Swiss Company Makes World’s 1st Mechanical Clock on Islamic Lunar Calendar
The Swiss company Parmigiani Fleurier has constructed the world’s first mechanical clock based on the Islamic lunar calendar.
The watchmaker takes pride in being "authentic luxury watchmakers" and calls the new clock - which took 20 years to develop - a "project dedicated to the Muslim community".
The prototype clock was unveiled at Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday by Parmigiani’s top officials in the presence of Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb Al Muhairy, Director General, National Council of Tourism and Antiquities.
Company president and master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani said the Arabian peninsula was the appropriate place for the "world premiere" of the clock, since it has been the cradle of Islamic civilisation.
The Islamic Hijri calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian one — 354 days instead of 365; on leap years (there are 11 of them in a 30-year cycle), the number of days goes up by one.
The clock is equipped with a continuous thirty-year mechanical Hegirian calendar displays the mean time in hours and minutes and is fitted with precision moon phases. The clock factors in the thirty- year cycle of normal and leap years and the dates for a Hegirian year for the duration of 354 days or 355 days, the seven days of the week and the 12 months or the year corresponding to the thirty- year annual lunar cycle.
The movement for the motor mechanism is housed in the base of the clock and is wound manually using a retractable click lever in the base. The clock's 30-day autonomy is indicated by a ruby index which moves horizontally.
It has taken master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani almost 20 years to develop this algorithm; the prototype unveiled took about four years to work on since "every element was manufactured from scratch, internally". The clock will have a global launch in January at the Geneva Time Exhibition, and deliveries will commence from February onwards.
Here are the specifications. The Hijri clock weighs 17 kgs; its cabinet structure as well as the base are made from silver; and it is embedded with black obsidians, quartz and rubies. The dial shows hours, minutes and dates in Arabic numerals, and date in calligraphy. It will cost US$2.6 million.
"We will only manufacture a couple of pieces a year," pointed out Parmigiani CEO Jean-Marc Jacot. For two good reasons. One, it will take a dedicated horologist almost a year to put together a piece of this art, so this will clearly not be a fast-moving category. Two, the company will be selective while deciding who gets to buy the watch. "Just having money is not a good enough criterion," said Jacot. "They need to have culture and taste." ISLAMTODAY
The watchmaker takes pride in being "authentic luxury watchmakers" and calls the new clock - which took 20 years to develop - a "project dedicated to the Muslim community".
The prototype clock was unveiled at Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday by Parmigiani’s top officials in the presence of Mohammed Khamis bin Hareb Al Muhairy, Director General, National Council of Tourism and Antiquities.
Company president and master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani said the Arabian peninsula was the appropriate place for the "world premiere" of the clock, since it has been the cradle of Islamic civilisation.
The Islamic Hijri calendar year is shorter than the Gregorian one — 354 days instead of 365; on leap years (there are 11 of them in a 30-year cycle), the number of days goes up by one.
The clock is equipped with a continuous thirty-year mechanical Hegirian calendar displays the mean time in hours and minutes and is fitted with precision moon phases. The clock factors in the thirty- year cycle of normal and leap years and the dates for a Hegirian year for the duration of 354 days or 355 days, the seven days of the week and the 12 months or the year corresponding to the thirty- year annual lunar cycle.
The movement for the motor mechanism is housed in the base of the clock and is wound manually using a retractable click lever in the base. The clock's 30-day autonomy is indicated by a ruby index which moves horizontally.
It has taken master watchmaker Michel Parmigiani almost 20 years to develop this algorithm; the prototype unveiled took about four years to work on since "every element was manufactured from scratch, internally". The clock will have a global launch in January at the Geneva Time Exhibition, and deliveries will commence from February onwards.
Here are the specifications. The Hijri clock weighs 17 kgs; its cabinet structure as well as the base are made from silver; and it is embedded with black obsidians, quartz and rubies. The dial shows hours, minutes and dates in Arabic numerals, and date in calligraphy. It will cost US$2.6 million.
"We will only manufacture a couple of pieces a year," pointed out Parmigiani CEO Jean-Marc Jacot. For two good reasons. One, it will take a dedicated horologist almost a year to put together a piece of this art, so this will clearly not be a fast-moving category. Two, the company will be selective while deciding who gets to buy the watch. "Just having money is not a good enough criterion," said Jacot. "They need to have culture and taste." ISLAMTODAY
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