SIHH 2018: Parmigiani Packed Exceptional Movements Into Gold Tonneau Cases

Parmigiani Fleurier is already having a breakout year for 2018. The models it unveiled at the recently concluded Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) combine creative designs, exceptional materials and innovative movements. Among the many highlights were the Kalpa Chronor and the Kalparisma Nova Galaxy where it used the tonneau shape to express its high watchmaking skills.

Parmigiani Kalpa Chronor
This 48.2 x 40.4 mm tonneau watch is the top item among the Kalpa collection timepieces released at SIHH. Its case is made of 18k rose gold but more importantly it houses what Parmigiani says is the first “solid gold self-winding, integrated chronograph movement,” the COSC-certified caliber PF365. The movement manufactured in-house was a six-year project. It is specifically designed for the tonneau case and oscillates at the high frequency of 36,000 vibrations per hour (5 Hz) to achieve a reading accuracy of one tenth of a second along with a 65-hour power reserve, the company said. It includes a column wheel and vertical clutch as well as precision gauges.

The term “solid gold,” could be a bit misleading as some may think it refers to 24k gold, which is normally defined as “pure” gold. In this instance, sold gold refers to 18k gold, which is accurate as it means there is gold throughout the metal. Pure 24k gold is so soft that it would be near impossible to create a movement with it. However, creating a movement out of 18k gold is a monumental achievement as it is an extremely malleable material that is particularly challenging to work with when making such a high complicated movement, or any kind of watch movement.

The Kalpa Chronor black gold dial provides a well-balanced view of hours, minutes, small seconds and chronograph functions with a tachymeter and a rounded date window at 12 o’clock. It’s finished with an opaline centre and hand-worked braid-effect guilloché detail on the flange, and snailed counters. The counters are enlarged and positioned slightly above the centre point for easier readability. Delta hands and hand-applied 18k rose gold faceted indices have a luminescent coating.

Parmigiani Kalparisma Nova Galaxy
This tonneau-shaped 18k gold watch for women has a blue Aventurine glass dial with a sparkling star-like motif. Above 6 o’clock is an 18k rose gold star-shaped small seconds counter that revolves every 60 seconds. Skeleton delta-shaped hands and 18k rose gold indices complete the dial design. The 37.5 x 31.2 mm case is available in rose gold with a diamond bezel or in white gold paved with snow-set diamonds.

More than just a pretty face, the watch is powered by the in-house caliber PF332 automatic movement with a 55-hour power reserve that can be seen through the sapphire caseback.