It is not the first time Parmigiani Fleurier has combined a large date with a minute repeater. However, no watchmaker has ever before offered instantaneous rotation of such a colossal date. The Toric Résonance 3 is in this sense, a world-first.
AN INSTANTANEOUS OUT-SIZED DATE
Consider the following: if the Toric Résonance 3 had featured a continuous date change occurring within a few hours in a smooth and uniform motion, the mechanical challenge would be moderate. But because we’re talking about an instantaneous date jump occurring in 1/100th of a second, so fast in fact, that its transition is invisible to the eye, this timepiece is a true mechanical feat. Despite being cut to an incredible fineness, the out-sized date discs have an immense inertia. This means they require huge amounts of energy to launch in rotation and even more to stop them dead following the instantaneous jump, without them rebounding under the effect of the forces exerted. It’s much like launching a huge truck at 100 km/h in a split second and then having to stop it within a meter.
Hence every night at midnight, the Toric's white gold case plays host to this extraordinary mechanical feat based on a double cam system. The first cam accumulates energy through continuous friction over the course of 24 hours. This arms the large lever continuously, releasing it at midnight precisely onto a 31-tooth wheel. The second cam plays the crucial role of a brake, by controlling a spring-mounted lever. This device keeps the large date discs permanently immobile, releasing them for just a fraction of a second every 24 hours at midnight to allow the instantaneous jump.
A MINUTE REPEATER WITH CATHEDRAL CHIME
Activated by a trigger to the left of the case, the minute repeater strikes the hours, quarters and minutes with a vibrant melody. A minute repeater qualifies for “cathedral chime” when its gongs cover at least 1,5 times the perimeter of the case. The Toric Résonance 3 goes a step beyond this requirement with beautiful snake-shaped gongs that circle twice around the borders of the movement. It’s very challenging to accommodate within the small and intricate space of an Haute Horlogerie watch case, but the sound of the chime is considerably richer and more beautiful which makes the true value of a minute repeater at Parmigiani Fleurier. The case in white gold – the perfect material to enhance the sound’s resonance – puts the finishing touch to the beautiful melody.
The Toric Résonance 3 is a quest to the extreme. It’s about maximising the size of a date until the very limits of mechanical constraints; creating a harmonious melody until the entire physical space has been consumed; finishing each component with absolute care and hours of devotion, even when they are hidden from view.
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