Parmigiani Fleurier Celebrates 20th Anniversary with New Watch and Exhibition of Movements
To mark the 20th anniversary of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand, the company recently celebrated at the Miami Design District with an exhibition of 25 of its 33 movements created over the past two decades, including 10 world firsts. The exhibit is open to the public until the end of the year and is designed to showcase the innovative spirit and top-quality watchmaking of the brand.
Among the highly technical movements, conceived of by master watchmaker and founder of the brand, Michele Parmigiani, is the Ovale Pantographe with telescopic hands that extend at the top and bottom of the oval-shaped dial and contract on the sides for perfect indication of time. That watch was years in the making. Parmigiani is also well known for its haute horlogerie Bugatti watches, and several of those movements (and watches) are on display – including the famed Bugatti 370 caliber with revolutionary transverse movement.
While the first wristwatch ever made by the brand was the Kalpa Hebdomadaire tonneau-shaped watch that has become an iconic line for the brand, Parmigiani Fleurier has – over the past two decades – unveiled a host of new shapes and collections, including the round Tonda, whose case shape plays home to the brand’s Chrono Anniversaire – its first caliber with integrated chronograph that was unveiled earlier this year at SIHH.
Although Parmigiani Fleurier is 20 years old this year, Michel Parmigiani began his career in watchmaking 40 years ago in 1976, when he opened a restoration workshop. In the 1980’s, while restoring pieces in the Maurice-Yves Sandoz collection, he became close with the Sandoz family, which eventually supported him in his efforts to start his brand in 1996. Over the years, the brand has unveiled – as mentioned – 33 new movements, 10 of which are world firsts.
Additionally, Parmigiani continues to create clocks of significant substance. Among them are Lalique clocks with usual movements, and an incredible horse-inspired automaton clock that is one of the most mesmerizing works of art and time. We will bring you more about that clock here soon.
