BY JOVAN KRSTEVSKI
There comes a time in every watch collector’s life when he/she yearns for that special piece. While some look forward to a reference with a specific dial color, others want something which is quite uncommon and is hard to spot on someone else’s wrist. So today we have some news for the most seasoned watch collectors out there. Parmigiani has introduced a new watch called the Tecnica Ombre Noire. Featuring a beautiful guilloche dial and packed with rare and sought-after horological complications such as a minute repeater, a tourbillon, and a perpetual calendar, this is no doubt an exceptional timepiece. But what makes it even more special is that this watch would find its way onto just one lucky owners’ wrist.
The dial on the Tecnica Ombre Noire is stunningly ornate thanks to the intricate guilloche work. The ‘grain de riz’ pattern is executed totally by hand and gives the dial a distinctive visual appeal. The hour markers are a mix of Arabic numerals and triangular faceted markers and have been applied to give a nice sense of depth to the dial. Further to that taking center stage are 4 closely arranged circular sub-dials which display the array of complication this watch has to offer. At 12, 3 and 9 are the perpetual calendar indications for the date, day of the week and the month respectively. Placed just above 6 is the heart of the watch, the one-minute tourbillon. And while there is so much on offer on this dial Parmigiani has done a great job of keeping things clean and legible.
The case on the Tecnica Ombre Noire is made from 18kt rose gold which complements the dial nicely and adds to the warmth and elegance of the watch. With a diameter of 45mm, the case on this watch is on the larger side especially for a dressy piece like this but the signature curved tear drop shaped lugs should help with wearing comfort. Sitting on top of the case is a finely polished bezel which has also been fluted on the sides. This not only looks beautiful but is also purposeful as the bezel on this watch is used to activate the minute repeater functionality. As for the crystals you have sapphire on both the front and the back.
Powering this watch is Parmigiani’s in-house caliber PF351. This is a hand-wound movement which is made up of 504 components and offers a power reserve of 42 hours operating at a frequency of 3 Hz. It has been beautifully decorated using Geneva stripes and Perlage and can be viewed in all its glory through the sapphire crystal case back.
The Parmigiani Tecnica Ombre Noire is as exclusive as it gets and in case you always wanted to get your hands onto a Parmigiani this could be the right time. The watch would come attached to black alligator leather strap and would retail at a price of CHF 490,000.
Visit Parmigiani Fleurier here.
