Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quaestor Labyrinthe

Parmigiani Fleurier is one of those brands that Monochrome watches closely and whenever Parmigiani announces something new, you can bet on it we are listening intently. The Toric Quaestor Labyrinthe is the latest news coming from the Swiss manufacture, and it is elegant as ever!

When it comes down to elegance, Parmigiani masters it to an extent that is hard to match. Avid readers of Monochrome will have seen the Tonda Transforma Rivages, the Tonda Quantième Annual Retrograde, and the Tonda 1950 and know what the brand is capable of. Now however, the Toric-line is our topic of choice, with the Toric Quaestor Labyrinth in platinum to be specific.

The timepiece is not just elegant, it is reminiscent of something far more than that. Parmigiani claims that the value lies in the quest itself, a search of ones self before anything. According to legend, King Minos of Crete ordered to build a structure capable of incarcerating the Minotaur, a mythical creature being the offspring of man and beast with the head of a bull and the body of a man. The Minotaur dwelled the Cretan Labyrinth before it was eventually killed by the Athenian hero Theseus.

The Parmigiani Toric Quaestor Labyrinth features a dial made of an 18ct white gold plate, with hand-beveled edges, resembling the mythological Labyrinth. Beneath this gold plate, lies a thin slate of Burmese Jade, functioning as the ‘paths’ of the Labyrinth. The Jade is meticulously polished, and carefully drilled in key places to accommodate the stalks on which the hands are mounted. The subtle but lush color of the Burmese Jade gives the dial a very elegant, and distinguishable appearance. The very elegant dial is accompanied by a double knurled bezel, a crown fitted with a sapphire cabochon. Javelin shaped hands with Superluminova, a subdial at 6 o’clock for the seconds, and a power reserve indicator at roughly 3 o’clock complete the front side of the Toric Quaestor Labyrinth.

The proverbial party does not end there, not at all. The 46mm wide, 950 grade platinum case, houses an in-house movement featuring a minute repeater with a double cathedral gong and some very interesting novelties.

First of all, the movement is mounted with an additional fixing point, for greater stability to benefit the minute repeater. This additional mount sits just below the chime, to ensure it is installed perfectly. This rigidified construction allows the sound to reverberate clearer upon chiming, by diminishing the interference of vibrations.

A second innovations is the way the minute repeater complication is driven. The power is transferred to the complication by means of a flywheel, instead of a toothed wheel and the jerks that usually accompany this. The flywheel ensures total mechanical silence, and supplies a constant energy to the spring when needed.

The movement is encased with a sapphire crystal caseback, showcasing the craftsmanship by the Helvetic brand. Furthermore, the individually numbered edition is constructed featuring rhodium plated bridges decorated with Côtes de Genève. Caliber PF 357 is a hand wound movement that operates at 21,600 vph, contains 35 jewels, and packs 72 hours of power. All this elegance sits on a black Hermès alligator strap, fitted with a knurled 18ct white gold ardillon buckle.

There is no word on pricing or availability yet, but your local Parmigiani dealer can surely provide you with that information. For more information regarding the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Quaestor Labyrinth or to find a local Parmigiani dealer, please visit Parmigiani Fleurier’s website or take a look at their Facebook-page.

This article is written by Robin Nooij, contributing writer for Monochrome Watches.