The more expensive jewelry and watches become, the more likely that they will spend most of their existence in the secure confinement of a safe. When jewelry-brand Pomellato was founded in 1967 in Milan, it was determined to change this. With a playful approach towards design,  combined with traditional craftsmanship, they created collections that where so perfectly wearable in everyday life that they often became faithful companions of the women that owned them.

Capri Chain by Pomellato

More or less the same can be said of Parmigiani. Founded in 1996, it might be a youngster amongst the Haute Horlogerie brands, but Michel Parmigiani’s extensive experience restoring the most complicated and important pieces of watchmaking history do give it a wealth of experience. And that this experience pays off is obviously visible in Parmigiani’s collections. They represent the craftsmanship and refinement one would expect from a Haute Horlogerie brand, but combined with a refreshing approach to design that seamlessly unites a paradox, and can perhaps best be described as; classical contemporary.

Parmigiani & Pomellato

Partnerships are nothing new in the world of Haute Horlogerie. Brands partner up all the time with car brands, celebrities of all kind and sports events. The success of such cooperation varies, mostly related to how natural the fit is between the two. Usually jewelry brands start to market watches under their own name, so it is quite unique that Pomellato actually teamed up with Parmigiani. Unique as it may be, the brands have more in common than a similar outlook on design. They both are manufactures in their respective field of expertise, and strongly believe in combining craftsmanship with a modern approach.

Arabesque dial, combined with diamonds and rose gold

Words are nice, but the products should speak for themselves.The first result of the partnership between Parmigiani and Pomellato are four watches. Three of them are inspired by Pomellato’s Arabesque–collection and one model on their Capri-collection. The watches are based on the Parmigiani Tonda 1950, and exclusively available in rose gold, as this is Pomellato’s signature color of gold.

Parmigiani & Pomellato Tonda Arabesque

The three Arabesque watches all feature a unique dial that captures the soul of this collection by applying the typical Arabesque motive to the dial. It requires a delicate procedure to accomplish the play of light and dark on the flat surface of the watch dial. After creating the opaline base, the Arabesque pattern is set out by silkscreen printed transfer on the dial. Next the dial is sand-blasted. The result is dial with a sand-blasted effect, combined with the Arabesque motive in opaline. The beauty of this method is that light really plays with the dial and the different textures on it.

Parmigiani & Pomellato Tonda Capri

With the watch inspired on Pomellato’s Capri-collection it is once again the dial that immediately grasps your attention. It’s azure color is created by crafting the dial out of a single piece of turquoise. A challenging task that not only requires a large enough piece of turquoise that expresses the required quality, but also need it to be cut ultra thin in order to function as a dial for the Parmigiani Tonda. Crafting dials from stone has never been a mainstream technique, and is now only mastered by a few. Because turquoise is a natural material, no two of these watches will ever be alike, adding to the uniqueness of the watch.

The usual problem with partnerships in the Haute Horlogerie, is that the watch should be recognizable as a product of both companies. The four new watches do tick off that box, since they are very Parmigiani, and at the same time typical Pomellato. And yes, they are too sexy to keep in the safe!

Martin Green
Eclectic taste in Haute Horlogerie, passion for diamond set watches, loves the classics 

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