The brand’s characteristic Delta hands appoint the Ovale Tourbillon powered by the PF501 movement with a rare 30-second tourbillon, completing two rotations per minute for enhanced precision. Available in rose gold with a black mother of pearl dial or a white gold dial decorated with Côtes de Genève striping, the Ovale Tourbillon is limited to 30 pieces in each version.
The most surprising of the Ovale trio is the capricious Monsieur A designed by André Saraiva, better known as André, the grafitti artist who gained fame in the 1990s for spray painting the grinning, winking Monsieur A on the streets of Paris. The familiar face, with an X for one eye, appears at 12 o’clock on the watch’s dial, his trademark grin serving as a power reserve display. The eyes at 3 and 9 o’clock recall the Eye of Horus from ancient Egypt. Underneath the contemporary art dial is a beautifully hand-finished solid gold PF110 movement.
"I was looking to do many different ideas," said Saraiva. "Of course I experimented, but I went for something more sober with little symbols, more simple – sometimes it’s better."
Parmigiani will produce 10 Monsieur A watches in stainless steel – and there’s a bonus for those who make a purchase: those who wear them will gain complementary admission to Saraiva’s Le Baron nightclubs in New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo. While Michel Parmigiani admits that some of his more traditional clients may be surprised by the partnership, he emphasizes that the classical and the contemporary can harmoniously coexist.
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