SEASONS COME, SEASONS GO
Take the specificities of the moon-sun calendar into account is the feat the manufacture’s watchmakers achieved in this model issued in two elegant versions.
Very few manufactures are capable of mastering the original display of a Chinese calendar. Parmigiani is one of these. Its virtuosity in this field is expressed this year through its new Tonda PF Xiali Chinese Calendar. “The Chinese calendar isn’t just a practical tool; it profoundly expresses cultural memory and universal harmony. Re-creating its elaborate essence in a contemporary watch isn’t a technical feat, it’s a declaration of just how important it is to preserve and celebrate our cultural treasures”, emphasizes Guido Terreni, the firm’s CEO.
Counters, set out in traditional style on a dial dressed in intense red known as Imperial Red, and hand-decorated with a barleycorn guilloché pattern, are used to read the data. You need to be a Chinese-speaker however to understand them. As such, the 24 solar terms, aka breaths, fringe the edge of the dial, whilst the day number and whether the month is long or short (30 or 29 days) are displayed on the counter at 3 o’clock. The other counter at 9 o’clock indicates the presence of an intercalary month, a feature used to align the lunar and solar cycles. The Moon’s phases are showcased at 6 o’clock. The disc placed at 12 o’clock displays the current year’s name, its associated zodiac animal and corresponding natural element; this year, the Wood Snake reigns supreme. Everything is center staged in a 42 mm-diameter rose gold case. The 353 components that breathe life into Caliber PF008 are hosted inside. This selfwinding movement delivers a power reserve of 54 hours to the Tonda PF Xiali Chinese Calendar. This device also drives a platinum variation that’s just as sophisticated.
