Parmigiani Fleurier - Piece of Exception "Hippologia"

To discover more about Parmigiani Fleurier and its pieces of exception visit: https://www.parmigiani.com/en/pieces-of-exception

The inspiration

In the past the prestige watch brand has already created luxury table clocks decorated with dynamic sculptures. This time, the Latin motto "tempus fugit" (time flies) was the starting point of the wonderful adventure that inspired Parmigiani Fleurier’s craftsmen to create this exceptional mechanical clock. Whether long or short, friend or adversary, time runs wild and free. The idea of “taming” it, not to gain mastery over it but rather to better appreciate it, was the starting point of the amazing adventure that gave birth to this magnificent jewellery clock, baptised as “Hippologia”.

See another Piece of Exception : The Dragon and the Pearl of Wisdom : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Io1ny-55qmg

The design motif

The luxury watch brand conceived a creature which would be given life on its own in the talented hands of a stylish craftsmanship automaton maker. Because the animal kingdom has long been associated with the Swiss heritage of Parmigiani Fleurier, through the Maurice-Yves Sandoz Collection, the automaton takes the form of the noble Arabian thoroughbred, the desert horse prized for its courage and endurance. The figure displays with elegance and nobleness the motion of two majestic horses. The mare and her foal follow an elliptic path and are no longer caught in the movement of time, but ride on the waves of time itself.

The materials and decor

The horses’ powerful bodies feature a hand-engraved decoration. The plates of the horses were made by 18ct white gold with rhodium-plated finishing work, bevelled, satin-finished, and engraved by hand. The heads, tails and hooves of the mare and the foal were made of silver, with rhodium-plated finishing work, polished and finished by hand. Their eyes were set with white diamonds, giving them the last touch of grandeur of a Swiss watchmaking masterpiece.

The movement

The mare and her foal are designed as a clock movement showcasing historical watchmaking expertise. The automaton of the 55-kg clock can be automatically triggered at a given time or activated manually. A gong will chime before every time the automaton is activated. Hour and minutes are displayed through the circular-grained main plate in a Côtes de Genève decoration. The window is set with white and champagne diamonds shows the hours and minutes over three hours, as well as the scale which can be used to adjust the operation of the automata to the desired time. The clock has a power reserve of 8 days. Time has been given back to nature, a true artwork.

The exterior

The piece is covered by a mirrored crystal with gold lustre by LALIQUE® with a “Dunes” pattern. The cabinet’s exterior is nickel-palladium and satin finished, sand-blasted and polished by hand. The silver window is also finished with satin and nickel-palladium, engraved, and polished by hand. White and champagne diamonds complete the majestic decoration of this high-end timepiece. An engraved with “Lalique/Pièce Unique/Parmigiani Fleurier” and the individual number were implanted.

Hippologia, a real tribute to time. A magical encounter where the designer, the watchmaker, the automaton maker and the crystal maker join forces to create ultimate in high-end watchmaking.

Masterpiece by Parmigiani Fleurier

Since its creation Parmigiani Fleurier has excelled among the finest Swiss luxury watch brands mastering the manufacturing of unique pieces in Haute Horlogerie. The Swiss legend is intimately acquainted with the creation of luxury timepieces enabling it to perfect its own creativity, and with it, the fine art of creating jewellery watches shrouded in mystery. For Parmigiani Fleurier the excellence of watchmaking is only achieved when both the mechanical complexity and the outer aesthetics reach their maximum splendour, resulting in exceptional watchmaking creations.