Parmigiani Fleurier is a hidden gem. Its under-the-radar side and extreme attention to detail has created many converts to its charms. Production is completely verticalised, since Parmigiani can rely on companies such as atokalpa or Vaucher Manufacture which, like Parmigiani itself, belong to the Sandoz Family Foundation, and which were acquired precisely to help it in its ambitions. This gives the watchmaker a healthy dose of independence and ample flexibility.
The Art of Subtlety
There’s no need to do the splits to earn a standing ovation. Parmigiani prefers to take a more understated approach. 2021 saw the birth of the Tonda PF, which grew out of Parmigiani’s flagship collection, the Tonda, with its stunning aesthetic and mechanical refinement. Its arrival coincided with Guido Terreni’s appointment as CEO, and the appearance of a telling statement on the dial. Parmigiani Fleurier became PF – two letters that are sufficient to carry the identity of a confident brand. This highly desirable family, which now includes a Tonda PF micro-rotor, an annual calendar, a chronograph and a split-seconds chronograph, has been extended with further horological marvels at Watches & Wonders 2022.
A GMT that’s easy to use, even when you’re jet-lagged
With its new releases, PF reminds faithful to its (very high) haute horlogerie ideals. There are complications such as a chronograph combined with a big date or annual calendar, alongside complicated executions such as a Tonda PF Skeleton and a Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon. And Parmigiani has successfully met the challenge of completely overhauling the dual time zone display. In a world first, the brand has inaugurated a stunningly simple display using a flyback hand. While travelling, the pusher at 8 o’clock sets a rhodium-plated hour hand to the local time. Home time continues to be shown on a rose gold hand. Once back home, when the dual time zone indication is no longer required, a button on the crown brings the two hands back together. A small but important detail: the button is in rose gold, like the home time hand. Intuitive UX design at its best.
Aesthetically, these new timepieces are all about subtlety and coherence with the complication they house. The dials are delightfully varied: a refined barleycorn motif on a blue dial for the GMT, and an interplay of different shades of grey across subtly sanded or satin-brushed finishes, for the skeleton model. The flying tourbillon dances on an expanse of sandblasted platinum, while the chronographs are brought to life with a triangular hobnail guilloché motif. But let there be no doubt: these models of understated simplicity are a testament to the adage that simplicity is a lot harder to achieve than complexity.
