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Еще одна уникальная модель, которую поместили в центр стенда Parmigiani на SIHH - Toric Lépine Special Edition Lalique.



Русского пресс-релиза у меня, к сожалению, нет, дам выдержку из английского:

The Toric Lépine, a unique collection piece by Parmigiani Fleurier and Lalique

The Toric Lépine embodies the fusion of Haute Horlogerie with the very best crystal work and jewellery making expertise. This unique objet d’art in the form of a table clock features a crystal case by Lalique which houses a Parmigiani Fleurier pocket watch. In watchmaking, the term "Lépine" indicates that the pocket watch has no cover, which means that the passage of time is permanently visible.

Thanks to its mobile mounting system, the Toric Lépine can be transformed from a table clock to a pocket watch as desired. This capacity for metamorphosis, which is often seen in Parmigiani Fleurier pieces, also pays tribute to the numerous transformable jewellery items and horological objects found among René Lalique's creations.

The aesthetics of the Toric Lépine draw on the aquatic world, so often a source of inspiration for the Lalique brand. The pocket watch features a minute repeater, a Parmigiani Fleurier Haute Horlogerie movement whose mechanical complexity and sophisticated adjustment represent the very pinnacle of complication craftsmanship.

The continuity between the crystal elements and the horological craftsmanship is flawless. The Toric Lépine sees Parmigiani Fleurier's most essential horological complication combined with Lalique's iconic materials and codes, with the expertise of each brand being mutually enhanced in the most exquisite harmony.


PRODUCTION TIME INVESTED BY THE TWO BRANDS

Model design and creation: 370 hours
Development and modelling: 560 hours
Craftsmanship and production: 1340 hours
Total – 2270 hours of work
 
Inspiration – An artistic conception of time

Of the four elements, René Lalique (1860-1945) had a particular fascination for water, because of the play of light and transparency it shares with glass. A passionate student of nature and its mythology, he often depicted the aquatic world and its fantastical creatures, including women metamorphosing into sirens, Naiads and Nereids.

The Toric Lépine pays tribute to the inventive spirit of René Lalique by resurrecting one of the master jeweller's most iconic creations: the Coutard Fountain, produced in 1935. This trailblazing piece, which established the signature codes of Lalique, depicts the myth of Arethusa, who was turned into a fountain by the goddess Artemis to help her flee from the god Alpheus after he had fallen madly in love with her. The depiction of Arethusa, as well as the pattern of droplets forming the Coutard Fountain in her wake, have remained two of Lalique's signature emblems and have been constantly reinterpreted over time.

A fine example of collaboration between the two Brands, the Toric Lépine depicts the rich symbolism of this fresco, emphasising its beauty with a horological element in the form of a pocket watch placed in the centre of the piece.

Viewed from the front, the crystal base and the watch dial blend together in perfect continuity. The base features a whirlpool of curvaceous Naiads, their long hair transforming into a stream of bubbles which gather to form the shape of the Coutard motif. With nods to both Art Nouveau, in the meticulous arrangement of the droplets, and Art Deco, in their rounded form, this motif extends seamlessly from the crystal to the dial, as if the wave and the movement of the sirens had left it in their wake.

Seen from the back, the Toric Lépine depicts the nymph Arethusa, whose face, framed by two fish, appears on the rear medallion of the pocket watch. Known as the "Masque de Femme" (female mask), this Art Nouveau-inspired creation in crystal suffuses the centre of the fresco with soft lines. The transparent crystal base surrounds the goddess Arethusa, who appears encircled by the same Naiads, with their whirlpool of hair, as those seen accompanying the horological piece at the front. The design of the Toric Lépine and its captivating dance of mythological creatures allows the viewer to admire each facet in turn, with each new angle of observation revealing the sublime wealth of its history and symbols.

From craftsmanship to an exceptional piece

The Toric Lépine reveals the expertise of the two Brands, combining the perfection of the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric movement with that of Lalique crystal.

The base of the clock in Lalique crystal was created using the lost wax casting technique. This production process is carried out completely by hand by Lalique's own master crystal workers. An initial plaster sculpture featuring all the details is created, then reproduced in wax and covered to create a mould. The wax is then melted to empty the mould obtained, and the crystal takes the place of the wax and moulds to the forms of the motif. The cold glass artists then work the crystal in order to resculpt it and perfect the details. Next, the colourless crystal receives the famous Lalique satin and repolished contrasting finish. The recessed motifs are satin-finished to emphasise their depth, while the solid motifs are polished, creating designs with a bold contrast which bring the pure crystal to life.

The two medallions in Lalique crystal on the case exterior (Arethusa female mask and Droplets) posed a real challenge for Lalique, due to the finesse and highly precise tolerances required for the horological mechanism. In order to perfectly hug the contours of the watch, the Lalique crystal had to be hand-worked to ensure the exact degree of detail and precision required.

The dial face of the Toric Lépine is a Parmigiani Fleurier creation that involves numerous stages of meticulous work. The base is a mother-of-pearl plate which is machined in a concentric wave design which represents the disturbance created by an object thrown into water. The captivating shades of colour emanate from the mother-of-pearl’s rich texture and from an engraving behind the mother-of pearl, visible by transparency. Finally, the dial is adorned with cabochons of white mother of pearl arranged in the form of the Coutard motif.

The pocket watch is opened by pressing the crown. This is a feature specific to Parmigiani Fleurier, and was developed for the first pocket watches created by the Brand.
The double back opens to reveal the Toric movement in all its complex glory, with exquisite horological decoration on each bridge and main plate. An additional ring around the edge is hand-engraved with a Naiad motif which echoes the exterior in Lalique crystal. The opposite face of this double back is engraved with the Coutard motif, further reinforcing the themes of the piece.

The pocket watch's platinum middle and the hook and each link of the chain are set with a multitude of baguette or round diamonds, which further enhance the natural play of light from the crystal. The stone setting on the side of the middle repeats the Coutard motif, with its representation of a fountain.

The pocket watch is housed inside the exterior, and attached to it by two mounts in Lalique crystal which are entirely cold worked by hand. These are affixed to the crystal case, which is attached to the metal base using an invisible UV bonding technique. This cold assembly is a highly delicate process which – when done perfectly – preserves the purity of the crystal structure without the slightest flaw.

Minute repeater

The Quaestor movement used in the Toric Lépine is a minute repeater which chimes the hours, quarter-hours and minutes with a uniquely pure melody. This is dependent on a number of sophisticated factors.

Firstly, the Toric Lépine features "cathedral" chimes, a watchmaking term which means they form two sets of gongs around the case. This greatly amplifies the acoustic quality compared with a single set, but the watchmaker's work on the housing is considerably more difficult.
Secondly, this movement has a flywheel, which is a major innovation. Apart from ensuring a constant supply of energy to the spring, this device allows the minute repeater to operate without any mechanical humming. By contrast, a classic device functions with a jerky toothed wheel, while the flywheel ensures total mechanical silence, leaving only the sound of the melodious chime each time it is struck.
Finally, the generously-sized platinum case is specially designed to provide perfect acoustics which allow the sound waves to oscillate at the best frequencies.

The minute repeater represents the ultimate complication in terms of the watchmaker's art and the manual dexterity it requires. Its mechanism is an incredibly complex kinetic chain, and the slightest deviation will affect its operation. As a result, each piece must be set to ensure perfect balance, and is as unique as the talent of the craftsman responsible for its execution. A watchmaker may swap the parts for any mechanism with a colleague, but not those of the minute repeater; these bear his very own hallmark, which breathes life into the piece as a whole.

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