Parmigiani Fleurier’s Latest: A Watch That Sings “Happy Birthday”?

A ways back, my first proper sit-down with a watchmaker was with the illustrious Michel Parmigiani, who started his brand, Parmigiani Fleurier, in 1996, after being inspired by his expert background in watch and clock restoration and thorough knowledge of historic, sometimes “forgotten,” watchmaking techniques.

In fact, he once famously said, “Restoration gave me the confidence I needed to pursue my watchmaking dreams.”

But, since he could easily tell I was fairly new to the watch industry at the time, he also ended up treating me to a condensed graduate-level dissertation on the Golden Ratio and its influence on watch design, especially. It was eye-opening, to say the least.
 

After that meeting, I had new insight into why some watches were more balanced and harmonious to the eye and, in fact, wore better than others.

Don’t get me wrong: He was never overly didactic with me. No, I think of him more as a “watch whisperer.” That is why I can send out my own belated best wishes to him, as yesterday was Mr. Parmigiani’s 74th birthday.

However, the maker is already well-versed in its founder’s birthday celebrations, releasing very special editions on his big day every year, at least going back to his 60th birthday in 2010.

Released yesterday, the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is explained by CEO Guido Terreni thusly: “We created the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse to transcend the simple act of telling time, inviting its owner to connect with time purely through sound, honoring the original purpose of minute repeaters – to tell time in the dark, long before electricity.”
 

He continued: “While the ear listens, the eye is free to fully appreciate the beauty of the artistry of our master craftsmen. Each strike too becomes a profound connection to the mystery of chiming watches in its purest form.”

This minute repeater is the first in a very limited edition run of five chiming timepieces featuring a meticulously crafted 41.6mm white gold case with a purely ornamental pastel green translucent grand feu enamel “dial” expertly guilloché engraved on top.
 

According to Parmigiani himself, this artistic approach reflects “a perfection found in the spirals of a pinecone, where the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence intertwine to reveal the harmony of the world.” A pinecone, in fact, sits center stage on the top of the watch’s top adornment.

Is all this mystery and math making you feel like you are in a new version of The Da Vinci Code? It’s an apt reference as the commemorative timepiece is also a “secret” watch, with the real dial of the instrument on the back side of the case in gorgeous Guatemalan white jade with rose gold “hands.”

But even that carries its own mystery. The letters “M” for minutes and “H” for hours ride above a series of dots to deliver the time.
 

On a Toric-like, hand-stitched taupe alligator strap and presented in a unique, acoustically-friendly Risoud spruce box that can serve as a natural amplifier for the tones, this L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse is a one-of-a-kind ode, and is likely already claimed.
 

But, as stated above, five more special chiming watches are planned. So, stay tuned to the Parmigiani Fleurier website to hear the word.