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Away from the Fairways | TEE TIME
STRIKING A CHORD
EVAN RAST REPORTS ON PARMIGIANI’S INTRIGUING AND INSPIRING NEW COLLECTION – THE OVALE, PROOF THAT THE CLASSICAL AND THE CONTEMPORARY CAN HARMONIOUSLY COEXIST. The Parmigiani Ovale Pantographe HKGOLFER.COM
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The Ovale Tourbillon
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w o months ago in St Tropez, Parmigiani presented an entirely new line: the long-awaited Ovale collection. “It is like an artist’s technique,” Michel Parmigiani said of the eye-catching oval-shaped case measuring 45mm by 37.6mm. “You don’t process the calculations and dimensions; you just sense it is aesthetically pleasing.” This groundbreaking collection includes the Ovale Tourbillon, a limited edition Ovale Monsieur A produced in harness with the artist André Saraiva and, my personal favourite, the Ovale Pantographe. The first protot ype of the Ovale Pantographe was shown in New York nearly two years ago at Mechanical Wonders: Antique Automatons and Contemporary Watchmaking, an exhibition of mechanical masterpieces from the collection of the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation, Parmigiani’s parent company. Like the signed 1800 Vardon and Stedman pocket watch that inspired i t , t h e w a tc h i s distinguished by its The Ovale complex telescopic Pantographe hands that expand successfully embodies an d co ntr a c t to follow the contours the link between of the oval dial as Parmigiani’s they display the passing hours and contemporary minutes. watchmaking and Engineering its legacy in antique the system for the smaller Ovale was restoration more challenging than it appeared, and the watchmaker spent the following two years overcoming several issues. Aside from the intricate construction of the segmented blued titanium hands, one of the biggest challenges was solving the energy demands of the telescopic system. Parmigiani fitted its oldest movement, the manual-winding caliber PF110 that was originally created for Hebdomadaire line, with a module for the retractable hands to create the PF111 with an 8-day power reserve. Given its historical inspiration, the Ovale Pantographe successfully embodies the link between Parmigiani’s contemporary watchmaking and its legacy in antique restoration. The Ovale Pantograph comes in either rose gold or white gold. The brand’s characteristic Delta hands appoint the Ovale Tourbillon powered by the PF501 movement with a rare 30-second tourbillon, HKGOLFER.COM
The Ovale Monsieur A
completing two rotations per minute for enhanced precision. Available in rose gold with a black mother of pearl dial or a white gold dial decorated with Côtes de Genève striping, the Ovale Tourbillon is limited to 30 pieces in each version. The most surprising of the Ovale trio is the capricious Monsieur A designed by André Saraiva, better known as André, the grafitti artist who gained fame in the 1990s for spray painting the grinning, winking Monsieur A on the streets of Paris. The familiar face, with an X for one eye, appears at 12 o’clock on the watch’s dial, his trademark grin serving as a power reserve display. The eyes at 3 and 9 o’clock recall the Eye of Horus from ancient Egypt. Underneath the contemporary art dial is a beautifully hand-finished solid gold PF110 movement. “I was looking to do many different ideas,” said Saraiva. “Of course I experimented, but I went for something more sober with little symbols, more simple – sometimes it’s better.” Parmigiani will produce 10 Monsieur A watches in stainless steel – and there’s a bonus for those who make a purchase: those who wear them will gain complementary admission to Saraiva’s Le Baron nightclubs in New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo. While Michel Parmigiani admits that some of his more traditional clients may be surprised by the partnership, he emphasizes that the classical and the contemporary can harmoniously coexist. HKGOLFER.COM
The original 1800 Vardon and Stedman pocket watch The Caliber PF111
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