BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Swiss luxury watch brand Parmigiani Fleurier has begun disclosing its plans for SIHH 2019 and the Toric Chronometre Slate that you see pictured here is one of the novelties which would be showcased by the brand during the popular watch event which is scheduled to begin on the 14th of January 2019. Introduced during SIHH 2017, the Toric Chronometre collection consists of simple and classic looking three hand watches that basically represent a modern reinterpretation of the first watch designed by Michel Parmigiani. The new Toric Chronometre Slate keeps the design DNA of the previous versions intact but adds a beautiful slate-colored guilloche dial making for a watch which is familiar yet unique.
Guilloche is a technique which is utilized to decorate watch dials with intricate, repetitive patterns which are engraved on the dial, giving it an ornate look. The slate guilloche dial on this new watch has been finely executed completely by hand and is meant to evoke the spiral structure of a pine cone, one of the innumerable examples of golden ration found in nature.
The dial is well complemented by applied Arabic numerals and distinctive semi-skeletonized Javelin shaped hands, all of which has been presented in 18kt red gold giving the dial a sense of warmth. Another interesting detail is the nicely bordered curved date window which can accommodate up to three dates together with the current date being pointed at by the applied triangle at 6.
Parmigiani watches generally feature intriguing case designs, but the Toric Chronometre has a more conventional rounded 18kt gold case. The case is 40.8mm wide, 9.4mm thick and is water resistant to only 30 meters which is quite acceptable for a dressy watch like this. While quite simple looking for the most part, what makes this case special is its knurled bezel which has once again been executed completely by hand and adds a ton of personality to the case. There is a sapphire crystal on the front and also a sapphire crystal exhibition window at the back which gives a nice view of the powerhouse behind this watch. The Toric Chronometre is powered by the COSC certified in-house calibre PF441 which operates at a frequency of 28800 bph and offers a healthy power reserve of 55 hours. The movement is made up of 220 components and is beautifully decorated with a superbly beveled and circular-grained main plate and bridges decorated with Geneva stripes. The oscillating weight is also made out of 18kt gold and is delicately engraved and stamped with the initials PF.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronometre Slate (Ref. PFC423-1600201-HA1241) is a stunning looking watch whose real beauty lies in its refined hand driven execution. The watch comes attached to an alligator strap made by Hermes and while the price of the watch has not yet been revealed, but it is expected to be around EUR 20,000. Visit Parmigiani Fleurier here.
