Hands-On With The Parmigiani Fleurier Ovale Pantographe

By Arthur Touchot | December 16, 2014

Before we preview SIHH 2015 models from Parmigiani Fleurier, let’s take a look at one of one of our favorite models from the young Swiss brand. The Ovale Pantographe is a rare, but beautiful sight, so when we caught it in Mayfair this week, we simply couldn’t keep it to ourselves.

Parmigiani Fleurier is a watch brand unlike any other. Known for its ability to blend classic and contemporary designs under one name, the brand actually finds its roots in horological restoration, a department Michel Parmigiani excelled in before launching Parmigiani Fleurier in 1996. In fact, the Parmigiani Fleurier boutique located on Mount Street, is one of the only Mayfair watch boutiques with its own restoration bench.

Merely 12 months after breaking ground in the Swiss village it borrows its name from, the Parmigiani Fleurier team came across a 19th century pocketwatch featuring telescopic hour and minute hands, designed by British jewelers Vardon & Stedmann. Right then, Michel set out to revitalize the duo’s concept.

And so, in 2011 Parmigiani Fleurier presented the first modern wristwatch to feature this unique complication, known as a pantograph. The movement itself was developed after an already existing movement, Parmigiani’s very first in-house caliber PF 110, which can be found in the Hebdomadaire line.

The new complication, dubbed caliber PF 111, maintains the date-function as well as the very generous 8-day power reserve of its ancestor, but generates enough power to push the two telescopic hands along the contours of the case, shortening them near 3 and 9 o’clock and lengthening them at 12 and 6 o’clock.

The model’s blued titanium hands are another homage to horological traditions, while blued steel indices and numerals complete the model’s classical robe.

The oval-shaped case however was quite novel, at least for Parmigiani Fleurier. According to Michel Parmigiani, the lines are thought to be more masculine than the original pantograph’s elliptical design. All in all, the watch measures 45 mm by 37.6 mm, but it doesn’t feels that large and sits comfortably on the wrist.

In many ways, the Parmigiani Ovale Pantographe remains the most well executed blend between the watchmaker’s restoration heritage, and desire to create modern timepieces, although Michel Parmigiani has also proved very adept at reinventing 21^st century products, such as the Bugatti. We are told Parmigiani Fleurier will cut to the bone next year, as SIHH 2015 promises another great marriage between old and new.

The Parmigiani Ovale Pantographe comes in either white or rose gold (as seen above), in an exclusive limited edition of 30 pieces in each metal priced at $95,000.