Parmigiani Fleurier is “shaping up” its emblematic Kalpa watch collection at this year’s SIHH, launching three new models and outfitting each of them, for the first time since the Kalpa’s 2001 debut, exclusively with in-house movements that are shaped to perfectly fit the dimensions of the watches’ tonneau cases. Here’s what you should know about the new Kalpa Chronor, Kalpagraphe Chronometre, and Kalpa Hebdomaire.
The Kalpa Chronor has a rose-gold case and a bi-level black dial.
Michel Parmigiani, founder of the eponymous brand, created the first tonneau-shaped movement, Caliber PF110, in 1998, encasing it in the first Parmigiani Kalpa wristwatch. The movement was notable, especially in that era, not just for its unconventional shape but also its eight-day power reserve and excellent rate regularity, while the watch turned heads, as it does today, with its tonneau case, teardrop-shaped lugs, smoothly integrated straps and bracelets, and Delta-shaped hands. All these stylistic hallmarks can still be found on the new Kalpa, which has since expanded to become a flagship collection of the Parmigiani brand, but now some models from that collection that had heretofore been fitted with traditional round movements have been upgraded with all-new shaped movements that snugly hug the interior curves of the ergonomic tonneau cases. The Kalpa Chronor, one of two chronograph-equipped watches in the collection, features the watch world’s first s...