The Toric Capitole Rose Gold Brown takes its inspiration from a pocket watch made by Perrin Frères (Neuchâtel) dating from the early 19th Century, now owned by the Edouard and Maurice Sandoz Foundation (EMSF). This collection is a resource showcasing the genius of watchmaking's "old masters". Parmigiani Fleurier pays tribute to this unique collection of horological works of art by recreating some of these mechanical wonders in its own manufacture. The unique Toric Capitole Rose Gold Brown, with its sector display and minute repeater, is one of these exceptional timepieces. The watch takes its name from the Capitolium in Rome - the religious and political heart of Ancient Rome - the geometrically spiralling floor tiles of which are reproduced in the pattern of the dial.
This rose gold dial is hand engraved by a master craftsman who has left his lasting mark on the piece. The concentric pattern of the decoration evokes the arrangement of the scales on a pine cone – one of the innumerable examples of the Golden Ratio seen in the natural world.
The Toric Capitole reprises the unusual sector time display, translating it to a movement made by the Parmigiani Fleurier manufacture, the manually-wound PF321 calibre, offering a 40-hour power reserve. The PF321 calibre features a module dedicated to the sector time display that directly meshes with the hour wheel and incorporates a rotary system comprising three planetary gears with four arms, each end of which bears a numeral to indicate the hour (1 to 12). The time is displayed in a semi-circle on the upper half of the bezel, on a dial comprising 60 minute indexes. The set of discs is driven via a highly complex cam system.
The timepiece's open case-back reveals the PF321 hand-wound mechanical movement and its minute repeater. Its gongs are known as "cathedral" gongs, a watchmaking term which means they form two sets around the case. This amplifies the acoustic quality compared with a single set, but makes the watchmaker's work on the housing considerably more complex. The 45 mm rose gold case has been forged to ensure that the sound wave oscillates at the optimum frequencies inside the case.
The watch is fitted with a Hermès tan-coloured alligator strap, secured with a rose gold pin buckle.
