The Shape of Things
Parmigiani Fleurier ushers in the new generation of Kalpa timepieces with three new models sporting various tweaks, says Jamie Tan
FIRST INTRODUCED IN 2001, the Kalpa is a milestone in Michel Parmigiani’s watchmaking career for being his first tonneau-shaped watch. The timepiece quickly became an icon within Parmigiani Fleurier’s line-up, and has long served as the manufacture’s calling card for shaped timepieces, which are complemented by teardrop lugs. Parmigiani Fleurier penned a new chapter for the Kalpa this year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie by introducing three models that refresh both the aesthetics and technical details of the collection. The new Kalpa Chronor, Kalpagraphe Chronomètre and Kalpa Hebdomadaire retain the collection’s signature shape, but come with slightly reworked cases. The tweaks are subtle: slightly shorter but wider and thicker lugs; a new case profile that creates a concave caseback; and a larger opening on the caseback through which one can admire the movement. The revised cases are in turn matched with two new in-house movements and a classic one. What is especially important here are their shapes—the new calibres featured in these timepieces are all tonneau-shaped to match their respective cases. This is a major step up from the previous iterations of the Kalpa, which have mostly relied on round movements within their cases. As Michel put it, the goal is to create a “consistency between inside and outside”, never mind the increased difficulty of designing a movement with such an outline.
SHAPED AND INTEGRATED
The Kalpa Chronor is the obvious flagship among the two new chronographs. It is equipped with the self-winding calibre PF365, an integrated chronograph movement executed in solid gold. This makes it the world’s first integrated automatic chronograph in solid gold, and brings to mind 2016’s Tonda Chronor Anniversaire, which had a solid gold integrated rattrapante chronograph calibre (PF361). A solid gold movement isn’t just precious for its gold content, but also because the material is not easy to work with. For starters, gold is soft, malleable and deforms easily, so creating a movement in gold demands technical expertise in engineering structural components such as the main plate and bridges, which are openworked here. Decorating the gold components also requires skill—and patience—in order to create the usual hallmarks of haute horlogerie such as bevelled edges and internal angles. On the technical front, the usual features that are expected of such a movement
are all present; PF365 uses a vertical clutch, and is column wheel actuated. The movement also stands out for being a highbeat calibre—it oscillates at 5Hz, which allows the chronograph to measure down to 1/10th of a second (compared to 1/8th of a second in 4Hz movements). Despite this, however, it has a healthy 65-hour power reserve. The well-rounded features of this integrated chronograph movement are testament to the six years of work that have gone into its development. From the front, the Kalpa Chronor presents a well-proportioned dial, with a tachymeter on the inner flange surrounding the rest of the dial elements. The minute and hour totalisers are at 3 and 9 o’clock, respectively, and rendered in gold with snailing to make them immediately legible. Meanwhile, the small seconds indication lies at 6 o’clock, with the date aperture at 12 o’clock for balance. Just 50 numbered pieces of the Kalpa Chronor will be produced. Meanwhile, the Kalpagraphe Chronomètre is offered as the “regular” counterpart to the Kalpa Chronor. The calibre PF362 within the watch is nearly identical to PF365 described above, save for the solid gold construction and openworking of its more premium sibling—features such as the power reserve, beat rate, and chronograph clutch remain the same. Both movements are Cosc-certified.
A solid gold movement isn’t just precious for its gold content, but also because the material is not easy to work with. Gold is soft, malleable and deforms easily, so creating a movement in gold demands technical expertise in engineering structural components
THROWBACK TO THE ORIGINAL
The third watch in the line-up is the Kalpa Hebdomadaire. Hebdomadaire literally means weekly, and refers to the watch’s need to be wound weekly, thanks to an eight-day power reserve. This timepiece pays tribute to the very first tonneau-shaped movement, the PF110, created by Michel in 1998, by using the very movement itself. Calibre PF110 has remained in production in the 20 years following its introduction, thanks to its technical features, which remain relevant even today. The most important is its power reserve, of course, which is achieved with two barrels connected in series. The layout of its indicators is also very user-friendly, with the date and power reserve indicators at 12 o’clock to balance the small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock.