October 05, 2020:  Following nomination for the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève 2020 in the Calendar and Astronomy category, Parmigiani Fleurier unveils the secrets, invisible at first glance, of their Hegirian Perpetual Calendar.

Parmigiani Fleurier, renowned for its fine craftsmanship, design and manufacturing prowess, spared no attention to detail in the extraordinary care and development given to its Hegirian Perpetual Calendar. With this in mind, they sought the expertise of Mr. Stefano Macaluso, who redesigned each of the bridges of the new PF009 movement.

'The inspiration behind the Parmigiani Fleurier Hijri Perpetual Calendar was drawn from the architecture of the Arab world, highlighting all of its aesthetic codes, each more beautiful than the next, while keeping in mind an evocative and quickly understandable visual vocabulary.” Stefano Macaluso

The bridges adopt the shape of growing and shrinking crescent moons, and that of the Rub el Hizb, an Islamic symbol represented by two overlapping squares which, in Arabic calligraphy, marks the end of a chapter and is often used in the holy book of Quran. 

Whether inspired by the typical arches of mosques, the moon or the stars, every detail has been designed and carefully crafted to honor the cultural richness of the Arab world through modern watchmaking.

The original development of the timepiece dates back to 1993 with the restoration of a pocket watch by Michel Parmigiani, three years before the creation of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand. This led Mr. Parmigiani to the creation of a table clock featuring a Hijri Calendar in 2011- a world’s first as no lunar calendar had ever been designed to operate continuously. This piece of exception was inspired by his work restoring a simple Hijri Calendar. He also worked on a pocket watch dating back to the end of the 18th or beginning of the 19th Century, which featured a solar calendar translated into Arabic.

'The calendar is an eminently fascinating watchmaking complication, as it really is the mirror of civilizations' Michel Parmigiani

In the Muslim world, the calendar is based on the cycles of the moon. The Hijri or Islamic lunar calendar consists of twelve months of 29 or 30 days – depending on the moon phase- and is used to pinpoint the days for Islamic holidays. In contrast to the solar calendar, which is used in the west, the months of the lunar calendar change annually by a difference of -10 to -12 days. As a result, each month always falls on a different season and therefore varies from the Gregorian Calendar.

Two major horological complications reside in this single timepiece, a perpetual calendar combined with a Hegirian calendar, and make this watch a true horological feat. It is all the more impressive and important, when taken into account that Islam follows the position of the moon to know when Ramadan begins and ends; its ending marked by the feast of Eid al-Adha The Islamic month begins when the crescent moon – Hilal- becomes visible for the first time after sunset on the last day of the previous month. Thus, a new day, is rather, a new night.

The Parmigiani Fleurier Hijri Perpetual Calendar features a 44.5 mm case, a slate dial and rotor, all made in platinum. It shows the hours and minutes, and date in Arabic numerals, the name and length of the months in Arabic calligraphy, as well as the abundant and the common years. It also features a moon phase in an aventurine sky and a power reserve of up to 48 hours. As seen in all Parmigiani Fleurier timepieces, every single component of the movement, even the hidden parts, are decorated by in-house specialists. No components were made of gold.

The Hegirian Perpetual Calendar embodies embodies both culture and high horology, as well as the DNA and fine watchmaking standards dear to Parmigiani Fleurier, where innovation draws its inspiration from restoration.

'This unique perpetual calendar, inspired by treasures from the past, is a representation of our ability to innovate through tradition. It is an extraordinary honor to have used our watchmaking know-how and expertise to pay tribute to the centuries-long heritage of the Arab world, and to have collaborated with Stefano Macaluso. The result, I believe, is worthy of the challenge. ' Davide Traxler, CEO

Hijri Perpetual Calendar
REFERENCE PFH980-2000111-HA1481
GENDER Men
RETAIL PRICE 80’000 CHF
SHIPPING DATE 2020

CASE
Polished platinum
Dimensions: Ø 44.60 mm,thickness : 14.09 crown: Ø 6 mm
Glass: anti reflective sapphire , back: sapphire
Back engraving Hijri Perpetual Calender, individual number XX/20

DIAL
Colour: Slate
Material: Brass
Finishing: Brushed

HANDS Skeleton delta shaped

CALIBER
PF009, HIJRI PERPETUAL CALENDAR, AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, Hijri perpetual calendar,  moon phase
Power reserve Up to 48 hours
Frequency 28’800 Vph (4 HZ)
Jewels 32
Nb of components 310
Total dimensions Ø 33.30 mm, thickness : 5.70 mm
Decoration Large Côtes de Genève, bevelled bridges
Oscillating weight Platinum Grain d'Orge ' guilloché

STRAP Hermès Black alligator strap
W.R. 30 meters

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
Taking its name from its founder, watchmaker and restorer Michel Parmigiani, the fine watchmaking brand was founded in 1996 in Fleurier, in the Swiss valley of Val-de-Travers. With its own watchmaking centre ensuring its independence, the brand has both full control over the production process and unique creative freedom. For over twenty years, the Parmigiani Fleurier signature has resided within timepieces that command the utmost respect, in harmony with watchmaking traditions. They are the labour of a lifetime – that of Michel Parmigiani, the talented individuals who assist him, and the special relationship between the Manufacture and the masterpieces of the past, enabling it to invent a bold future.