Striking In Different Ways: Minute Repeaters From Jaeger-LeCoultre And Parmigiani Fleurier Plus A Banging Pink-Dialed Bremont

Watches can be striking in different ways. The Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 362 and the Parmigiani Fleurier L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse are striking watches that sound the time on demand. The Bremont Terra Nova 38 “Pink” is a field watch that steps out of its comfort zone with an unexpected, striking pink dial.

You’ve seen the Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 362, right? Well, probably not in the metal because this ultra-complicated watch debuted a decade ago and combines a minute repeater with a flying tourbillon in an ultra-thin automatic movement that is also ultra-exclusive and rare. The original watch came with a grained silvery-white dial. Here, you see the watch’s second iteration, a 41 × 7.9mm polished white gold case housing a radiant midnight-blue dial. The new watch is a limited edition of just five units, which makes it way rarer than the original creation, of which 75 were made.

Three watches that are striking in different ways — First, the midnight-blue Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 362

Even though this grand complication is already 10 years old, it is still striking in every way. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s ability to squeeze an automatic tourbillon movement with a minute repeater into a 41 × 7.8mm case is still as impressive today as a decade ago. By the way, the shape of the case takes inspiration from the brand’s 1907 couteau (knife) pocket watch.

Caliber 362, which holds eight separate patents, is, as you would expect, a hand-made movement. This 33.3 × 4.7mm caliber consists of 566 manually assembled and decorated components. The movement beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and has a 45-hour power reserve. It also stands in a long tradition of chiming movements. Since 1870, JLC has crafted more than 200 different chiming calibers, from relatively simple alarms (different Memovox models, for instance) to the most complex Grandes Sonneries and Westminster chimes.

The dial’s midnight-blue sunburst look is new, but the slots remained. These small windows on the dial’s periphery allow a view of the spinning peripheral rotor executed in heavy platinum. The minute repeater is operated through a discreet unlocking button at 8 o’clock and a retractable pusher at 10 o’clock. Despite this system, the engineers in Le Sentier were able to make the case water resistant to 30 meters. Yes, that is quite exceptional for a minute repeater. The exceptional price of this watch is on request.

Striking and unique: the Parmigiani Fleurier L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse

Question: do you pick birthday presents for yourself? I know a guy who does. He probably helped design and construct it too. Today is Michel Parmigiani’s 74th birthday — happy birthday, Monsieur Parmigiani, from everybody at Fratello — and to celebrate that occasion, Parmigiani Fleurier launches an astounding unique piece, L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse. A new watch on the brand founder’s birthday is hardly a surprise anyway. Unveiling an extraordinary horological creation on this particular day is a bit of a tradition. Still, it’s better to get something you expect and love than be surprised by something you don’t care about at all.

One thing is for sure: the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, an intriguing and philosophical masterpiece that merges artistic beauty with exceptional acoustic engineering, is impossible to hate. Apart from the “birthday boy’s watch,” Parmigiani will produce another four of these ultra-limited-edition watches. Each one is meant to be different and aesthetically personalized. But what is this mysterious-looking watch exactly?

We let Michel Parmigiani answer that question: “In nature, every form, every pattern bears the imprint of perfection — a perfection found in the spirals of a pine cone, where the golden ratio and the Fibonacci sequence intertwine to reveal the harmony of the world. With the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse, we wished to pay homage to these universal symmetries, to celebrate the natural elegance that inspires each of our creations, and to remind us that ultimate beauty lies in the timeless echo of nature’s laws.”

That’s the philosophy behind the Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse. The watch itself has a 42mm white gold case with design elements inspired by Doric columns and the golden ratio, making it very Parmigiani Fleurier. The brand’s pursuit of harmony and aesthetic perfection characterizes it.

Craftsmanship before time

The Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse conceals the time on its reverse side. Its front surface showcases artistic craftsmanship with pastel green translucent Grand Feu enamel over a delicate guilloché pattern. These engravings of a pine cone are a symbol of inspiration for Michel Parmigiani and a metaphor for infinity. If you want to read the time, you have to turn the watch over. On the case back, you will discover the discreetly placed rose gold hour and minute hands. There’s also plenty of craftsmanship to admire on this side. The back dial is adorned with a disk of Guatemalan white jade and shows circular indices. The decorations come from different well-known specialists. Yann Von Kaenel is responsible for the guilloché, Eddy Jaquet for the central engravings, and Vanessa Lecci for the enameling.

Apart from reading the time, you can also listen to it. This is simpler since you don’t have to take off the watch. The Armoriale Répétition Mystérieuse chimes the time on “cathedral” gongs, which are extra-long and wrap around the movement almost twice. They’re securely fixed to the case to enhance resonance. The hollowed-out back and sides of the case naturally amplify the sound. And when you put the watch on the specially crafted (boom)box it comes with, the gongs sound even richer. The manual-winding movement producing the sound is from Renaud Papi and consists of 392 components. As you can see, the brand invited many “friends” to make Michel Parmigiani’s 74th birthday unforgettable.

Pretty striking in pink: the limited-edition Bremont Terra Nova 38 “Pink”

The Bremont Terra Nova 38 “Pink” (€3,600) is not a watch designed for Molly Ringwald. Those of you who were teenagers in the 1980s will know what I mean. Yes, the compact 38 × 44 × 10.7mm cushion-shaped, two-piece case fits even the smallest of (female) wrists. But the Pretty in Pink dial should also appeal to those with larger (male) wrists. I can think of at least two Swiss-made 40+mm pink-dialed chronographs and one sporty, luxurious Japanese creation that prove pink dials are becoming a staple. That doesn’t mean the color doesn’t stand out anymore. It does, especially when combined with a contrasting case and bracelet in a field watch setting, as Bremont has done.

Tongue-in-cheek tool watch

The Bremont Terra Nova 38 “Pink” is, in essence, a robust tool watch. This moderately sized field watch with tapered lugs has a brushed and polished bracelet made from the same 904L steel as the case. Its links are also small to follow the shape of the wrist better. The Terra Nova is built to feel comfortable in harsh conditions, and its 100m water resistance makes it perfectly suited for everyday wear and tear. The contrast between a dressy or urban pink dial and tool-watch vibes creates aesthetic tension. It’s breaking away from convention in a personal, tongue-in-cheek style without sacrificing the watch’s core purpose of telling time in every situation. That’s why, underneath the domed, antireflective, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, we find full-block Super-LumiNova numerals on the dial. Together with the polished hands, these ensure great readability, even in low light.

Behind the all-steel case back, which displays an engraved world map and the writing “Terra Nova,” beats the modified automatic Sellita SW200-1b caliber. This 26-jewel movement now goes by the name BE-36AL. It comes with a Glucydur balance, an Anachron balance spring, and a Nivaflex mainspring. The 4Hz movement delivers 38 hours of power reserve. The Bremont Terra Nova 38 “Pink” is limited to 250 pieces. It is also the first pink-dialed timepiece from the Henley-on-Thames-based brand.

So, which of these three striking watches struck you the hardest? Was it the quite literally striking Master Hybris Mechanica Calibre 864 or L’Armoriale Répétition Mystérieus, or was it the more figuratively striking Terra Nova 38 “Pink”? Let me know in the comments.