In 2017, Parmigiani Fleurier unveiled the Toric Chronomètre, a contemporary reworking of the first watch designed by Michel Parmigiani. In November 2018, the brand revisited the aesthetics of this flagship model, introducing an eye-catching dial decorated to evoke the spiral pattern of a pine cone.
THE GUILLOCHE DIAL
“The decoration is so captivating because it is based on the Golden Ratio. Within it, you see Fibonacci’s spirals, reproducing a harmony that is everywhere in nature.” This is how Michel Parmigiani describes the hand-guilloché dial of the new Toric Chronomètre. Its concentric pattern evokes the arrangement of the scales on a pine cone – one of the innumerable examples of the Golden Ratio seen in the natural world.
Hand guilloché is an artisanal technique, of which few manufactures have such a fine mastery, in which the material is engraved to produce a repeating decorative pattern. At 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively, the elliptical Parmigiani Fleurier logo and the word “Chronomètre” used by COSC (Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) stand out from the dial’s decoration.
The javelin-shaped hands are semi-openworked, making them even more discreet to complement the subtle minute track around the circumference and the finely proportioned Arabic numerals.
THE CASE AND ITS DISTINCTIVE BEZEL
The Toric’s aesthetic impact and unique character come from its bezel, which features a hand-knurled design. Since the Toric was created in 1997, each piece has passed through the expert hands of the same craftsman in Le Noirmont (Jura), who has produced every one of the Toric bezels. Knurling is a rare and distinctive art; it consists of manipulating the material with a wheel that leaves the imprint of its notches in the metal. This work requires the craftsman to be both delicate and firm. Before starting, he must remain composed, as even a single imperfection will mean starting again from the beginning. Each knurling design is unique, just like each Toric.
The red gold case houses the COSC-certified PF441 proprietary calibre, which measures the passage of time in its most elemental form: hours, minutes, seconds and date. All of the components have been meticulously decorated to Haute Horlogerie standards.
PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
Taking its name from its founder, watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani, the fine watchmaking brand was founded in 1996 in Fleurier, in the Swiss valley of Val-de-Travers. With its own watchmaking centre ensuring its independence, the brand has both full control over the production process and unique creative freedom. For twenty years, the Parmigiani Fleurier signature has resided within timepieces that command the utmost respect, in harmony with watchmaking traditions. They are the labour of a lifetime – that of Michel Parmigiani, the talented individuals who assist him, and the special relationship between the Manufacture and the masterpieces of the past, enabling it to invent a bold future.
TECHNICAL DETAILS
REFERENCES PFC423-1600201-HA1241
MOVEMENT
- PF441-COSC
- Winding: Self-winding
- Power reserve: 55 hours
- Frequency: 4 Hz – 28,800 Vib/h
- Dimensions: 11 ½”’ – Ø 25.6 mm
- Thickness: 3.7 mm
- Components: 192
- Jewels: 29
- Barrel(s): 2 series-coupled barrels
- Decoration: “Côtes de Genève” decoration, bevelled bridges
FUNCTIONS
- Hours, Minutes
- Central seconds
- Display of the date in a window
DIAL
- Colour: Slate
- Indices: Rose gold appliques
- Finish: “Rice-grain” guilloché
- Hands: Javelin-shaped with luminescent coating
CASE
- Shape: Round, in 3 sections
- Dimensions: Ø 40.8 mm
- Thickness: 9.5 mm
- Material: 18 ct red gold
- Finish: Polished
- Crown: Ø 6 mm
- Case-back: Sapphire
- Engraving on case-back: Individual number and “CHRONOMETRE”
- Water resistance: 30 m
- Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
STRAP
- Material: Alligator
- Colour: Tan
- Brand: Hermès
BUCKLE
- Type: Ardillon
- Material: Red gold
For more information, please check the Parmigiani Website. Older press releases here: Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Capitole, Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Métropolitaine Sélène.