Parmigiani Fleurier has unveiled a pocket watch.
Crafted in honour of the 75th birthday of its founder, La Ravenale is an ode to luxurious watchmaking at its finest.
Today it seems that pocket watches are like buses. Earlier today, we saw the arrival of the Christopher Ward x Studio Underd0g Alliance 02, and now there's another one from the folks over at Parmigiani Fleurier.
Crafted as a means to honour the birthday of its founder, Michel Parmigiani, La Ravenale is a minute repeater and so much more besides. The design of the outer casing is crafted from opal and jade, with each piece delicately crafted to fit into the repeating pattern.
Those are set into a case of 18-carat white gold, which sits 51.8mm across, and 13.1mm thick. Those dimensions might sound a little large by wristwatch standards, but they're perfectly natural for a pocket watch, and actually could be considered relatively slim.
The chain is also crafted from 18-carat white gold. That is made entirely by hand, with alternating oval and hexagonal links, and one oval link engraved with the brand's PF logo. That was crafted by Switzerland's last master chain-maker, Laurent Jolliet.
The movement is an original design crafted by Koehn a Geneve, and features a minute repeater which chimes on two gongs. Those hammers are also symmetrical, while the bridges and mainplate are hand-engraved and beveled to a superb finish.
The dial is treated in blue, and is also hand-engraved and grained. Central hour and minute hands are matched with a small seconds register at the six o'clock position and the discreet Parmigiani Fleurier logo at the twelve o'clock position.
Overall, it's a fantastic looking thing. The dial is unmistakably Parmigiani – simplistic at first glance, but with a lot of complexity lurking within. That is exemplified at the rear, where a stunning movement is hidden by an equally stunning art piece on the case.
It's a superb example of the exquisite end of haute horologie which is available for those most special of occasions. Honoring the 75th birthday of a modern watchmaking powerhouse is one of those occasions, and warrants such a piece.
