Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica Watch Review
The Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica is the latest instalment of Les Roses Carrées – Collection Grand Feu, a series of five unique pieces. Once again, the Maison has created a bewitching timepiece rich in artisanal crafts and mechanical virtue.
Since joining Parmigiani Fleurier as CEO in February 2021, Guido Terreni has clearly been burning the midnight oil. Shortly after his arrival, he masterminded the firm’s highly successful Tonda PF collection. Contemporary and accomplished styling, together with a near-obsessive attention to detail, has led to long queues forming outside the company’s HQ. Indeed, these days there are legions of discerning individuals eager to wear a PF-branded watch.
For some longtime admirers of the Maison, myself included, it is wonderful to see the brand attracting the attention it duly deserves. Many moons ago, the company had a blog, aptly named ‘Le Blog’, and I regularly produced content about the firm’s activities. Prior to putting pen to paper, I spent time touring the company’s various facilities and discovering first-hand its no-compromise standards and broad array of talents.
Screws, pinions, dials and cases, there are few components the company doesn’t produce. Indeed, it would be easier to list those parts that are not made by the Swiss marque.
Michel Parmigiani
There is also the philosophy of the company’s eponymous founder, Michel Parmigiani. A son of the Val-de-Travers region, Parmigiani is widely known for his expertise in restoring automata, clocks and watches. It is this experience of working on centuries-old masterpieces that has influenced the choice of materials selected for the brand’s products as well as the various finishing techniques employed. At Parmigiani Fleurier, finishing is not merely an aesthetic enhancement to a surface, it is often used to improve corrosion resistance and, by default, longevity.
La Rose Carrée
While Guido Terreni has been instrumental in boosting awareness of the Maison and its sales, he has not abandoned the principles of its founder. This was demonstrated in 2021 when the company released La Rose Carrée, an exceptional pocket watch. A pièce unique, it featured a restored period Louis-Elisée Piguet movement featuring a grande sonnerie and minute repeater. Moreover, the pocket watch received the loving touch of several gifted artisans. Hand engraving, grand feu enamelling and a sublime square-link chain distinguished this timepiece as truly exceptional.
Les Roses Carrées – Collection Grand Feu
Now, the Swiss company has released the Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica, the second instalment of PF’s Les Roses Carrées series. In this instance, the Rosa Mystica is worn on the wrist and measures a comparatively modest 42mm in diameter.
Cathedral gongs
The hand-wound movement is endowed with a minute repeater featuring cathedral gongs. Where conventional gongs encircle the movement once, cathedral gongs are 50% longer, wrapping around the inside of the case 1½ times. The gongs are supported by a ‘heel’ or ‘plot’ and are united with the case using two screws. The interior of the case is optimised to accentuate the sound of the chiming sequence.
Collection Grand Feu
Once again, this latest instalment of Les Roses Carrées series encompasses Grand Feu enamelling. This traditional artisanal technique involves using silica and crushed oxides to form coloured powders. In this instance, the Swiss Maison has selected 18-carat white gold for the base dial. This is then dipped in alcohol and dusted with the powdered blend prior to being fired in an oven at approximately 800°C. The time-served craftsperson has to judge the cooking time precisely to achieve the desired shade. In this instance, the dial is fired six times.
A function of this technique is that the dials post-firing can have blemishes or cracks, thereby rendering them useless. As you would expect from this practitioner of Haute Horlogerie, only perfection passes muster. In the case of the Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica, the dial and a matching cover to the rear of the watch, are presented in a rich, lustrous shade of pink.
La Rose Carrée motif
The case is made of 18-carat white gold and adorned with a hand-engraved pattern. Described as ‘La Rose Carrée motif’, the artisanal decoration features on the bezel, lugs and caseband. Furthermore, a natural garnet cabochon enlivens the crown with a reddish hue.
PF355 calibre
The PF355 calibre, visible via a hunter caseback, takes inspiration from the movement within the brand’s Chronor model of 2016. It is exquisitely engraved and beautifully showcases the Maison’s peerless finishing skills with numerous highly prized internal angles in evidence.
Closing remarks
Founded in 1996, Parmigiani Fleurier is much younger than those members of the so-called ‘holy trinity’. However, as the Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica demonstrates, what PF lacks in years, it more than makes up for with its exceptional know-how. The combination of aesthetics, artistic crafts and mechanical virtue distinguish this model as truly exceptional.
While the protracted making of the Rosa Mystica means its price is beyond the reach of most horophiles, it does serve to validate what many of us have known for years: Parmigiani Fleurier crafts fine timepieces par excellence.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Parmigiani Fleurier Rosa Mystica
- Reference: PFH991-2010001-300181
- Case: 18-carat white gold, diameter 42mm, height 13.39mm, water resistance 3ATM (30 metres), sapphire crystal to front, hunter case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, minute repeater
- Movement: calibre PF355, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3Hz), 42 jewels, power reserve 35 hours, 392 components.
- Bracelet: red alligator leather and 18-carat white gold, hand-engraved pin buckle
- Price: CHF 600,000 (RRP as of 22.2.2023)