Friday, December 30, 2022

ANTOINE PREZIUSO – SIENA Mother Of Pearl Automatic Edition

 

ANTOINE PREZIUSOSIENA Mother Of Pearl Automatic Edition

Fascinated by the monumental clocks on the towers which dominate the cities, Antoine Preziuso creates the clock of Siena inspired by the imposing “Torre del Mangia” a tower in Piazza de Campo, famous place for its traditional Siena horse race, the “Palio”.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO  

It dial has been realized from Mother Of Pearl, finely cut and decorated. The unique hand indicate each hours and half hours, according to the original model  (on the picture it is 4 o’clock). More than a watch, this creation is a jewel, destined to be carried with distinction.

SIENA is an italian city in Toscana who has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site, which means that it is protected by the World Heritage Programme as an important part of the history of humanity to be preserved for years to come.

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The Palazzo Pubblico is the town hall which is actually a palace, and the adjacent bell tower, called Torre del Mangia. The Torre del Mangia – a tower in Piazza del Campo built between 1325 and 1348.  The clock was put onto the tower in 1360.   

The tower and the Duomo were purposely built to exactly the same height to show that the Church and the state were equal in power.  The tower walls are around 11 feet thick and the stairs to the top are cramped allowing for one way traffic only.  Only 25 visitors are allowed up the tower at any one time.

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About ANTOINE PREZIUSO GENÈVE

Tradition, complications, innovation: these three words underpin the work of Antoine Preziuso, founder of the brand ANTOINE PREZIUSO GENÈVE, which in 2018 celebrates thirty-eight years of independent watchmaking. From his studies at Geneva’s Ecole d’Horlogerie – where he discovered his calling – to the creation of the Tourbillon of Tourbillons (in close collaboration with his son Florian), Antoine Preziuso has always been inspired by three powerful values: respect for watchmaking tradition; mastery of major complications; and a constant quest for innovation in technique and design. It was Antoine Preziuso, for instance, who conceived the first watch entirely in meteorite: case, dial, buckle and hands in 2002.

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Antoine Preziuso was born in Geneva, in prime watchmaking territory, but is also proud of his Italian roots. His twin origins help explain the identity of his timepieces, with irreproachable technical quality allied to striking design. He swiftly became a passionate restorer of old timepieces, attracted by the savoir-faire of master-watchmakers of the past, and by the attention they lavished on the quality of finish. His respect for watchmaking tradition finds concrete expression in the watches he designs. The very first watch made by ANTOINE PREZIUSO GENÈVE, back in 1991, already bore the Geneva hallmark!

Antoine Preziuso is internationally recognized for his mastery of major complications, which connoisseurs can admire under his own name or in his regular work for other brands. His workshop produces minute-repeaters and perpetual calendar watches, although it is above all the Tourbillon that dominates his attention: a complication combining elegance, technique and poetry that has reigned supreme in the art of watchmaking for over two hundred years. The Tourbillon’s fascination lies in the number and size of its components and the movement of its cage, which recalls the movement of the stars. The Tourbillon is also the favoured means for Antoine Preziuso to continuously improve the chronometric quality of his timepieces.
 
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ANTOINE PREZIUSO GENÈVE is a family business. The passion for watchmaking, the love of uniqueness, of the luxury of good manufacturing that comes only from time and experience are values that Antoine Preziuso claims and shares with his family members. May, his wife, has always been at his side. She is a source of undying support, in all aspects of life, not unlike a watchmaking calibre component; her role could be compared to that of a bridge. Solid and reliable. Or, perhaps better yet, to that of a differential, harmonizing as best as possible the forces and equilibriums within this extraordinary family. Laura, their daughter, expressing her talent by combining jewellery and watchmaking techniques in a mechanical jewellery collection. She is also teaching at the Geneva School of Applied Art. Florian, their son, has followed Antoine’s path. That of watchmaking and its technical difficulties that haunt you until you solve them. He is now closely involved in all the company's new designs, and masters every aspect of R&D and production.

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Technical Specifications

Model:  SIENA Mother Of Pearl
 
Movement
Swiss mechanical with self-winding cal. APG 282
Blue screws personalised oscillating weight
 “Côtes de Genève” decorative pattern  
21 jewels.
42-hours power-reserve
Indications
Hours – only one hand
Dial
White or black mother of pearl
Hands  Gothic as the original clock
Crystal  Glass sapphire
Case
Steel case 316L 40 mm 
Waterproof  3 ATU
Size  Medium 38mm or Large 40mm
Caseback opened- sapphire glass.
Strap
Alligator or Steel bracelet


Limited edition:  001 to 360

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Thursday, December 29, 2022

Parmigiani Fleurier – Les Roses Carrees – Collection Grand Feu Rosa Celeste Edition

 

Parmigiani Fleurier Les Roses Carrées – Collection Grand Feu Rosa Celeste Repeater White Gold Edition Unique Piece 2022

PERPETUATING MECHANICAL ART

In 2021, to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its creation, Parmigiani Fleurier launched one of the most ambitious and demanding projects in its history: an exceptional pocket watch called La Rose Carrée. 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.

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La Rose Carrée has now evolved into Les Roses Carrées, a series composed of 5 unique minute-repeater pieces at the top of the Parmigiani Fleurier range, set against a backdrop of absolute exclusivity.

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It is today, December 2, 2022, on the occasion of the birthday of its founder Michel Parmigiani, that 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.

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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.

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This motif was engraved on the case middle and covers by 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.

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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.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO 

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.

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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.

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO  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.

Lighter than a petal

The movement, although hidden by a solid dial on one side and by its hunter’s caseback on the other, has nevertheless been the object of an artistic and extensive skeletonization. Usually made visible by the disappearance of the dial, it is here reserved for the owner and his or her closest confidants, a private and exclusive pleasure that speaks to the very unique nature of La Rosa Celeste. The shape given to the bridges, the cut-out of their profile, and the size and extent of their openwork are artistic signatures, markers of aesthetic identity and indicators of the care given to execution and details. Parmigiani Fleurier has taken this approach to the extreme. 

Click, to see the large size. BIG FOTO 

The skeletonization of the PF355 calibre is reminiscent of that of the PF361 calibre, known as the Chronor, which was launched in 2016 inside a model that was at the time the pinnacle of the Parmigiani Fleurier collection. With its curves and counter-curves, harmonious inflections, the depth of the chamfers and its 114 inward and outward angles, Rosa Celeste is the product of unparalleled achievement. The bevelling, polishing and surface treatments are all done by hand. Thus, beauty, rarity and substance unite as stem, petal, and fragrance in this rose for the wrist.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

 Model: Les Roses Carrées Grand Feu Rosa Celeste Gold

Reference: PFH991-2010002-300181

Pièce unique 1/1

Case
    Material: 18k white gold
    Finishing: polished and hand-engraved with “La Rose Carrée” pattern
    Diameter: 42 mm
    Thickness: 13.39 mm
    Crown: Ø 6.4 mm topped with cabochon-cut natural sapphire
    Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
    Caseback: sapphire crystal
    Hunter caseback: 18k white gold, hand-engraved with “La Rose Carée” pattern, “Grand feu” enamel, interior engraving, “Rosa Mystica”, “PF” seal and Michel Parmigiani’s signature.
    Caseback engraving serial number, “Parmigiani Fleurier,” Swiss Made, and « Pièce unique »
    Water resistance: 10 m
Dial and hands
    Finishings: hand-engraved with chiseled pattern
    Color: blue “Grand feu” enamel
    Indices: hand-applied, 18k gold, rhodium-plated appliques
    Hours and minutes: 18k gold, rhodium-plated, skeletonized, delta-shaped hands
Movement
    PF355 Manual winding with Minute Repeater on Cathedral gongs, continuous Chiming sequence
    Diameter: 30 mm
    Thickness: 6.55 mm
    Frequency: 21,600 Vph (3 Hz)
    Number of jewels: 35
    Number of components: 392
    Power reserve of 72 hours

    Finishings: Côtes de Genève, openworked bridges, hand-beveling and circular graining 
Functions/Indications
    Hour, minutes, minute repeater
Strap and buckle
    Blue alligator leather strap, double-sided, hand-stitched
    Buckle: 18k white gold pin buckle with hand-engraved “La Rose Carée” pattern

Limitation
Limited Edition  to Unique only 1 pieces

🔴 Price : incl. VAT 600.000 CHF 💰

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Press release - 2022
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Contact
Tel-  +41 32 862 66 30
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