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[ The WATCH ]
Time
Capsule by Diego Tamone
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A contemporary shape with an aesthetic drawn from centuries ago, hosting a movement that dates back to the late 19th century. The Armoriale is a unique example created by Parmigiani Fleurier to celebrate a special moment
T
ime as a constant becoming, but also a measurable phenomenon, a succession of states organised along the straight line of our memory of the past, the
passage of the present and an expectation of the future. These ideas have been argued about by physicists, historians and philosophers, finding a more concrete expression from the 16th century thanks to a portable mechanical object designed
Above, the engraved and Grand
to display it in an artificial way. A wearable timepiece that found its true role from
Feu enamelled back of the
the 17th century onwards in the form of the pocket watch. The classic turnip pocket
Armoriale by Parmigiani Fleurier.
watch, a generic, even reductive term used for ordinary timepieces and admirable
The design recalls the triangular
pieces of mechanical artisanality. Small “timeless time machines” that can still
rose floor of the Sala dei Giganti
fascinate us with their beauty and historical content. In late 2023 all this encouraged
of Palazzo Te in Mantova.
Parmigiani Fleurier to celebrate the birthday of its founder and honorary president
Opposite page, its movement
Michel Parmigiani by perfecting the Armoriale, a pocket watch with 58.2 mm white
and the dial decorated with a
gold case made is a single example, a unique synthesis of the Master’s technical
Florentine-style pattern
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[ The WATCH ]
Above, clockwise: two stages of the burin engraving on the case back. The complex manual creation of the white gold chain. The final result – the decoration is in Grand Feu enamel. Bottom, left, a preliminary sketch of the Armoriale pocket watch
expression, with a tangible yet also symbolic value. The company has created a movement with chronograph complication and minute repetitions dating back to 1890 made by the Geneva-based Golay Leresche & Fils but restored recently by Michel Parmigiani and modified by him to add a perpetual calendar function. It’s an ideal bridge across the centuries, decorated in the same way as when it was used in 18th century Geneva by cabinotiers, the expert artisans in métiers d’art working in their studios, light-filled workplaces on the top floors of their buildings. It is aesthetically and creatively enhanced by the artisanal talent of a master enameller, an engraver and a chain maker.
www.parmigiani.com
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