Parmigiani unveils the “falcon” clock

With 6000 brilliant-cut diamonds Beirut - Arabstoday Parmigiani Fleurier recently unveiled, a new innovative table clock/automaton manufactured in Switzerland, an exceptional watchmaking objet d'art for the first time in Doha, Qatar. This piece, entitled "Falcon", is a brilliant interpretation of the Middle Eastern tradition of falconry and pays homage to the famous animal sculptor, Edouard-Marcel Sandoz. Being particularly attuned to the artist's sensibilities and his aestheticism, Parmigiani has used some of his techniques, including silverwork, in creating this unique work of art which is worth $ 4.11 million (AED 15 million). The Falcon, a bird of prey, expresses a combination of grace and strength. The striking tension of the lines and the movement of the piece as a whole are conveyed through a style inspired by Art Deco, well-suited to the pure geometry of the shapes. The bird is depicted mid-swoop, about to pounce on its prey, the bustard. The falcon, a sculpture in polished silver, majestically spreads its wings, each contour of which is highlighted by 6000 brilliant-cut diamonds in a drop setting, accentuating the sheer breadth of the bird's wingspan. An extremely complex piece to create, formed of several parts it required 1800 hours of work and perfect mastery of the techniques of chasing and buffing of the precious metal to perfect its form. Its beak and talons, symbols of the hunter's legendary strength, are made of gold. The cap on the top of its head is set with brilliant-cut white diamonds, again in keeping with the purest tradition of hand-setting. The bustard, made from finely forged metal, ultimately cannot evade the falcon, which seizes it six times every hour. Perched on a sandbank formed of a mineralisation of smoky quartz depicting the desert landscape, the falcon relentlessly pursues its prey. At irregular intervals, the mechanism contained in the base allows the bustard to escape the claws of its predator, which is forever on its tail, thereby intensifying the symbolic power of the falcon, the embodiment of perseverance and tenacity. A gong placed within the mechanism chimes each time the bustard makes its escape. The cage supporting the base, in smoky quartz cut into a 70 kg block of glass from Brazil, is made from silver chased with a rosette pattern and set with specially cut baguette diamonds. The hour ring on the clock is set with white and chocolate baguette diamonds using a semi-invisible technique.