Parmigiani Fleurier introduces a new Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar in a stainless-steel case with a vivid viridian green dial.
In 2011, Michel Parmigiani created the Hijri Calendar Table Clock after he was inspired by the restoration of a pocket watch that featured an Arabic calendar. This remarkable achievement was made further impressive when it was miniaturised in wristwatch form as the Hijri Perpetual Calendar which won the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) Innovation Prize. In 2023, Parmigiani Fleurier released the Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar in a platinum case with a fresh design language and simpler dial.
The Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar is a horological expression of the Tabular Islamic calendar which was developed by Muslim scholars and astronomers in the eighth century.
This system makes it possible for historians to convert Islamic dates to Gregorian and makes the Hijri Perpetual Calendar possible. The first year of the Hijri calendar corresponds to the year 622 CE and is marked by the Prophet Muhammad’s Hijrah from Makkah to Medina in modern-day Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic year’s sacred months, including Ramadan, are each marked on the dial which, for the first time, comes in viridian green – a colour that has special importance to Muslims. The new Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar has a 100m water-resistant, stainless-steel case with alternating satin and polished finishes. Its signature fluted bezel is in 950 platinum and it is paired with a matching stainless-steel bracelet with folding clasp. The viridian green dial is hand finished with a Grain d’Orge guilloche. The applied hour markers and skeletonised delta hour and minute hands are crafted in 18-carat gold with rhodium plating. The second hand and calendar subdial hands are made of rhodium-plated steel.
The watch is equipped with the Caliber PF009 automatic movement, which operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and has a power reserve of 48 hours. The intricate movement has bevelled bridges and the skeletonised rotor is chiselled from platinum with a polished and sandblasted finish.
The Tonda PF Hijri Perpetual Calendar displays all the information on the dial. The 12-hour subdial shows the 30-year cycle of the Islamic calendar with the abundant 355-day years in beige and the standard 354-day years in white. The three o’clock subdial indicates the numbered months of the year with the ninth month of Ramadan highlighted in bright red. The nine o’clock subdial shows the days of the month with an aperture indicating whether it is a 30-day abundant month or a 29-day common month. Finally, the six o’clock subdial features the blue aventurine moon phase display, which shows the position of the moon in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Speaking of the watch, Michel Parmigiani, Founder and Master Restorer, says: “Watchmaking should be a window onto the history, culture and philosophy of the peoples who have shaped our perception of time.”