The Swiss watch house has a deep bond with the Eternal City: it is from the masterpieces of the past that has been inspired for his new creations.
Durability over time and the elegance of forms are the fundamental characteristics that unite the art and architecture creations of the Ancient Rome, and the watches that Michel Parmigiani, president of Parmigiani Fleurier, designs since 1996.
Not surprisingly, the new models Toric, Chronomètre, and Hémisphères Rétrograde, presented this October at the Gallery 28 in Piazza di Pietra (Rome), are the dynamic creations whose classical aesthetics recalls the solidity of lines of the classical architecture. Taking a first-hand look, it’s easy to understand why: their cases bring to mind the solid bases of the ancient columns, with grooves and scroll-shaped ornaments, and the clock-faces are trod by two long javelin-shaped hands reminiscent of the launch spears used by the ancient athletes and warriors.
Chronomètre, in white or red gold, is the most basic model of the Toric line, remodelled in a more relaxed and generally more agile and essential form. The dial, offered in opal black or grained white, features a calendar, and a very light-weight chemin-de-fer bezel with a set of gracefully spaced Arabic numerals.
On the other hand, Hémisphères Rétrograde is the brand new model that Parmigiani has created for the wrists of true travelers: with its two time zones, it indicates with a minute precision even the time for two areas separated by a half an hour’s or a quarter of an hour’s difference.