the essence of Parmigiani Fleurier and honours Michel’s unwavering commitment to preserving Mechanical Art. As with every creation in the storied “Objets d’Art” collection, craftsmanship and innovation take centre stage.

A secret watch that showcases the highest order of art, and a minute repeater in honour of Michel’s passion for the complication, Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse represents the pinnacle of haute horology. The first in a series of five unique pieces is presented in white gold with pastel green Grand Feu enamelling.

Each will be different and entirely personalised, each marking a milestone in contemporary watchmaking.

Iconic by Nature: A new Parmigiani Fleurier Case

The Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse features a meticulously crafted 42mm white gold case designed exclusively for this one-off model. It celebrates the highest levels of craftsmanship and aesthetics cherished by Michel Parmigiani, its every detail embodies the pursuit of harmony and balance that defines maison Parmigiani Fleurier.

The art of guilloché is elevated with a pattern inspired by the spiral of a pinecone, a symbol of harmony and perfection for Michel. The motif, reflecting the Fibonacci sequence and the golden ratio, embodies a mathematical beauty that resonates with nature. In the Armoriale, guilloché becomes more than a decorative element; it pays homage to nature and universal geometry.

The ancient craft of enamelling is also brought to life, through the unlikely fusion of metal and glass, united by extreme 800 °C heat. Alchemy occurs, raw materials become masterpieces, and a beautiful palette of colour emerges. Layers of enamel are meticulously applied, each calibrated to control thickness and brightness, and then carefully handpolished, revealing hidden details and gaining captivating depth.

Hand engraving is a discipline of absolute precision, each gesture is measured and each pressure mastered. Guided by a sense of harmony, the artisan plays with proportions, creating subtle contrasts and delicate reliefs. Each minute variation of pressure and angle breathes unique energy into the motif, while the gold, demanding a steady hand and an intimate understanding of the material, reveals all its richness.

“In nature, every form, every pattern bears the imprint of perfection—a perfection found in the spirals of a pinecone, where the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence intertwine to reveal the harmony of the world. With the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, we wished to pay homage to these universal symmetries, to celebrate the natural elegance that inspires each of our creations, and to remind us that ultimate beauty lies in the timeless echo of nature’s laws.”
Michel Parmigiani, Founder and Master Watchmaker

Mystery of the Secret Dial

Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse does not reveal all its secrets at a glance. Unlike a traditional watch, Armoriale shows the time on its reverse side, dedicating its front entirely to the art of craftsmanship. The pastel green translucent enamel grand feu displays a finely guilloché pattern, further enhanced by delicate engravings of a pinecone, an inspiration for Michel and a symbol of infinity.

Upon turning the watch, the wearer discovers the rose gold hour and minute marker discreetly placed on the back of the case. This back “secret” dial, adorned with a disk of Guatemalan white jade featuring circular indices, bestows an introspective character to the watch, making checking the time a personal and intimate experience.

Emotion and Intensity: The Power of the Gong

Historically, the minute repeater provided a way to tell time in the dark by chiming the hours and minutes on demand. The intricate system of hammers and gongs that acoustically relays the time embodies the highest refinement in watchmaking; the minute repeater is one of the most revered complications of them all.

By listening to each strike, the wearer can tell hours and minutes through distinct sounds. Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is distinguished by its extra-long “cathedral” gongs which wrap around the movement almost twice, prolonging each sound and delivering a rich tone reminiscent of grand bells, stirring emotion that echoes beyond time.

“We created the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse to transcend the simple act of telling the time,
inviting its owner to connect with time purely through sound, honouring the original purpose of minute repeaters – to tell the time in the dark, long before electricity. While the ear listens, the eye is free to appreciate the beauty of the artistry of our master artisans. Each strike becomes a profound connection to the mystery of chiming watches in its purest form.”
Guido Terreni, CEO, Parmigiani Fleurier

Renaud Papi: Minute Repeater created for Michel Parmigiani

Inside the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is a manual winding movement crafted by Renaud Papi. Comprising 392 components and featuring a 72-hour power reserve, the movement ensures absolute clarity. The gongs, securely fixed to the case, enhance resonance, and the hollowed-out back and sides of the case naturally amplify the sound. A striking regulator maintains a steady rhythm.

Assembly of this movement into the case is a technical challenge of the highest order; tension needs to be optimised and each component calibrated to maximize quality and maintain timekeeping.

Bespoke Watch Box

Parmigiani Fleurier has created a bespoke watch box to house Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, featuring a resonator crafted from Risoud spruce wood. The elegant box enhances each chime, adding depth and richness to the Minute Repeater’s sound. By placing the watch at various points within the case, the owner can modulate resonance, creating a rare sensory experience that underlines Parmigiani Fleurier’s horological mastery.

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TONDA PF MICRO-ROTOR NO DATE BEAUTY IN ITS PUREST FORM
Stripping the watch of everything superfluous, leaving only the essential: the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor initiated a quest for absolute aesthetic perfection the moment it launched in September 2021. Tight, integrated lines. Superlative finishes. Automatic micro-rotor movement. The Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Collection affirms Parmigiani Fleurier’s strong identity of elegance and refined discretion. Each new model embodies this modern design template. The collection’s latest addition, the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor No date continues in the same clean, minimalist aesthetic. Reflecting the House’s functional and chromatic style, combining high-end finishes with exceptional watchmaking work, it is an object strongly in demand by watch purists. To meet the expectations of true purists of watchmaking design, Parmigiani Fleurier chose to give the “Golden Siena” dial time indications but no date window. Nothing is left to chance, but always correlated with great attention to harmony between form and function.

GOLDEN SIENA
The color of the Golden Siena dial has on elegant appeal and diffuses warm serenity. In its quest for distinctiveness, Parmigiani Fleurier created a shade with moiré effects directly inspired by the rich “sienna” palette, thus celebrating the subtle nuances and naturalness of the earth. Long a favorite of elite brands, this refined and elegant hue goes perfectly with the masculine wardrobe. The Grain d’orge guilloché: The House’s signature treasure. In accordance with the brand’s highest standards, the dial is finely hand guilloché. The Grain d’Orge signature of Parmigiani Fleurier dials is a classic of Haute Horlogerie. Very small in size to the point of requiring extreme visual attention to appreciate its fine and delicate texture, the dial plate’s guilloché pattern provides a large surface area for the watch hands. Loyal to its quest for ultimate purity, Parmigiani Fleurier has removed the date window to retain only the essential functions of hour and minutes. In reinterpreting the principles of watchmaking classicism in a very modern way, the Golden Siena fulfills the pursuit for essential clarity that is the signature of Parmigiani Fleurier.

THE MICRO-ROTOR: THE PREROGATIVE OF A WATCHMAKING ELITE
The case and bracelet design embellish the dial, concealing watchmaking know-how of the highest order. The 3.07mm-thick PF703 caliber with automatic winding by micro-rotor is decorated in accordance with the rules of watchmaking excellence for the utmost in elegant finesse. The micro-rotor option, complex in its creation, remains the prerogative of top-flight watch brands. This small oscillating weight in platinum ensures high density and mobility and is fully integrated into the thickness of the movement, unlike a classic, half-moon-shaped rotor, which would have covered it. This more sophisticated construction allows a significant reduction in the thickness of the watch. The Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Golden Siena measures just 7.8mm on the wrist for maximum comfort and elegance. Much of the finishing is done by hand, following the intangible rules of high-level watchmaking craftsmanship.
A luminous watch that is much more than a timepiece, the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor Golden Siena exemplifies watchmaking sophistication, imbued with the serenity that makes discreet refinement the ultimate contemporary cardinal value.

The post TONDA PF MICRO-ROTOR NO DATE DATE OR NO DATE? THE ETERNAL DEBATE appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Guido Terreni, CEO Parmigiani Fleurier

TORIC IS BACK, AND IN STYLE !
Still vivid in the memory of high-end horology collectors and enthusiasts, Toric is now making an exciting comeback in 2024.

Whether the Petite Seconde or the Chronograph Rattrapante, the new Toric generation is no mere remake of the collection first presented at the inception of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand in 1996. Instead, Parmigiani Fleurier has deliberately chosen to redefine the codes of masculine elegance without compromise, by breaking with all established conventions.

REDEFINING ELEGANCE
In the exclusive world of luxury watchmaking, Parmigiani Fleurier has always stood alone.
Its new Toric collection bears witness to how the brand differentiates itself. It is an ode to the fluidity of modern design, embodying a refreshing and serene vision of luxury, where technical innovation harmoniously combines with refined aesthetics.

In a masterful move, Parmigiani Fleurier not only redefines the time-measuring tool but invites it to dance, free of all constraints. This Toric is not a rebellion, but a gentle revolution,
a vital force pushing performance and aesthetics into an unexplored realm of serenity. Refined in its design, it transcends established watchmaking norms, flirting with the boundaries of the possible to outline the contours of an ever-evolving luxury. In its gears, a promise of renewal.

VISIONARY CLARITY: HOROLOGICAL SARTORIAL REFINEMENT

Its keys to interpretation are drastically simple:

Elevation towards the noblest materials and deep horological culture. Manual winding only, movements in gold only, dials in gold exclusively, indexes and hours and minutes hands strictly in gold, cases in gold and platinum. And finally, closure by a gold and platinum buckle to appreciate the beauty of the movement.

Reinventing the essence of masculinity, Parmigiani Fleurier embraces the colors of the earth and nature, directly drawn from the chromatic universe of Le Corbusier, master of purism. This approach offers a new vision, where purity and elegance merge into a novel natural harmony. In this collection, Parmigiani Fleurier has orchestrated a dazzlingly unique color palette, playing harmonies with unparalleled finesse.

Invitation to a complete sensory exploration, the dial, meticulously grained by hands that speak the language of the ancient and precious, and the nubuck-treated alligator strap, offer an experience of unparalleled softness and sophistication.

MODERN FLUIDITY OF THE TORUS
Inspired originally by Doric columns and the geometry of the torus, the collection has traversed the years without losing its identity strength since 1996. While it has obviously evolved, one element has remained constant over time: the knurled bezel, which is today part of the collections signed Parmigiani Fleurier.

The cases of the new collection are logically topped with it but have been radically modernized. Aside from this signature, they no longer have a formal kinship with the founding generation and open a new chapter in Toric’s history.

The overall lines of the case, pure and minimalist, testify to the aesthetic quest it has undergone. There are no protrusions or aggressive angles, but a fluid softness from any viewing perspective: whether from the side or front, the case and bracelet blend into a single whole. This observation holds true for both the Toric Petite Seconde, which embraces the codes of this new elegance.

The case claims this discreet purity that Parmigiani Fleurier has pioneered, extended into the bracelet and the overall dial/function display. The Toric collection is not just a watch; it is an aesthetic culmination that claims, through its form stripped of all artifice, harmony, balance, and perfectly achieved overall proportions.

In pursuit of this quest, Parmigiani Fleurier could only choose to craft the Toric in gold or platinum.

WATCHMAKING’S FORGOTTEN HERITAGE
It’s no secret among the international community of horological art enthusiasts: the House is part of that very limited elite of brands that place the respect of horological heritage and its legacy at the forefront of every creation. Toric is the perfect representative of this, in the choice of manufacturing techniques. The dressing of the Toric unsurprisingly lives up to the standards set by Parmigiani Fleurier.

Indexes and hands are in 18ct rose gold, as is fitting. As for the gold dial, it is grained and bevelled, following meticulous traditional art. Graining is a finishing technique that gives the surface a mattified texture of exceptional fineness, the quintessence of watchmaking craftsmanship. This method, rediscovered through the perseverance and expertise of master watchmakers such as Michel Parmigiani, involves the careful application of a special mixture on the dial, composed of cream of tartar, crushed sea salt, and silver, mixed with demineralized water to create a homogeneous paste.

The application of this paste, followed by delicate polishing with specific brushes, generates an exceptionally regular and soft surface, characterized by a dispersion of light that visually softens the dial, making it unique.

Inspired by a “vintage” aesthetic from the 1960s, the Toric dials are not uniformly flat but bevelled. Their edges drop slightly to rest against the inner face of the case, presenting a level difference. This “bevelled” technique is inspired by the manufacture of watch glasses, an also ancient traditional technique. The glass is shaped in a specific manner to adapt to the particular shape of the watch case. Unlike flat or slightly domed glasses, bevelled glasses are curved or rounded to perfectly match the contour of the watch case.

CHROMATIC DISRUPTION AND “PUNTO A MANO”
The strap, finally, does not escape the overall approach. Based on alligator, its Nubuck finish benefits from a sartorial stitch, known as “punto a mano,” employed by the best Neapolitan tailors. It is an aesthetic signature as well as its role is to increase the comfort of wearing the suit. Their pastel shades are all subtle and, to be honest, disruptive, serene, and unexpected.

With Toric, Parmigiani Fleurier is not just offering a new collection of watches; it invites a deeper reflection on what it means to be elegant in the contemporary world. This collection is the result of a thoughtful approach aimed at harmonizing exceptional craftsmanship with innovative aesthetics. It is intended to transcend the usual boundaries of classicism, offering a contemporary interpretation of the watch that values the very essence of modern elegance.

NEW MODERNIST ARCHITECTURE
The new Toric, undoubtedly, signals the beginnings of a new stage in the world of luxury. At the heart of these models that definitively escape the ephemeral, the movements. Crafted in rose gold, the engine of the Toric Petite Seconde is entirely new and barely noticeable at first glance.

Three large surfaces in 18ct rose gold serve as bridges, arranged in a pure geometric perspective. Only the two barrels and the regulating organ are visible. This development with its unprecedented architecture, with its large bridges decorated with Côtes de Fleurier alternating with a sandblasted plate, references the great tradition of watchmaking in a minimalist and contemporary aesthetic configuration. Striking in its graphics, it is intended as a style element of the entire watch.

Its structure has been deeply worked on in an approach where aesthetic research predominates, considering the formal requirement dictated by elegance. The movement was designed to be manually wound to appreciate the finesse of rewinding and the tactile gesture that the watch deserves.18ct rose gold also for the movement of the Toric Chronograph Rattrapante, which beats at a high frequency (5Hz), and incorporates a double column wheel. Its structural elements, skeletonized to suggest an arabesque, leave ample room for visual appreciation of its moving components. Needless to say, gold movements are now extremely rare in high-end watchmaking.

GOLDEN TEMPO
Gold movements are rare in high-end watchmaking. The Toric Chronograph Rattrapante’s movement is crafted from 18-carat rose gold. It beats at a high frequency (5Hz) and incorporates a double column wheel. Its structural elements, skeletonized to suggest an arabesque, leave ample room for visual appreciation of its moving components. This genuine competition-class machine invites an absolute immersion in gold that conceals a world-class masterpiece caliber, but in a resolutely Haute Horlogerie iteration. This movement integrates 285 components, 35 jewels, and a 65-hour power reserve. The tenth-of-a-second precision and the challenge of shaping such a malleable material as gold are assets that every devotee of the finest watchmaking will appreciate. It is a tribute to the zenith of horological artistry. It’s not just a movement; it’s a narrative of passion, expertise, and the relentless pursuit of perfection.

ELITE CHRONOGRAPH
How do you achieve harmony between a complicated movement and the preservation of the finesse of its case?
This is a daily challenge in watchmaking.
Parmigiani Fleurier has resolved the issue masterfully with the Toric Chronograph Rattrapante. The movement, more complex and difficult to achieve than a tourbillon, was developed in an integrated form for added flair and flourish. The result is a perfect success, beautifully housed in a remarkably elegant case of balanced proportions. The overall lines, refined and essential, bear witness to the most consummate aesthetic research.
There are no protrusions or aggressive angles as discreet pushbuttons are flush with the case middle. It exudes natural grace from all viewing perspectives, whether from the side or the front. The Nubuck case and bracelet blend into a fluid and harmonious whole.
Distinguished by its very sophisticated integrated movement, the Toric Chronograph Rattrapante is, nonetheless, more than just a functional instrument with complications. It is, first and foremost, a superlatively elegant and stylish watch.

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Born of a saga that began two years ago, the Tonda PF Skeleton conquered the watchmaking world with its steel and 18-carat rose gold versions. Now, to this exceptional family, this new all-platinum version brings an extra touch of nobility to an already prestigious heritage.

With the Tonda PF Skeleton Collection, Parmigiani Fleurier has not just created a watch. It has rethought the age-old art of skeletonization, projecting it into a new era with a resolutely modernist approach.

The movement of the Tonda PF Skeleton PlatinumS is revealed in all its complexity, offering a transparency reminiscent of contemporary architectural masterpieces. Each component is designed to play with light, transforming the mechanism into a visual dance where solids and voids intermingle.

It owes much of its allure to the movement’s openwork, which delicately balances materials and transparencies.

The technique involves opening up the movement as much as possible, allowing the eye to see into the inner workings, while ensuring that the structural elements retain sufficient rigidity. The artistic openwork of Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum reveals the movement’s life and architecture, while preserving its balance and volume.

BETWEEN FULLNESS AND EMPTINESS

The artisans at Parmigiani Fleurier have expertly played the solid spaces off the opened elements to bring light into the very heart of the PF 777 caliber. This delicate latticework, meticulously hand bevelled, draws the purist’s eye to the beating centre of the mechanism, allowing it to apprehend some of the mysteries of its kinematics.

To ensure maximum lightness, the platinum oscillating weight bears the brand logo embedded in sapphire crystal. It is visible through the transparent caseback, which itself has been artistically worked into a masterpiece that blends in with the uncluttered structure’s 187 components. The oscillations generated by the wearer’s movements help to rewind the barrel, which is also openworked, revealing the slow contractions and relaxations of the mainspring driving its oscillator at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

COLOUR, FORM AND FUNCTION

Parmigiani Fleurier’s aesthetic and chromatic choices leave nothing to chance. The striking contrast between the sparkling light of the platinum and the ALD Milano Blue surfaces of the skeletonized movement, finely treated in satin and sandblasted finishes, and its sharp angles, carefully hand-polished, visually enriches the whole. This play of light and shadow, accentuated by the flange that extends the movement, not only adds to the watch’s refinement, but also makes it exceptionally easy to read.

With its elegantly openworked dial, this watch embodies a perfect fusion of complexity and minimalism, true to the spirit of the Tonda PF collection. The delicately suspended hour markers add a spacious dimension to the design, while the two openworked hands sweep across the dial with fluid grace. These are set against an open background that extends all the way to the flange, creating a visual continuity with the movement.

Far from compromising the intrinsic balance and harmony of volumes and proportions, this visual impact magnifies them, testifying to Parmigiani Fleurier’s artistic mastery.

A WORK OF ART

The uncluttered elegance of the 8.5mm-thick Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum underscores Parmigiani Fleurier’s commitment to the very best of watchmaking tradition, revisited in a highly contemporary manner. Sober and essential, its overall architecture highlights the knurled, polished bezel that catches both the light and the eye, but also the line running from the middle that borders the outside of the bracelet with a slight edge, creating a graphic, taut silhouette of absolute fluidity.

Despite the platinum’s solidity, the weight of this slim watch is evenly distributed. It is at one with the wrist, flowing with lightness and extreme comfort.

The Tonda PF Skeleton Platinum is essentially aimed at today’s aesthetes, watchmaking purists whose vision of perfection is driven by a keen sense of style.

Everything about this watch exudes balance, harmony and artistic refinement.

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Parmigiani Fleurier celebrates the Year of the Dragon with “Tempus Fugit”, a legendary icon of Chinese culture: The Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge.

For Sinophone communities around the world, 2024 is the Year of the Wood Dragon, which starts on 10 February, the first day of the Chinese New Year. Strength and grandeur are the salient features of this symbolic animal figure. Maison Parmigiani is celebrating the occasion with a magnificent restoration of a masterpiece from its Métiers d’Art collection, Tempus Fugit. This exceptional creation is inspired by the legend of the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge, powerful symbols anchored deep in traditional Chinese culture.

HAUTE HORLOGERIE AND MECHANICAL ART

A fusion of Haute Horlogerie and art mechanics, at once an allegorical time-measuring instrument and an automaton, this complex, one-of-a-kind creation is the result of Parmigiani Fleurier’s vast experience in the restoration of antique clocks. Often, they combined timekeepers and automatons working in perfect synchronization: clocks with birds, for example, or moving figures representing a scene. Many of these pieces still regularly find their way to the Maison’s Restoration Workshop, one of the very few in the world capable of understanding and mastering their complexity.

The Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge is a direct part of this lineage. It is inspired by Asian legends of the dragon swimming with a pearl, the carp jumping over the Dragon Gate, and the Dragon Emperor chasing the Pearl of Wisdom. Parmigiani Fleurier has expertly combined the special expressive shape of Tempus Fugit with traditional Chinese culture to present a true masterpiece of fine watchmaking.

THE LEGEND OF THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL OF WISDOM

The legend of the dragon swimming with a pearl is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. According to the Chinese philosopher Zhuangzi, “The most precious pearls are found only in the deepest waters, in the jaws of black dragons. In historical Chinese literature, dragon pearls are usually hidden in the mouths of dragons and only spat out at special times. Dragon pearls are rare and extremely valuable treasures.”

Swiss sinology expert Estelle Niklès van Osselt has a deep understanding of the origin and meaning of the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge: according to legend, only a carp that manages to make its way to the Dragon Gate after numerous attempts to go up the river receives the honour of being transformed into a dragon. This is the parable of the student who wanted to serve the emperor. The carp transforming into a dragon here symbolizes perseverance, while the pearl represents imperial wisdom. Forming an inseparable duo, “they allude to social ascension in the imperial hierarchy, to power, wisdom and protection against negative influences,” explains van Osselt.

The number nine is of central importance in Chinese culture. In addition to the eyes of a demon, the Imperial Dragon presented by Parmigiani Fleurier includes the body parts of nine animals – the head of a camel, the ears of a cow, the antlers of a deer, the neck of a snake, the paws of a tiger, the claws of an eagle, the belly of a mollusc, the scales of a carp, and the mane and beard of a lion. The very distinctive shape of the nose resembles a mushroom, a symbol of good luck.

THE ETERNAL MARCH OF TIME

The Tempus Fugit metaphor illustrates the concept of the eternal march of time. In this creation, which uses a mechanism developed by Parmigiani Fleurier, the dragon travels one revolution per hour, pursuing the dazzling orb at a constant speed, in pursuit of the glowing pearl. Just as the dragon is on the verge of seizing it, the pearl flies away, escaping the dragon’s clutches six times an hour. Every time the pearl moves, a gong sounds to alert the owner.

With the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge, Parmigiani Fleurier demonstrates to the world the breadth and richness of its knowledge of high-precision watchmaking, fine jewellery and automata. First sculpted in wax, the dragon’s body was then cast in three sections, before being expertly crafted from solid silver.

LEGENDARY GEMS

Covering the body with scales was the most complicated part of the operation. According to traditional custom, Chinese dragons have 117 scales, of which 81 (9×9) are male and 36 (9×4) are female. The Parmigiani Fleurier Imperial Dragon, however, has 585 scales, a number divisible by 9 and a carefully considered choice in the design of the dragon. The scales are made of natural jade, designed, cut, polished, and individually fixed, then riveted over the entire body, forming a complex assembly of precious elements.

The dragon is adorned with 150 green jade stones, complemented by exceptional white, yellow, orange and red jades. The claws and whiskers are solid white gold, the eyes are ruby, and the tongue is carnelian.

The Pearl of Knowledge is a solid white gold sphere surrounded by golden flames, which is embedded in a cameo of precious stones, including white diamonds and rubies, and orange and yellow sapphires. The base, which contains the mechanism, represents the river that the carp goes up. It was cut from a block of transparent rock crystal, through which the movement is visible. The gilded silver ring showing the traditional Chinese 12 hours (one Chinese hour is two hours) rotates every 24 hours. The fixed indices are made of jade.

KEY FIGURES: 1,000 COMPONENTS, 5,800 WORKING HOURS

A unique piece of watchmaking art, the Dragon and the Pearl of Knowledge has nearly 1,000 components. It required more than 5,800 hours of work and the participation of the most prestigious master craftsmen, under the direction of Michel Parmigiani.

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The inspiration for L’Armoriale stems from a journey undertaken by Guido Terreni in Italy – a voyage not only to explore Michel Parmigiani’s origins but also to revel in the architectural wonders of the area. Among the places visited was the Palazzo Te in Mantua, strategically positioned at the crossroads of Milan, Genoa, and Venice. This royal palace, adorned with meticulous handcraftsmanship of its time, left a lasting impression. The Hall of Giants within the Palazzo Te, in particular, resonated with echoes of Michel Parmigiani’s passions, embracing elements such as the Renaissance, architecture, nature, and the Golden ratio. It felt instinctive to breathe life into these influences, moving beyond their original two-dimensional expressions. In the creation of the extraordinary pocket watch case, each detail underwent a thoughtful reimagining in a three-dimensional reinterpretation.

The timepiece itself is a genuine work of art, meticulously crafted with care and attention. Michel Parmigiani, ever appreciative of exceptional craftsmanship, surrounded himself with artisans traditionally referred to as “Mains d’Or” or “Golden Hands” in the industry. These skilled “Maitre” craftsmen devoted their expertise to bring L’Armoriale to life. Each artisan specialized in distinct crafts, including the intricate engraving of the case, the delicate enamel work on the backcase, the meticulous crafting of the chain, and more.

“L’Armoriale is not just a unique pocket watch; it is a Masterpiece that carries within it the story, passion, and excellence of a man out of the ordinary. It reminds us that sometimes, watchmaking can transcend Time to become a true work of art.

It invites us to lose ourselves in the labyrinths of the Palazzo Te, to feel the essence of the Renaissance, and to celebrate the extraordinary journey of Michel Parmigiani.”

Guido Terreni, CEO Parmigiani Fleurier.

L’ARMORIALE: A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE CENTURIES

At the core of this pocket watch lies a mechanical movement dating from 1890 and signed A. Golay Leresche & Fils in Geneva, showcasing a chronograph minute repeater. It is a veritable piece of history, a testament to the essence of Renaissance architecture of the time. Michel Parmigiani himself rescued this movement from obscurity, preserving it from a time when mechanical movement faced extinction to the ascent of quartz movements.

In 1985, Michel Parmigiani restored the movement and added a perpetual calendar developed in his Ateliers PMAT (Parmigiani Fleurier Mesure et Art du Temps). Today, the movement showcases a chronograph, a minute repeater, and a perpetual calendar featuring a moon phase set against an aventurine sky and hand-hammered moons in white gold. The L’Armoriale movement embodies the very essence of luxury watchmaking an exquisite fusion of history and innovation, serving as an authentic bridge between centuries.

L’Armoriale movement beats at a frequency of 2.5 Hz, equivalent to 18,000 vibrations per hour, providing a leisurely and refined experience for watch enthusiast. Additionally, it features a minute repeater, enabling on demand striking of hours, quarters, and minutes, coupled with a central seconds chronograph.

This exceptional caliber, by virtue of its origins and characteristics, seamlessly integrates all the fundamental functions and complexities inherent in the art of watchmaking. It stands as a timepiece of extraordinary intricacy and elegance. Every aspect of this movement, from its gears to the meticulously engraved and polished bridges, serves as a testament to the exceptional mastery of Parmigiani Fleurier.
In essence, the L’Armoriale movement transcends the realm of a mere mechanical watch; it stands as a heritage, a meticulously restored and enhanced masterpiece encapsulating the soul and excellence of Parmigiani Fleurier. Every component, every detail, and every complication narrates a captivating story.
L’ARMORIALE HOROLOGICAL HARMONY: AN ODE TO ART, TECHNICITY, AND ELEGANCE

The sumptuous dial, with a mordant brown hue delicately engraved in the “mezzo vibrato” theme, embodies a fusion of craftsmanship, art, and technical prowess. The engraved ring encircling the dial elegantly reflects the almond motifs present on the case and lugs. The white gold counters, also intricately engraved and adorned with delicate rings, add a subtle touch to the overall composition.

MASTER OF THE ART OF ENAMELLING ON THE PARMIGIANI FLEURIER ARMORIALE

L’Armoriale by Parmigiani Fleurier owes much of its allure to the exquisite artistry of Master Enameller Vanessa Lecci. With her meticulous craftsmanship and extensive experience in enameling, every facet of this watch becomes a timeless work of art.

The 18-carat white gold case back of L’Armoriale stands as a grand feu enamel masterpiece. Drawing inspiration from the floors of Mantua’s Palazzo Te, the motifs are intricately engraved, with each cavity filled using colored translucent enamel. The interplay of light between the engraved structure and the depth and transparency of the enamel yields subtle nuances and a distinctive texture, bestowing the case with captivating visual depth.

The enamel shades adorning the back of L’Armoriale are meticulously chosen from a thoughtfully curated palette, featuring hues of yellow, red, and translucent brown. Inspired by the coat of arms of the Gonzaga family, owners of Palazzo Te, these colors contribute an additional layer of artistic richness to the watch. Each shade is perfectly balanced, creating a harmonious and visually captivating effect.

Grand feu enameling is an intricate art, demanding, exceptional mastery of temperatures and techniques. The Enameller Master has applied an expertise to elevate the background from traditional craftsmanship to a true contemporary masterpiece.

In short, the Master Enameller work on the Parmigiani Fleurier Armoriale stands as a remarkable artistic achievement; the expertise in grand feu enameling has given rise to a background of extraordinary beauty, talent and dedication to preserving this ancient art. The Armoriale is a horological work of art, embodying a perfect harmony between watchmaking tradition and contemporary artistic expression.

THE ART OF THE CHAIN IN L’ARMORIALEBY PARMIGIANI FLEURIER

The chain on L’Armoriale pocket watch stands out as a remarkable creation by the master chain-maker Laurent Jolliet. Notably, Laurent Jolliet holds the distinction of being one of the last practitioners of his craft, infusing exceptional creation with a rare authenticity.

Collaborating closely with the Parmigiani Fleurier team, Jolliet ensured that the chain was in perfect harmony with the overall design, its motif mirroring the hand-engraved patterns on the watch case, as well as on the latch, establishing an elegant aesthetic continuity. The watch chain is shaped by hand with meticulous precision. Each individual link of the chain has been carefully designed to ensure maximum flexibility and durability, while upholding Parmigiani Fleurier’s distinctive aesthetic and style.

The craftsman mastery is evident in the creation of an extraordinarily fine and delicate chain that gracefully follows the flow of gravity, adding an element of great elegance to the pocket watch an element of great elegance.

His work stands as a testament to Parmigiani Fleurier’s unwavering commitment to authentic art and the preservation of rare crafts. As one of the last remaining chain-makers in his profession, his contribution imparts a unique and invaluable aspect to the L’Armoriale timepiece.

MASTER IN THE ART OF ENGRAVING ON THE PARMIGIANI FLEURIER ARMORIALE

At the heart of L’Armoriale, a creation designed to commemorate Michel Parmigiani’s birthday, resides a horological masterpiece of extraordinary complexity and beauty. A significant contributor to its splendid aesthetic lies in the engraving by master engravers Eddy Jaquet and Christophe Blandenier internationally acclaimed artists renowned for their expertise.

The 18-carat white gold case of the L’Armoriale features the Maison’s distinctive motifs, consistently present in other unique creations crafted annually for Michel Parmigiani’s birthday. Blandernier’s contribution to this case is nothing short of an artistic triumph. The pattern, which runs across the handles, creates a fascinating visual effect of depth and texture, with every detail of this motif meticulously engraved by hand.

The caseband itself stands as a masterpiece of engraving, embellished with palmettes chiseled into the body of the precious gold, and while polished fluting adds an additional layer of sophistication. Every facet of the case band reflects exquisite precision, a testament to the attention to the meticulous attention to detail that Blandenier devotes dedicated to every stage of his work.

The master’s touch extends even to the dial of L’Armoriale, where a stylized “Florentine” motif enhances the overall refinement of the watch. Executed with exquisite precision, each element of this decoration contributes to a dial of timeless beauty. The attention to detail doesn’t waver, extending to the latch that activates the minute repeater. Treated with the same meticulousness as the case middle, it boasts fine engravings and impeccable details. The watch’s pendant and crown also undergo refined engraving, adding an overarching touch of elegance.

Inspired by a pocket watch featuring Jaquemarts and an automaton scene titled “Moses Striking the Rock,” the engraving on the L’Armoriale case introduces an ornamental motif that imparts richness and depth to the piece, elevating it to a remarkable artistic dimension.

The post OBJET D’ART L’ARMORIALE – L’ARMORIALE POCKET WATCH appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

TIME TO RESET
An invitation to reset our relationship with time, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante and Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante deliver instantaneous and intuitive measurements that capture the rhythm of modern-day life. The beauty of these complications lies in their extreme user-friendliness.
The ingenious mechanics behind these deceptively simple-looking watches alter the way countdowns and dual time complications are viewed and activated. In a departure from conventional graduated rotating bezels, an additional gold hand concealed under the minute hand executes the task – a minute countdown on the Minute Rattrapante, and a GMT indication on the GMT Rattrapante – without marring the understated elegance of the Tonda PF codes.
“Rattrapante” describes the motion performed by the extra hand when it jumps back to its concealed position, similar to a split-seconds chronograph hand.
Parmigiani Fleurier’s Rattrapantes fuse pragmatic, intuitive complications with the luxurious, understated aesthetic that defines the Tonda PF collection.

“At Parmigiani Fleurier, we push the boundaries in innovation. The individual should control time, his time. It’s not time that should control the individual.”
— Guido Terreni, CEO Parmigiani Fleurier

TONDA PF MINUTE RATTRAPANTE: A 2023 WORLD PREMIERE
Innovation in terms of complications, paired with simplicity of use: true to the spirit of the brand, Parmigiani Fleurier presented the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante in March 2023, a world first that followed on from the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante which made waves when it was introduced the previous year.

The birth of the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante was guided by the idea of reinterpreting one of the most common watchmaking functions, while helping it evolve to become an absolute innovation. The basic premise: to perform the function usually operated by the graduated bezel on a diver’s watch via the movement itself. The result: user friendliness, excellent legibility and apparent simplicity right the way through to activating the function.

While the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante enables a distinction between local and home time in one-hour increments, the new development of the function in the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante serves to display the minutes in five and one-minute increments respectively.

The dial features an hour hand and two superimposed minute hands: the rhodium-plated gold minute hand indicates real time and conceals the other 18ct rose gold hand minute hand, which calculates minutes in five or one-minute increments on demand. Pressing a pusher at 8 o’clock makes the rose gold hand jump in 5-minute intervals; the pusher at 10 o’clock moves it by 1-minute intervals. The period of time to be measured will have elapsed when the rhodium-plated hand reaches the position of the 18ct rose gold hand, which is then returned to its superimposed position by pressing the crown-integrated pusher.

The Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante is graced with pure and essential proportions featuring sophisticated aesthetic codes and finishes. A complication that is intuitive, efficient, and extremely simple to use, in harmony with the philosophy that guides the brand.

TONDA PF GMT RATTRAPANTE: A 2022 WORLD PREMIERE
One of the most remarkable launches of 2022, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante refreshed the dual time complication with a resolutely innovative mechanism that is true to the purity and minimalism of the Tonda PF collection. The Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is the perfect instrument for globetrotters juggling time zones. There is nothing superfluous about this sleek, elegant model that seamlessly indicates both local and home time.

The iconic timepiece was reimagined in 2023 with the introduction of a full 18ct rose gold version, graced with a Milano Blue dial featuring a refined barleycorn guilloché pattern.

The Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante appears unassuming at first glance, with the hours and minutes sweeping gracefully around the elegant hand-guilloché dial. Yet beneath this traditional face lies a complication powering two superimposed hour hands; one in rhodium-plated gold for local time and the other in 18ct rose gold for home time.

The pusher at 8 o’clock advances the rhodium-plated hand for local time in one-hour increments; home time is displayed by the gold hand. When the dual time function is no longer required, the gold pusher integrated in the crown allows the local hour hand to “catch up” (rattraper) like the split-seconds hand of a chronograph and hide beneath the gold home time hand.

This original innovation, unique in watchmaking history, relies on a sophisticated and innovative mechanism. Intuitive and simple to use, the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante allows for purists to enjoy the luxury of an uncluttered time display, whilst reveling in the incredible quality and care lavished on each and every detail.

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