On the 29th of May 1996, Michel Parmigiani and Pierre Landolt exchanged a highly symbolic handshake at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne. It marked the moment the Parmigiani Fleurier brand was created, witnessed by a small gathering of journalists and friends. Twenty years later, we see the same men, the same friendship and the same passion for watchmaking unchanged by the passing of time.
A few milestones
Michel Parmigiani started his career in 1976 when he opened a restoration workshop, despite the quartz watch crisis which was in the process of ravaging the traditional watchmaking industry, and against everyone’s advice.
“When one has had the chance to work on as many wonders of the past as I have done”,he said, many years later, “it was simply impossible to believe that traditional watchmaking would die out”.
Michel Parmigiani developed a method of restoration that became his work ethic. His watchmaking skills were constantly improved by the lessons learnt from every piece he restored. He began to make a name for himself amongst watch muse- ums and collectors who sought out his talents. In the 1980s, he was entrusted with the care of the Maurice Yves Sandoz collection. It was in this capacity that he met Pierre Landolt, president of the Sandoz Family Foundation. In 1996, Michel Parmigiani acquired the production means and resources to create a brand that would bear his own name.
Parmigiani Fleurier turned its focus to creation, through a watchmaking centre able to manufacture and perfect all the components of a watch, without ever losing the link to its origins. The brand still has an active restoration workshop at its heart, enriching today's creations with inspiration and expertise taken from the horological wonders created by our fathers. Over 20 years, Parmigiani Fleurier has developed a range of products which reflects the strength of its manufacture and the talent of its founder. No less than 33 original movements have been unveiled since this day in 1996.
