SIHH 2016: Parmigiani Haute Horlogerie

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У Parmigiani достаточно много интересного, как в области высокого часового искусства, так и в вещах более умеренных. Потихоньку буду выкладывать все что удалось посмотреть и поснимать. Начну с трех очень красивых и сложных моделей.

TONDA CHRONOR ANNIVERSAIRE

TO MARK ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY, PARMIGIANI FLEURIER IS UNVEILING THE TONDA CHRONOR ANNIVERSAIRE, ITS NEW INTEGRATED CHRONOGRAPH MOVEMENT, A FEAT OF WATCHMAKING THAT VERY FEW OF TODAY’S MANUFACTURES ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING.



With its first Anniversary model featuring a gold movement, Parmigiani Fleurier pays tribute to the tradition of the chronograph.



Conquering watchmaking everest
An integrated chronograph is the Holy Grail for a watch manufacture, as it is one of the complications requiring the most skill to create on an industrial scale. The chronograph relies on kinematics with a chain of actions, each one determining and triggering the next, and each sequence precisely synchronised and adjusted. Even the tiniest imperfection has a knock-on effect, travelling down the line like a series of dominoes, disrupting the entire movement. Prestigious, requiring technical excellence, the integrated chronograph says a great deal about the potential of Parmigiani Fleurier’s manufacture. It harks back to the watchmaking expertise that enabled its creation; it reminds us that a manufacturing
process is truly exceptional when it employs years of accumulated knowledge. It paves the way towards an era when the watchmaker, the technician and the craftsman walk side by side.



The basic rule was the following: no additional module. Each element had to be integrated to the movement and restricted to a single main plate. The creators started with a blank sheet and after a careful research and development stage, they drew up and optimized the first integrated chronograph of the Parmigiani manufacture. This manually wound movement includes a chronograph, a split second function and a large date, all on the same main plate. This movement PF361 encloses many cutting edge developments designed to increase its reliability which are the demonstration of a watchmaking industry at the height of its talents.



• A 5 Hertz movement – 36,000 vibrations per hour
The higher the oscillation frequency, the more accurate the chronograph. A frequency of 5 Hertz, very rare for such a calibre, means that the chronograph’s seconds hand makes ten jumps or steps per second, thus enabling a precision to the 10th of second. Its rate is influenced by external factors, such as gravity or impacts, to a lesser degree and the hand moves with a gentle fluidity, unlike the more staccato movements of a chronograph with a lower frequency.



• Column wheels instead of a cam
The movement is organised around a central column wheel which is the nerve centre of the chronograph, the part which synchronises all its elements. This component is more difficult to create and more precious than a simple cam, and lends the movement an elegance that can only come from this level of expertise. The column wheel is also perceptibly smoother when operating. This is referred to as a chronograph’s activation ergonomics. This movement has two column wheels, one to govern the chronograph, the other to drive the split second function in perfect synchronism.



• A vertical clutch instead of a horizontal clutch
The vertical clutch is very difficult to create, but technically more accurate than its sister, the horizontal clutch. The action of this device boosts the accuracy of measurements by enabling the chronograph to start up both immediately and without the slightest initial jolt.



• A balance secured by a cross-through bridge instead of a single attachment point, known as the ”cock“
With the double attachment point on the cross-through bridge, the component regulating the movement, the balance, is more stable and robust. Its operation is not disrupted following an impact, a desirable attribute since the chronograph is, above all, a piece of sports equipment. On the other hand, this cross-through bridge has been designed so that its height can be adjusted, to adapt it very precisely to the rest of the movement. The precision of the assembly is thus complete.

THE SPLIT SECOND



Perfectly integrated into the Tonda Chronor Anniversaire’s PF361 movement, this complication enhances the chronograph with its potential to measure split times. Its principle rests on an additional hand known as the ”split second hand“ which sits on top of the central chronograph seconds hand, or ”trotteuse“, and is permanently linked to it (when started, stopped and reset). However, once the central seconds hand is running, if the additional push-piece for the split second on the crown is activated, the hand comes out of the shadows: it stops, while the central seconds hand continues to run. After reading this split time, pressing the push-piece on the crown again will bring the split second hand back in line with the central seconds hand, to continue running alongside it. This manoeuvre can be repeated as many times as is necessary. The split second hand is driven by the movement’s second column wheel, using a mechanism which indexes it to the chronograph’s central seconds hand and releases it for the split timing measurements. This complication requires a second kinematic chain, in addition to that of the chronograph, which presents a major challenge for adjustment.

THE LARGE DATE



Lastly, this movement comprises a Large Date which is also integrated into the movement, rather than added to a additional module. The purpose of this development is to keep the movement as slim as possible, whilst retaining technical reliability. Managing to insert a large date into a calibre with an integrated chronograph is a logistical challenge, considering the spatial constraints involved. The creators of the watch therefore maximised the usable surface to create the perfect space to house the 13 mm discs. The large date appears at 12 o’clock, behind a double counter with gold appliques.

TORIC QUAESTOR RIPPLE

THE AESTHETICS OF THE TORIC QUAESTOR RIPPLE ARE INSPIRED BY A JAPANESE GARDEN.









These idyllic settings sometimes contain small islands of fine sand which is sculpted into concentric waves and scrolls reminiscent of tranquil waters. This is the pattern reproduced on the dial of the Toric Quaestor Ripple, a unique piece that pays tribute to the Zen philosophy at the heart of Japanese culture. The dial of the Toric Quaestor Ripple is made from solid gold. It is hand engraved to create the waves of the pattern at various depths, creating a captivating sense of perspective. Each ripple has been engraved and hammered by hand to ensure that the boundary with the adjacent ripple is perfectly clear, yet very fine and subtle. The white gold of the case appears to extend the engraving, with the gadroons and knurling typical of the Toric middle. A ruby cabochon set on the crown completes the picture. This unique piece features a Havana Hermès strap in alligator leather.

THE MINUTE REPEATER ON THE TORIC QUAESTOR RIPPLE HAS A FLYWHEEL WHICH REPLACES THE TRADITIONAL PALLET FORK, AND REPRESENTS AN INNOVATION IN PARMIGIANI FLEURIER’S HAUTE HORLOGERIE COLLECTION.



In addition to ensuring a constant supply of energy to the spring to regulate the speed of the percussions, this device improves the function of the minute repeater by eliminating its mechanical hum. While its counterpart, the pallet fork, operates with the jerky motion of a toothed wheel, the flywheel ensures complete mechanical silence, preserving only the melodious sound of the cathedral chimes. The quality of this melody is no accident. The case in white gold has been forged to ensure perfect acoustics for the minute repeater chime, which means the sound wave oscillates at the optimal frequencies inside the case. The Toric Quaestor Ripple features “cathedral” chimes, a watchmaking term which means they form two sets of gongs around the case. This amplifies the acoustic quality compared with a single set, but the watchmaker’s work on the housing is considerably more difficult. The minute repeater chimes the hours, quarter-hours and minutes with a unique melody, marking the Toric Quaestor Ripple as a genuine horological masterpiece.

TONDA 1950 TOURBILLON GALAXY

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER HAS ADDED A UNIQUE NEW MODEL TO ITS TONDA 1950 FAMILY AND, MORE SPECIFICALLY, TO ITS ULTRA-THIN TOURBILLON RANGE.





With its aventurine dial, the Tonda 1950 Tourbillon Galaxy owes its cosmic name to the intrinsic properties of this stone. Aventurine has a heterogeneous structure thanks to its small inclusions of metal, which give it its characteristic textured appearance. On this model, the midnight blue aventurine is mottled with fine white fragments that evoke the twinkling of stars in the night sky. The name Galaxy came quite naturally. The bezel of the rose gold case is set with diamonds to prolong the shimmer of the surfaces and render the piece even more precious. The Tonda 1950 tourbillon Galaxy is a special limited edition of 5 pieces, each with an individual number engraved on the back of the middle.







Aesthetics of the Tonda 1950 Tourbillon family
With its streamlined middle and clean lines, the Tonda 1950 Tourbillon is the result of the quest for simplicity and elegance that characterises this collection. It is based on the fundamental aesthetic codes of Parmigiani Fleurier, interpreting them in a contemporary spirit. For the Tonda 1950 Tourbillon, the entire aesthetics of the piece are inspired by the theme of 07:08. This is a nod to the founder of Parmigiani Fleurier, who was born at exactly this time in the Val-de-Travers in Switzerland. The complication is placed to the left of centre, just after the 7 o‘clock index, while the tourbillon is perpendicular to the angle corresponding to 07:08, and highlighted by a red applique around the edge of the seconds. The decoration on the movement bridges also follows an oblique pattern formed of a series of Côtes de Genève. Their design, which follows a circular arc, added an extra degree of difficulty. They take the form of a wave, reflecting the oscillations of the tourbillon which spread through the movement. This circular arc decoration requires a recalibration for each new facet of the Côtes de Genève, and leaves no room for even the smallest of errors.