Parmigiani Fleurier - History, Models and Owners' Reviews

A well-deserved reward for this TORIC designed in 2016 following the new codes of the Fleurier brand. Twenty years earlier, the first TORICs by Michel Parmigiani were sometimes reminiscent of certain Breguet models, but after the refining exercise carried out in 2015 on the TORIC chronometer, offering a tauter and more contemporary case design, it is the turn of this "Hémisphères" which takes up the dual-timezone movement previously used in the TONDA Hémisphères.

Here is a magnificent steel chronograph with a sporty but elegant look. When you look more closely at this watch, you notice that it is perfectly in the DNA of the brand. Indeed, the Parmigiani Fleurier house (small in size but large in know-how and excellence in terms of fine watchmaking) produces contemporary pieces (because yes, the brand is relatively young: founded in 1996) while remaining in the respect of watchmaking traditions. The attention paid to detail is just sublime, from the blued hands to the guilloché of the sub-counters and the decoration on the movement. This watch is really worth a detour!

Parmigiani Toric Having worked for the brand, it was a very nice work experience and I decided to bring back a souvenir with me. This white gold Toric measures 38mm, blue sapphire cabochon, dragon enamel dial. Limited series of 10 pieces, this one being the 5th, not the best number, not the worst either. Enamel dial designed by Michel Parmigiani's daughter, case with just and perfect proportions, respecting the golden ratio. Lémania mechanism, therefore used mainly at Breguet now. No silicon, we are at the beginning of the 2000s when this collection appears. I bought this one in 2008, rarely worn, changed the hands at the factory, originally they were blued, and carefully preserved, this Parmigiani is an exclusive watch, dressy, for evening without excess. My 15.7 cm wrist is perfect for this kind of dimensions. The location of the Manufacture in Fleurier adds a significant dose of legitimacy when it comes to the link with China, a dial decorated with a Chinese dragon, Fleurier being the bridgehead for the trade of Swiss watches in China in the 19th century. A very rich history superbly described in Chapuis, la Montre Chinoise.