Some years ago, I was asked to write an article on the history of the Gregorian calendar. At the time, it struck me as the dullest and most absurd subject imaginable. Today, I could write an entire book about it. About civilisations and their two defining mirrors: the calendar and the watch.

The calendar is the most refined and magnificent horological complication conceivable, for it is, in essence, the reflection of an entire civilisation. The three great pillars of civilisation: the Islamic, Chinese and Gregorian calendars.

The watch, on the other hand, embodies the most beautiful of paradoxes. It is humanity’s attempt to contain that which can never truly be contained: time.

And time? It is not merely measured. Time is restored, refined and, ultimately, reimagined.

Beyond belief lies the Holy Swiss Trinity. Beyond standards lies the minute repeater. Beyond the case are the watchmakers who craft the movement with the same painstaking artistry bestowed upon the exterior. For whom? Perhaps for the discerning traveller.

Luxury is a private experience.

Last year, Parmigiani Fleurier — the restorers entrusted with the Sandoz family’s extraordinary collection of timepieces and objets d’art — unveiled a remarkable creation: La Rose Carrée. They say its inspiration came from the geometry of the rose, the structure of palm trees, and the tranquil hue of blue.

I believe they drew inspiration from something far older. A path traced across centuries, preserved in countless historical representations.

One of them is the Rohonc Codex.