Parmigiani Fleurier, the boutique brand founded by master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani, has added a new limited-edition watch, called the Tourbillon Abyss, to its collection of Pershing timepieces, established in 2007 in a partnership with the prestigious Italian yacht manufacturer.
Introduced at the SIHH watch salon in January, the Pershing Tourbillon Abyss, which is limited to 30 individually numbered pieces, has an exceptionally light titanium case middle, a dynamometric screw-down crown and a rose-gold, unidirectional bezel. The dial evokes the nautical influence of Pershing yachts, with its deep azure hue and wave patterns in various lighter shades of blue, achieved by creating multiple fine layers with an electroplating process.
Like other timepieces in Parmigiani’s Pershing family — the brand’s first sports collection — the watch’s case bears distinctive curves that bring to mind the shape of a yacht’s hull. The main case material is grade 5 titanium, which is used in both the aviation and nautical industries and prized for its strength and resistance to corrosion. It is also 60 percent lighter than steel, which is surely appreciated in a watch such as this, with its large case diameter of 45 mm. The titanium case middle has a double-brushed satin-and-polish finish suited to precious metals. (Click on the photos to enlarge images.)
The watch’s signature feature is a tourbillon at 6 o’clock, which, like the rest of the watch’s movement, has been designed and manufactured in-house at Parmigiani’s atelier in the Swiss town of Fleurier. The movement, Parmigiani Caliber PF 510, also boasts a week-long power reserve, displayed on the dial by a hand-type indicator at 12 o’clock. It is composed of 237 components and features côtes de Genève decoration and hand-chamfered bridges. The case, which is water-resistant to 100 meters, has a sapphire exhibition caseback, through which the owner can appreciate the movement and its finishing.
The central hour and minute hands are in Parmigiani’s distinctive Delta shape and are coated with luminescent material, and the applied indices, in yellow gold, contrast nicely with the blues of dial. Another signature Parmigiani touch — an Hermès leather alligator strap, here in a dark, marine blue that complements the dial — completes the package, along with an adjustable safety folding buckle in polished titanium. The Pershing Tourbillon Abyss will retail for $225,000.
