To mark the grand finale of its 25th anniversary celebrations, Parmigiani Fleurier presents La Rose Carrée, a one-off, 64 mm, white gold, double hunter pocket watch featuring the most advanced craftsmanship and historical heritage.
It is equipped with an original movement made by legendary watchmaker Louis-Elisée Piguet somewhere between 1898 and 1904. It showcases a grande sonnerie and minute repeater, and has been fully restored while preserving its authenticity. A Rose Carrée or “squared rose” pattern engraving spans the entirety of this legacy movement, as well as the newly designed case, which is coated in translucent grand feu enamel, creating complex shades of blue.
In the late 1990’s, Michel Parmigiani acquired a grande sonnerie and minute repeater movement, created around the end of the 19th century by famous grand complications watchmaker Louis-Elisée Piguet. For over 20 years, this calibre remained in a drawer, awaiting restoration.
In 2021, Parmigiani Fleurier’s newly appointed CEO Guido Terreni decided the brand’s upcoming 25th anniversary deserved a special undertaking, and thus initiated a project together with the maison’s founder and one of the world’s most celebrated master restorers, Michel Parmigiani. The project was to be a signature timepiece that embodies the entirety of Parmigiani Fleurier’s craft, Michel Parmigiani’s culture, Guido Terreni’s vision and the best of what the talented craftspeople surrounding them have to offer.
This historically important grande sonnerie movement was brought back to its original glory, thanks to the best-in-class experience and skill at Parmigiani Fleurier’s restoration workshop. Then it was encased in a highly decorated white gold case measuring 64 mm in diameter. With movement and case, form and function, in unison, La Rose Carrée is a pocket watch that is by nature and by design, entirely unique.
Calibre Louis-Elisée Piguet number 5802 is outstanding in nature, being one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare one of the rare movements of this style that was made by the famed watchmaker around the end of the 19th century.
While the movement is being rejuvenated, both covers of the case are engraved by the skilled hands of Eddy Jaquet with a motif called “Rose Carrée”. The square roses, inspired by the linear form that rose petals take when they start to wither, are meticulously and assiduously hand-engraved. Their pattern follows the Golden Spiral, a mathematical derivative of the Golden Ratio.
Thus is the inspiration for the design of the case covers, both mirror images of delicate geometric roses floating within a ripple of water on a profound sea of blue. While blue has always been an emotional colour for Michel, the blue rose for him is the epitome of rarity. Roses are often regarded as the most coveted, elegant, and prestigious of flowers. Adding blue to the equation creates a symbol of mystery and of attaining the impossible.
Between three and four layers of blue grand feu enamel are meticulously applied by artistic enameller Vanessa Lecci. She added even more depth and rich colour to the magnificent engraving work, while ensuring the extensive enamelling appears the same on both covers, one more extraordinary feat.
Both covers are symmetrical and contextually engraved. When the first one opens, it reveals a wide, uncluttered dial entirely made of black onyx. On this dark, mirror-like surface that was a great challenge to cut, lies a pair of open-worked, white gold hands crafted in a Delta shape, and a small seconds subdial outlined in white gold. When the second cover opens, it showcases a restored movement whose surface has also been entirely engraved. The mainplate and the bridges now display a Rose Carrée pattern. Engraving the original parts preserved the authenticity of the movement while elevating its beauty.
The crown, set with a blue sapphire, is sheltered by an engraved square bow with blue grand feu enamelling which is attached to a unique square-link chain that has been designed according to the Rose Carrée motif. It has been entirely hand-crafted by Switzerland’s last traditional chain maker, Laurent Jolliet.
Team members behind the La Rose Carrée watch
• Guido Terreni, CEO
• Michel Parmigiani, Founder
• Anne-Laure Parmigiani, Project Leader (trained watchmaker and engraver)
• Anne-Marie Moser, Designer
• Francis Rossignol, Restorer
• Christie Girel, Restorer
• Bernard Muller, Beveller
• Laurent Jolliet, Chain Maker
• Eddy Jaquet, Engraver
• Vanessa Lecci, Enameller
• Les Artisans Boîtier, Case Maker
• LM Cadrans, Dial Maker
Technical details
Model: LA ROSE CARRÉE
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds, grande sonnerie, minute repeater
Movement
Caliber PF992 – Original Movement Made By Louis-Elisée Piguet Circa 1898-1904 with Individual Number 5802, Hand-Wound, Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds, Grande Sonnerie, Minute Repeater
Power reserve: 32 hours
Frequency: 18,000 Vph (2.5 Hz)
Jewels: 27
Barrels: 2
No. of components: 331 without pins
Diameter: 43 mm / 19’’’
Decoration: bridges and mainplate are hand-beveled and hand-engraved with La Rose Carrée motif
Case
Polished 18ct white gold PD210, double hunter pocket watch Diameter: 64 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Crown: Ø 10 mm, set with a natural blue sapphire
Bow: square-shaped with blue grand feu enamel and hand-engraved with La Rose Carrée
Glass: anti-reflective sapphire crystal, chevé-edged
Case covers: polished 18ct white gold PD210, chevé-edged, hand-engraved, grand feu blue enamel
Water resistance: none
Dial
Solid onyx
Color: black
Finishing: polished
18ct white gold square indices and PF logo appliques, 18ct white gold small seconds subdial outline
Hands
Hours and minutes: 18ct white gold, skeletonized delta-shaped
Small seconds: 18ct white gold, baton-shaped with square counterweight
Chain
Entirely handcrafted in 18ct white gold
Beveled & polished 32 square-shaped links, 2 engraved squares, and 1 engraved PF logo oval arranged in scalable sequence
