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The history of Parmigiani Fleurier dates far back to the year 1976 when Michel Parmigiani started his own traditional watchmaking workshop. Though Parmigiani was young, he was adept at making and restoring watches and created his very own pieces. Parmigiani’s life soon changed, when he restored timepieces belonging to Château des Monts and Patek Philippe Museum. His expertise was finally recognised, and his company ‘Mesure et art du temps’ became a famous name in the horological world.
Further catalysing the rise of Parmigiani was the famous Sandoz Family Foundation. In 1980, the Sandoz Family Foundation delegated Michel Parmigiani with the maintenance of their huge line of clocks and automatons and encouraged Parmigiani to establish his own brand.
On May 29, 1996, the House of Parmigiani Fleurier was finally inaugurated. Founded in the Beau-Rivage Palace of Lausanne, the inauguration was a testament to Parmigiani’s excellence in front of the world.
Three years later, in 1999, Michel Parmigiani presented two of his creations, which became icons for the brand for all its later years, and continue to be so. One was the wristwatch ‘Toric QP Retrograde’, which had alternatively placed gadroons and knurling on its bezel, a characteristic feature that became incorporated in the future signature designs of the company, while the other was ‘Kalpa Hebdomadaire’, a wristwatch designed based on the golden ratio.
Now, with 350 employees, Parmigiani Fleurier has grown into a giant in its field.
Michel Parmigiani was a man of strict manufacturing criteria. Hence, in the year 2000, with the help of the Sandoz Family Foundation, which acquired Les Artisans Boîtiers, known for making fancy watch cases and using advanced technology and excellent artisanship, Parmigiani Fleurier was able to put its own manufacture in place. Now, the entire chain of production was in the hand of the creator himself, making Parmigiani Fleurier one of the few brands in the world to control every step of its creations.
Always focusing on creativity and quality, Parmigiani Fleurier has paid considerable attention to making sure every detail of their watches showcases innovation and precision. With the incorporation of Atokalpa, a company making gears for watches, and Elwin, a micromechanics company, in 2001, Parmigiani Fleurier was able to direct the production of some of its most fundamental components. One of the prime features of Atokalpa is its machine-building department, while Elwin is notable for its creation of the DH7, a lathe built for the horological industry.
Only two years after this milestone, the powerhouse of Parmigiani Fleurier, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, was established. Entrusted with the making of automatic and manual mechanical movements for Parmigiani’s watches, Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier’s research and development is aimed at producing fine calibres for the brand’s watches.
With all but one aspect of a watch covered, finally, in 2005, Quandrance et Habillage, tasked with making dials, became a part of the brand. The craftsmen at Quandrance et Habillage pay serious attention to creating the most magnificent dials, with the master dial maker imparting a special design on every piece.
Over the years, Parmigiani Fleurier has been behind the creation of more than 250 watch models and three noteworthy collections. One of the most well-known innovations of Parmigiani Fleurier was released in 2004, in association with Bugatti, the iconic Bugatti 370, which had all its components assembled in a single line, to mimic an engine. More recently, the brand has come up with advanced technologies and novel features in order to further enhance its products.
On Parmigiani Fleurier’s 25th Anniversary in 2021, the brand released a number of new models in its old collections. The most noteworthy of them all was probably the Tonda line, with its new additions in platinum with steel and gold models.
Needless to say, Parmigiani continues to surprise the world with its classic creations that have just the right amount of modernity and elegance.