The Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire’s rose gold case contains a silvered yellow 12-sector flinqué effect dial. The materials and colours of this piece were selected to create a synergy, to the most beautiful effect. Beyond its obvious opulence, the rose gold of the case suffuses the watch face with an amber glow, giving the Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire a unique colour scheme.
While the design of a watch like the Ovale XL Tourbillon isn’t for everybody, it bears hallmarks of quality and finishing which anybody who enjoys finely-made timepieces can appreciate. At this level Parmigiani delivers the entire array of hand-finishing and construction that makes really exclusive high-end Swiss timepieces as desired as they are. From the hand-finished case to the hand-decorated movement, this kind of perfection is what you would like to look for in a mechanical timepiece such as this — and it is only going to cost you about $200,000. From a technical standpoint, the in-house made Parmigiani caliber PF501 manually-wound movement has one quite infrequent characteristic; and that is a tourbillon that spins every 30 minutes. Parmigiani calls this “exclusive 30-second tourbillon,” though I’m not sure (besides the movement itself) in which the total exclusion of other watches with 30 second tourbillons comes from.What the couple other 30 next tourbillon watches out there (possibly outside in an even sexier DeBethune 30 next tourbillon timepiece model) don’t probably have is a relatively stable electricity reserve that lasts an whole week. Two barrels offer seven full days of power reserve in the manually-wound movement. Complications include time with central seconds hand, power reserve indicator gauge, and naturally, the open tourbillon. The PF501 movement is comprised of 237 parts and works at a frequency of 3Hz. Seeing the movement through the caseback window is indeed a pleasure. Parmigiani does not disappoint in terms of the aesthetic quality and beauty of its decoration and ending of movement components. In the Côtes de Genève stripes into the beveled edges, surface treatments on all the metals are magnificent in a timepiece like this. That being said, in this price point there’s a very healthy assortment of other watches out there which boast more complex movements, a lot of which have exotic systems or substances. The PF501 is very conservative in what it offers — meant for people seeking an extremely traditional mechanical timepiece encounter.
To ensure the ideal proportions so dear to Michel Parmigiani, the indicators at the top and bottom of the dial are perfectly balanced. While the identity of the piece lies in its tonneau shape, this quest for harmony creates a striking aesthetic. The delicate contemporary numerals, the solid gold indices and the original alignment of the numerals around the small seconds dial ensure perfect readability and complete this vibrant dial.
The Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire is driven by the PF 110 hand-wound movement, with a tonneau shape that perfectly marries the contours of its housing. This proprietary double barrel movement ensures an 8-day power reserve and features a patented display system. Its powerful aesthetic owes much of its impact to the repeated semi-circular forms of the bridges. Their shape is based on a cutting technique which allows for greater complexity and more internal angles. The “Côtes de Genève” decoration, the swan-neck featured on the balance, and the hand-bevelled bridges are amongst the subtle touches that demonstrate the high standards demanded by the Manufacture.
