The celebratory sound of time
To celebrate Michel Parmigiani’s birthday, the company that bears his name has an annual tradition of unveiling a new high horological creation. This year, Parmigiani Fleurier presented the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, a masterpiece that merges artistic beauty with exceptional acoustic engineering. This luxury watch has been designed as a limited series of five ultra-slim unique pieces, personalised to the collector’s wishes, in white gold and enamel.
In a sense, striking watches are a return to a horology that required the telling of time in the dark, before the invention of artificial light or luminous markers.
Front (left) and back (right) of the Parmigiani Fleurier Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, where the minutes and hours are indicated by the letters “M” and “H” on the dial.
The Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is both about artisan craftsmanship and high-complication watchmaking. In terms of the calibre, Parmigiani engaged the talents at AP Renaud Paper to design and craft a manual wound movement that chimes the cathedral gongs once the slide on the side of the case is pushed. The term “cathedral” refers to gongs which are extra-long and wrap around…