Parmigiani Fleurier Unveils The Tecnica Ombre Noire
Press Release
Parmigiani Fleurier Unveils The Tecnica Ombre Noire
A name shrouded in mystery for a watch that plays with appearances.
The Tecnica Ombre Noire is an exceptional timepiece in more ways than one. This unique, poetically named piece by Parmigiani Fleurier celebrates a variety of complications from the great tradition of Haute Horlogerie, such as the perpetual calendar, minute repeater and tourbillon, whilst offering a very contemporary finish.
The Dial
As its name suggests, the Tecnica Ombre Noire puts the emphasis on darkness. The "rice-grain" guilloché slate-coloured gold dial contrasts with the 18-carat rose gold indices. An aperture at 6 o'clock allows you to admire the tourbillon, while the month, date, day and leap year indications, as well as the power reserve, occupy the upper part of the dial. The skeletonised delta-shaped hour and minute hands complete the ensemble and allow you to read the different measurements made possible by this highly complex timepiece.
The Case
The Tecnica Ombre Noire features an 18-carat rose gold case designed to optimise the resonance of the minute repeater chime. The case houses "cathedral" chimes. This type of chime makes the casing up operation even more complex than a standard complication. The piece also features Parmigiani Fleurier's iconic teardrop-shaped lugs. These were inspired by Fibonacci and his golden ratio, both so important to Michel Parmigiani in all of his creations.
As its name suggests, the Tecnica Ombre Noire is shrouded in mystery. For example, the minute repeater activator is integrated in the bezel. The traditional side bolt, which makes this grand horological complication so beloved of connoisseurs, is therefore absent. This mechanism posed a challenge for the development teams when ensuring the water resistance of the timepiece, as the surface area to be protected from water is much larger when a bezel is present.
The PF351 Movement
Three grand complications are integrated in the hand-wound movement that drives the Tecnica Ombre Noire. In addition to the minute repeater with "cathedral" chimes, a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar place this timepiece in the category of the most complex timepieces in Haute Horlogerie.
As is the case for all Parmigiani Fleurier creations, all of the movement components were treated with the most delicate decorative work.