Based on a Louis-Elysée Piguet calibre with grand sonnerie, entirely restored in the Parmigiani Fleurier workshops, this unique pocket watch continues the legacy of watchmaking art that is precious to the history of the House. La Rose Carrée has now evolved into Les Roses Carrées, a series composed of 5 unique minuterepeater pieces at the top of the Parmigiani Fleurier range, set against a backdrop of absolute exclusivity.
On December 2, 2022, on the occasion of the birthday of its founder Michel Parmigiani, the brand reveals the first creation in this collection: La Rosa Celeste, an extraordinary creation that pays tribute to the age-old artisanal tradition of Grand Feu enamel and to the favorite color of the brand's founder.
The Rosa Celeste is an example of excellent craftsmanship and fine watchmaking. Its 42 mm white
gold case is hand-engraved with the "La Rose Carrée" motif and has a hunter’s caseback. The latter
and its chiseled dial are covered with grand feu enamel in blue.
Between the petals of this horological flower, Parmigiani Fleurier has concealed a manually wound
minute repeater calibre with cathedral gongs. Its skeletonization and bevelling bring together the
best of Parmigiani Fleurier's watchmaking expertise and craftsmanship in a unique and poetic piece.
This motif was engraved on the case middle and coversby hand, without the slightest margin forerror
on the vast, convex surfaces. The covers were then finished in a deep blue Grand Feu enamel. Infinite
detail, energy and passion were devoted to the creation of the flagship piece — so much so that
La Rose Carrée has evolved into Les Roses Carrées, a collection at the top of the Parmigiani Fleurier
range. The variations on this theme are thus situated in the highest spheres of artistic craftsmanship
and watchmaking complication, against a backdrop of absolute exclusivity.
Lineage of roses
La Rosa Celeste carries all the hallmarks of La Rose Carrée pocket watch. With the Rosa Celeste,
these details have been taken to a higher level of wearability and simplicity, making this piece just as
unique as the original model. This model also heralds a series entirely dedicated to the celebration of
handmade watchmaking craftsmanship according to Parmigiani Fleurier. "Les Roses Carrées" will
be the name and the thread that ties these pieces together.
In this execution, the watch case is mounted on a blue, hand-sewn alligator leather strap, the reverse
side of which is also in alligator leather. With a diameter of 42 mm, the case is cut from white gold
blocks. The bezel, lugs and caseband are hand-engraved with the La Rose Carrée motif. These
notches are engraved with a chisel into the hard surfaces of the metal, one inside the other in an
algorithmic progression. This work requires extreme precision, an impressive investment of time,
and a steady hand that is ensured by years of experience.
Softness of the surfaces
A hinge located at 2 o'clock on the reverse side of this unique piece articulates its hunter's back. Its
outer face bears a large square fractal rose, also hand-engraved and covered with multiple layers of
colored enamel. On its other side, this unique piece features a dial of solid white gold, with a surface
engraved by hand. Countless small carvings are made with immaculate regularity throughout the
breadth and depth of the dial. Once the surface has been prepared, the enameler takes over and
applies the same shade as on the hunter's caseback, striving for an identical level of nuance and a
play of light made possible by the depth of the work done by the artisanal engraver.
In both cases, dial and cover, the technique used is Grand Feu enamel. Each gold element is first
covered with enamel from crushed glass, ground finer in each layer, pigmented with metallic oxides
and shaded with the color of the base metal. The firing process is carried out at a high temperature,
800 degrees Celsius, and must be mastered and repeated for each of the six layers applied. Each
firing melts and glazes the enamel but also runs the risk of re-firing the lower, already glazed layers.
The precision of the temperatures, times, materials, and pigments plays a crucial role here.
Giving voice
To the movement’s extreme aesthetic refinement, Parmigiani Fleurier has added horological
substance on a comparable level. The noblest, most historic complication, the one most directly in
line with Michel Parmigiani's watchmaking practice as a restorer, was chosen to enliven Rosa
Celeste: the minute repeater. But striking the hours, quarters and minutes on demand was not
enough for this rare timekeeping rose.
The gongs on which the sound is produced are cathedral gongs. Their exceptional length, spanning
one and a half trips around the movement, brings a deeper, richer sound, a more sustained vibration
and a more palpable intensity. In order to allow this potential to be fully expressed, the case has been
carefully designed to optimize the sound of the movement.
Singing lessons
The movement is suspended in the case and the heel of the gongs is physically connected to the case
by a double screwing. The caseback and case middle have been redesigned to create resonance
pockets and to lighten the white gold mass. These two aspects contribute to increasing the acoustic
quality of the ringing and its range. A final quality criterion is that the ringing sequence automatically
skips dead time. Thus, at 3:19, the three chimes for the hour are immediately followed by a double
chime for the quarter-hour and again, without silence, by up to four chimes for the minute.
This device, which is unusual in the world of minute repeaters, is an indispensable characteristic for
Parmigiani Fleurier. The maison’s legendary criteria for ergonomics and directly perceptible quality
are also reflected in a running time extended to 72 hours, i.e. three full days, another rarity for this
complication.
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