»feine adressen – finest« – Köln 4 18

von antiken Uhren inspirierten – Modelle werden in den
Werkstätten von Parmigiani Fleurier auch heute noch alte
Zeitmesser sowie ausgefallene Stücke wie Fabergé-Eier
und andere exquisite mechanische Kunstgegenstände restauriert.
Ein Beispiel hierfür ist die Schnupftabakdose mit
Singvogel der Frères Rochat.
Parmigiani Fleurier beweist, dass außerordentliche Qualitätsarbeit
und perfektes Kunsthandwerk den Weg durch die
Zeit finden und zeitgemäß sind.
Inspired by History
In spite of the quartz crisis, Michel Parmigiani, who
attended courses in instrument making and micromechanics in
addition to his apprenticeship as a watchmaker, opened his first
workshop in 1976 – Parmigiani Mesure et Art du Temps. There
he built unique pieces for collectors and restored antique timepieces.
Mechanical objects from past masters must be restored in keeping
with their methods. To understand a masterpiece, a long research
phase has to be undertaken before even touching the piece. With
objects often unsigned or unique in their genre, the restorer has to
trawl through works and museums to track down any related
pieces that might give an indication as to the mechanism’s workings,
or even play Sherlock Holmes to detect some traces or
imprints left by friction from a wheel that is no longer there.
Hence before dismantling the piece, the restorer spends plenty of
time stripping it down mentally. Michel Parmigiani enjoys reviving
dead watches.
In the early 1980s, he was commissioned to restore the valuable
timepiece collection of the writer Maurice-Yves Sandoz. Much
more came out of this connection: Pierre Landolt, President of the
Sandoz Family Foundation, encouraged Michel Parmigiani to set
up his own manufactory. The foundation supports the company
financially.
Twenty years after the opening of Michel Parmigiani’s first workshop,
the Parmigiani Fleurier brand was officially launched.
In the more than twenty years since its foundation, the company
has presented an impressive number of calibres – the Fleur
d’Orient table clock and the Toric Capitole Waves and Bugatti
Type 370 wristwatches, to name a few examples, among them –,
benefiting from the unique know-how of its founder.
In addition to developing and producing new models, often inspired
by antique timepieces, Parmigiani Fleurier’s workshops continue to
restore old timepieces and unusual pieces such as Fabergé eggs and
other exquisite mechanical works of art. An example of this is the
snuffbox with songbird by the Frères Rochat.
Parmigiani Fleurier proves that extraordinary quality work and
perfect craftsmanship find their way through time and are indeed
contemporary.
www.parmigiani.com