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Parmigiani’s latest watch defies the odds with its design

A watch that's follows the golden ratio principle and displays time from the underside

L'Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse
L'Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse parmigiani / parmigiani

As tradition would have it, Parmigiani Fleurier always rolls out a new timepiece in December to mark the birthday of Michel Parmigiani, the founder of this luxury watch brand.

As a watch that honors Parmigiani’s vision, L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse’s design is based on ancient laws of nature. According to Michel Parmigiani, “In nature, every form, every pattern bears the imprint of perfection—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.”

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The case was built per the golden ratio principle, so it comes with elements that are perfectly aligned. However, the real mystery lies in the dial. It was artistically designed to highlight geometrical patterns in a stylish manner. For instance, the fine guilloche pattern is one of the most striking features of the dial. At the center, there’s a beautiful pinecone symbol, considered to be Michel’s representation of infinity.

Unlike other watches, the L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse displays time from the underside face—in reverse.

L'Armoriale Répétition Mystérie underside
L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérie underside Parmigiani / https://www.parmigiani.com/

As a result, the underside has hour markers and a minute hand for discretely displaying time. While most chronograph components are found in discrete sections, this watch comes with a minute repeater that chimes after a certain period, and each unit of time produces a unique sound.

Thanks to the in-house manual movement, this timepiece offers a 72-hour power reserve. The in-house manual movement is quite close to the gongs that produce the chimes—an effective and clever way of amplifying the sound that’s produced by the gong.

Anyone interested in the watch has to contact Parmigiani.

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Nathan S.R
Nathan has devoted his life to collecting watches, studying horology, reviewing watches, and writing about timepieces. As a…
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