Parmigiani Fleurier
A Swiss watchmaker returns to its roots
Although Parmigiani Fleurier has produced many fine, handmade, luxury Swiss watches since 1996, the cornerstones of the company are the Tonda and Kalpa collections — the latter sporting the iconic tonneau shape — and, grandest of all, the Toric. “Traditionally, the Toric family has included the most grand complications of all the Parmigiani Fleurier collections,” says company founder Michel Parmigiani. “And 2017 sees the manufacture return to its roots.”
Specifically, it is looking back with the release of the Toric Chronomètre, which offers a contemporary interpretation of the first watch designed by Michel Parmigiani that launched the brand in 1996. Most aesthetically distinctive to the Toric Chronomètre is its bezel, which alternates gadroons (inverted fluting) and knurling (rolled line patterns) and is based on the Doric columns of ancient Greek architecture. Another key element of the design inspiration, and central to Parmigiani Fleurier lore, was Parmigiani’s discovery of a pointed shell in the shape of a spiral, found on a beach in Malaysia. Its natural spiral construction, governed by the mathematical golden ratio of proportion, gave an impression of delicacy, despite its acute shape, and Parmigiani subsequently decided to recreate this optical illusion by balancing the dimensions of the first watch he created.
Says Parmigiani: “From the beginning, I’ve been committed to building a brand code originating from the harmony associated with Fibonacci’s algorithm series. For the code of the Parmigiani brand specifically, it’s about the curved portions, for example the lug components: it’s about the size of the open glass feature in relation to the overall diameter of the case; it’s about the size of the counter display with respect to that of the dial, or it’s about the size of the minute hand relative to the size of the hour hand. All of these dimensions don’t happen by accident, they all relate back to Fibonacci’s golden spiral.”
Beneath the winningly-proportioned Toric Chronomètre is a wealth of haute horological technology. Says the firm’s chief commercial officer Steve Amstutz: “For more than 20 years, the Toric collection has been the product platform offering the most complicated movements, such as the chronograph tourbillon, minute repeaters and the Westminster Chimes which, with its four hammer mechanism, replicates the Big Ben carillon.” These complex, delicately-constructed movements are not only assembled by hand, they are created by the company.
“All Parmigiani Fleurier watches have an in-house movement,” Parmigiani says. “In a bit more than 20 years of existence, we managed to develop more than 30 movements. This is thanks to Parmigiani Fleurier’s independence: a guarantee of expert craftsmanship and creative freedom.” The upshot of this is that the Toric Chronomètre is a wristwatch certified by Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC), a designation signifying extremely high quality and achieved by only three per cent of Swiss watches.
Central to Parmigiani Fleurier’s ongoing success is the role played its founder. “Michel Parmigiani is very much involved in each new product’s creation,” Amstutz explains. “Internally, it is very interesting to see him interact with the product’s team. The knowledge’s transmission is very much present in every step. At the beginning, the new apprentices don’t understand the reason to be so devoted to some design aspects, until they discuss with Michel and they see the application of the golden ratio into each watch, for instance on the dial opening, the hands’ length et cetera. Michel’s role is like a mentor who respects the very essentials of the brand, striving for perfection. The interaction between different generations is there in every day’s work at Parmigiani Fleurier.”
So who is the Toric Chronomètre customer? Amstutz is in no doubt: “The classical design of the Toric Chronomètre appeals to customers who dress elegantly… and yet with a touch of audacity.” —