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Hands-On: A Quick Look At Parmigiani Fleurier's New Toric Chronograph Rattrapante
The Toric line is nothing without a complication in the mix and Parmigiani brought one of their best, right out of the gate.
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The Toric line is nothing without a complication in the mix and Parmigiani brought one of their best, right out of the gate.
SJX Watches
Originally presented in 2012 to that Year of the Dragon – and reputedly priced at over US$3 million at the time – the Parmigiani Le Dragon et la Perle du Savoir has been restored just in time for this Year of the Dragon that soon begins in February 2024. Now renamed Tempus Fugit, the automaton made up of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl, a traditional motif in Chinese culture. Initial thoughts This exemplifies Parmigiani’s mastery of ultra-high-end automatons and clocks that were a key part of its offerings in the 1990s. During that period, only Parmigiani and Gerald Genta specialised in such extraordinary creations. Although this was produced in 2012, it certainly evokes the sculptural automaton clocks of that earlier period. Such extravagant automatons clocks are rare today – only Van Cleef & Arpels regularly creates such one-offs now – but are undeniably impressive. Like its peers, the dragon automaton combines goldsmithing, gem-setting, automata construction, and of course clockmaking, all techniques mastered by Parmigiani thanks to its restoration department, which was historically the best in Switzerland. Naturally, the brand’s affordable and relatively more ordinary wristwatch offerings don’t possess the same extravagant craft, but it is good to know the scope of the brand’s capabilities. The dragon chasing a pearl A familiar motif in Chinese folklore, the dragon chasing a flaming pearl represents the pursuit of wisdom, prosperity, or power. Here it ...
SJX Watches
For its 25th anniversary last year, Parmigiani debuted La Rose Carrée, a grande sonnerie pocket watch that was entirely hand engraved and enamelled in blue. While it was a one-off creation, the pocket watch has spawned a collection of five minute repeaters, Les Roses Carrées. Each of the five will be unique and the very first is La Rosa Celeste, a minute repeating wristwatch that takes after the pocket watch in both decoration and detail. Initial thoughts As is typical of Parmigiani’s top-of-the-line compilations, La Rosa Celeste is impressive in both its decoration and complication, but it has an unusual modern feel. Although the case is intricately engraved, the clean dial gives it a contemporary feel, so it doesn’t have the old-fashioned ornateness that such watches often possess. With the lavish engraving and generous enamelling, the case makes a statement on the wrist, even more so with its size. At 42 mm in diameter and over 13 mm high, La Rosa Celeste is a big watch, a little too big to be as elegant as its decoration. But the size is no doubt also meant to give it presence, which it will surely have. La Rosa Celeste is finely crafted and artisanally decorated, which inevitably means it is expensive, or CHF600,000 to be exact. That’s a hefty sum but par for the course for a watch like this. Repeating roses and blue enamel Of all the elements of the watch, the dial is the simplest in terms of style. It’s almost minimalist with small, square hour markers...
Hodinkee
In anticipation of Father's Day, we sat down with Michel and Anne-Laure Parmigiani to discuss what it's like working together.
Quill & Pad
The Fibonacci number sequence is a discovery of mathematics and nature that has both amazed and confounded the scientific community for centuries. And it is the inspiration for the stunning engravings on the unique La Rose Carrée, a masterfully restored grande sonnerie minute repeater pocket watch made to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Parmigiani and launched to mark the seventieth birthday of the brand’s founder and master restorer, Michel Parmigiani.
Hodinkee
In fact, it celebrates them. In this case, with a limited, double-signed Tonda GT and Tondagraph GT to Celebrate Oliver Smith Jeweler’s 40th Anniversary.
Hodinkee
After launching an instant classic in the Octo Finissimo, Guido Terreni walked away to take the reins of an independent marque. In his first interview atop his new brand, he explains the thinking that led him to Parmigiani Fleurier.
Deployant
Parmigiani refreshes the Tondagraph GT collection with two new models (steel and rose gold) with bi-colour dials with rubber strap or metal bracelet.
Revolution
Celebrating the digital Watches & Wonders launch, Parmigiani is introducing the Toric Tourbillon Slate, which celebrates both Michel Parmigiani and the FHH’s digital platform.
Quill & Pad
The curved edges of the case of the Parmigiani Kalpa Kalparisma Snow ensure that, whatever the angle or direction, there are always diamonds catching light and reflecting it back as a bright galaxy of scintillating fires. It’s the incredible expanse of sparkle that makes snow-set watches so extraordinary, and this new watch is a prime example.
Quill & Pad
Martin Green feels that the Parmigiani Toric was, and is, perfectly proportioned, with just the right dash of eccentricity incorporated into its design. But does adding complications change that? And does all of that still deserve the title of Parmigiani's best-looking line?
Revolution
Ross Povey goes on the hunt and discovers two instances of previously unknown Khanjar Dial Rolex Daytonas.
Parmigiani renews its signature Kalpa collection for 2018 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie.
Revolution’s Online Editor-at-Large Suzanne Wong talks about the Co-Axial Movement Construction of the Parmigiani Bugatti Type 390 and why it is so cool.
Deployant
Parmigiani Fleurier released the latest Ovale Pantographe with a new dial at SIHH 2017. Similar in shape and movement, the watch is essentially the same as
Revolution
Complications are a way of life for Parmigiani, yet they will never bother you with it unless it is absolutely necessary to do so. Their seemingly serene dials hide a technical complexity that is often mind boggling, especially when you realize that it is combined with a finishing that is second to none. Yet while […]
Revolution
The roots of Parmigiani as a brand are in the restoration of complicated watches and clocks from horological history. This remains the passion of founder Michel Parmigiani, who even now, despite the success of the brand, still finds the time to devote himself to the type of restoration projects from which his horological passion came […]
Revolution
Parmigiani is known for their refreshingly contemporary watches, and that is quite extraordinary for a brand that finds its roots in restoration. Long before Michel Parmigiani founded the brand that bears his name, he was already known as an expert in the field of “Horological Restauration”. It is more often than not also the historic […]
Deployant
Watchmaking companies do not often make interesting mechanical watches for ladies. Precious few do. Amongst them some do justice for the ladies…I count Lange, JLC, and Parmigiani amongst the few. I show today, a beautiful piece in the current Parmigiani collection…the Kalpa Donna The bezel is still studded with diamonds, for some bling…we gotta haveRead More
Deployant
Today, we are doing a quick review on one of the collaborations between Honda Racing and Casio: the new Edifice Honda Racing Limited Edition.
Revolution
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Hodinkee
Simplicity and elegance. So much so that it may have flown under your radar.
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Hodinkee
All that and more in this week's edition of Hodinkee's What's Selling Where column.
Hodinkee
It's not a revival of the old Toric, but it's certainly the best we've seen in years.
Hodinkee
How one man revived a Swiss village through a focus on old-school craft and how we collect these over-the-top pieces today.
Hodinkee
Two chronographs – one bought, one military-issued – make a collection fit for a king.
Hodinkee
The pocket watch as talisman.
SJX Watches
A grand old name in highly complicated movements, Louis-Elisée Piguet was active in the second half of the 19th century and most famous for his grande sonnerie and perpetual calendar calibres. Amongst his clients for ebauches, or movement blanks, were famous names like Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin – and his work was perhaps an inspiration for Philippe Dufour in the 20th century. A prime example of one such ebauche – featuring a grande sonnerie and minute repeater no less – was acquired by Michel Parmigiani in the late 1990s. A watchmaker and restorer extraordinaire, Mr Parmigiani and his daughter, Anne-Laure, recently led a project to finish and enhance the movement, resulting in La Rose Carrée, a spectacular pocket watch to mark his namesake brand’s 25th anniversary. Initial thoughts Like the recent Vacheron Constantin Tribute to Johannes Vermeer pocket watch, La Rose Carrée is a masterpiece catered to a narrow audience. There are few collectors of pocket watches nowadays, at least relative to wristwatches, especially pocket watches with seven figure price tags. But inaccessible as it may be, La Rose Carrée is certainly worthy of admiration. The quality of craft and decoration is par excellence – an all-star team of artisans was recruited to complete it – and the ebauche was a masterpiece even unfinished. Stylistically, La Rose Carrée is also unusual in being more contemporary than the average grand complication pocket watch. The geometric f...
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