Parmigiani Fleurier From 1996 and Beyond at Speeds of a Bugatti Veyron

Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Vitesse Watch

One of the stars at SIHH 2013 is the pair of Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Vitesse timepieces.
 One model sports a bright orange dial made from Texalium - a woven  fiberglass based material coated in a thin layer of aluminum. A 36mm x 50mm x 22mm titanium case installed with 6 sapphire crystals ensures optimal visibility of the remarkable Parmigiani’s 333 component  manual wind PF372 movement within. A power reserve of 10 days makes its namesake proud with maximum torque optimization. The straps of course are Hermès - the result of a strong bond between Parmigiani Fleurier and the French manufacturer most notable for their fine leather goods. 
These watches will run you into the six figures, but hey if you driving the car than you must be wearing the watch.  These watches were released alongside a restored 1935 Bugatti T57S ELECTRON TORPEDO.  Not automobile car restoration, but timepieces and automatons  is an integral part of Parmigiani's history.

Parmigiani Fleurier Buggati Type 370 - circa 2004

To reach horological  heights attained by Parmigiani Fleurier, one must surmise that Micheal Parmigiani must have sped along at the speed of a Bugatti Veyron.  As to why I have chosen this particular super car aside for the fact that it is the fastest car in the world - visit supercars.org for verification.  (At 267 mph, (429 km/h), this baby yearns for endless open roads) Parmigiani has, in time,  irrevocably linked itself to the Bugatti Supercars.

Bugatti  Fauborg - Circa 2008

 It all began in 2004, when Parmigiani was so inspired by this well oiled speeding machine, the company created the Bugatti Type 370 and the Bugatti Supersport in white gold. The watches were specially designed to resemble a transversal engine.  The result was instant success and a mere two years later, Parmigiani released the Bugatti Vitesse in titanium and the Bugatti Supersport in rose gold.  Two years later  the gloomy watch recession of 2008 hit.  Watch companies were staring at their plummeting watch sale reports; cutting back on production and producing cheaper models in steel, but that did not deter Parmigiania - a hopeless optimist.  In these dark days the company was a twinkle on the horizon.  Parmigiani unveiled the ultimate in watch luxury - the $233,900 Parmigiani Bugatti Faubourg watch a worthy companion to the $2.2 million Bugatti Veyron Faubourg Par Hermes car.  Luxury upon luxury.

This type of optimism was not new to Micheal Parmigiani who in 1976 chose Fleurier in the Val-de-Travers region as the location of his first workshop. 


The Quartz Scare

In 1976 this region was experiencing agonizing hardships.  It was the years of the Quartz Scare. Cheap Japanese quartz watches were flooding the market and the mechanical watch companies closed door after door.  Companies like Blancpain became dormant while others closed forever. Exports of Swiss Mechanical Watches plummeted from 40 million in 1973 to a mere 3 million a decade later. During this period over 90,000 employees in the industry were laid off.  It was a desperate time for Swiss Watch Manufacturing.  Yet it was during this time of incredible uncertainty in the future of Swiss Mechanical Watchmaking, the doors of Micheal Parmigiani's workshop, against the advice of many,  flung open and business begun.

Micheal Parmigiani's would not accept the fact that the mechanical watchmaking era was about to come to an end.  He could not fathom how great watchmaking inventions, which had a part in changing the world we live in (see longitude blog and Great Kipton Train Wreck Blog), would merely fizzle from a crystal. His vision surpassed many, and out of a stubborn belief in traditional watchmaking, he opened his small but successful watch restoration company and a small workshop, Mesure et Art du Temps, creating original horological mechanical timepieces for collectors.

The Sandoz Family

Tonda 1950 (Micheal Parmigiani Birthdate)

In 1980, Micheal Parmigiani met the Sandoz Family of Pharmaceutical Company Novartis, fame.  The Sandoz Family were also prolific collectors of automated mechanical wonders featuring as well a large amount of watches.

Micheal and the Sandoz Family met via curator,  Effrene Jobin, of the Watchmaking Museum in Le Locle who had restored many of the Sandoz families collectables.  Mr Jobin was getting old, and the task, for him, had become exceedingly difficult.
This type of work was right up Micheal Parmigiani alley and he worked in close collaboration with the Sandoz family restoring automatons and watches.  Pierre Landolt current Chairman of  the Sandoz Family Foundation, established in 1964 by sculpture and painter,Edouard-Marcel Sandoz,  and Director of Novartis AG, realized that a small workshop for a man so talented in watchmaking just would not do.  Micheal Parmigiani was destined for higher goals.

Parmigiani Fleurier Opens for Business

  In  1996 Parmigiani Fleurier  opened -  breathing new life into the Val-de-Travers.  With an intense knowledge of historical horological craftsmanship and mechanical understanding, component by component, Micheal Parmigiani perfected each aspect of watchmaking.   Parmigiani was and still is an independent company with no red-tape restricting perfection, thus Parmigiani can concentrate purely on the mechanics of watchmaking.  He creates completely unique complex masterpieces such as the first ever Parmigiani 30 Year Hegirian Calender (the Islamic Lunar Calender) see below.
 Parmigiani Fleurier has created 350 jobs in the region with apprentice opportunities available in virtually all areas of the watchmaking process. For a brand to have a genuine in-house movement, all components must be manufactured by the company.  It is not enough to create a  lovely looking watch and then order a movement from say Swatch's ETA or Ronda (both movement are outstanding in quality).  Every component must be built by the company.

I took the photo of the Hegirian Calender in New York at the Sandoz Collection Exhibition 2011

For a small company just starting out, an entirely in-house movement did not happen overnight, but rather component by component.  Over the course of 4 years commencing in 2000, the Sandoz family acquired and founded production companies gathered under the  umbrella of "Manufactures Horlogères de la Fondation" beginning with the December 2000 acquisition of "atokalpa" - a bar turning enterprise producing virtually all movements and the January 2001 acquisition of Elwin - a company specializing in bar turning and machine equipment.  In addition an entirely new company, "Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier" - to service the extremely high quality movements.  A final addition to this group of production companies, Quadrance et Habillage, in December of 2005.

The Many Faces of Parmigiani Fleurier

Kalparisma- Circa 2010

I came face to face with Parmigiani one cold  eve in November of 2011 dashing through the crowded streets of Manhattan after writing my last exam of the semester.  I desperately needed a place to rest my thoughts. which were still racing from one formula to another. I needed to slow my pace down just a bit. For the last month my mind was focused on exams and I did not know the Parmigiani and the Sandoz Collection was in New York.  A moments decision as to the Avenue I was to traverse led me, by chance, to the door of 781 Fifth Avenue at A La Vieille Russie. I must have fell through the entrance amid a flurry of "no longer required and soon to be shredded" study papers.
In an instant I was transformed into a world of soft light and mechanical marvels.
Immediately, The Hegirian Calender caught my eye  displayed in a prominent position in the center of the room.  My mind still reeling with numbers tried to grasp the complexity of the Islamic Lunar Calender, but the feat seemed harder than any exam I had taken.  I paid my dues and headed upstairs to a world of antique automatons, of which I had never seen before.

Parmigiani 114

Why am I writing about the Exhibition over a year later?  I suppose it is because of Parmigiani's history and the connection I feel to its intense fusion with the mechanical marvels of days gone by.  In this place surrounded by antique timepieces,  delicate decorated birds, bejeweled critters, paintings where scenes change, a gentleman walking on his canes and the rarity of a Faberge egg, every aspect of the automaton in its mechanics and aesthetics were real and present.  They were not illusions or heuristics of our competent mind.  They were not fabricated  beauty and images which fleet across our visual cortex only to remain for a second and then vaporize into thin air.  These objects were there - a testament to fine craftsmanship of artisans long gone. 

***

As Micheal Parmigiani is a restorer of antique mechanical wonders, he has taken some inspiration from the antiquities he restores.  The parmigiani 114 with telescopic hands is one such model, the inspiration drawn from from an 1800 Vardon and Stedmann watch.
See Video below I took at the Exhibition.

Parmigiani Timepieces include the Kalpa Collection for the Ladies, of which I blogged about a couple years back  , Tonda 1950 Collection (see image above), Bugatti Collection, the intriguing Pershing Collection which often in tribute to sports like this Captain's Watch for 2010 FIFA South Africa and the awe inspiring Toric Collection which is worthy unto a blog of its own.

Parmigiani Fleurier Watches occupy a unique exemplary niche in the world of haute horology producing testaments of excellence with each Parmigiani  Fleurier timepiece.

SIHH 2013 Cartier d'Art Timepiece Displays Ancient Artistry of the Etruscans

30,000 Square meters of exhibition space holds a mere 16 brands. 12,500 privileged guests - strictly by invitation only- are awarded the opportunity to view the brand's latest models. 1,200 reporters

If you receive such an invitation, you will enjoy an eyeful of unique watches - each brand unveiling unique additions to their collections, whether they leave us breathless with cutting edge technology or wonder struck with techniques uncovered from the cradle of civilization. 

Etruscan Granulation Technique

Cartier d'Art Rotonde de Cartier  timepiece will be be unveiled at the SIHH 2013 baring the face of a its signature Panther on the face of the dial.  The granulation technique is borrowed from exceptional creative and innovative people  of pre-Roman Italy , emerging in Eturia, somewhere between 900 and 500 BCE. The quality of their gold objects were unsurpassed by others of that era.  Artifacts from that time period relay skill of immense proportions, especially in their expertise of gold granulation climaxing in 7th and 6th century BC.
The Etruscans granulation process was arduous and intricate.  The Etruscans began the process by producing tiny gold pellets.  They then used a copper solution combined with vegetable or fish glue diluted with water, which they used to apply the pellets to selected patterns.  Judging from the longevity of these artifacts, the process was quite successful. These artifacts and the granulation process is one of the unique remnants of the Etruscans culture before it was swallowed up by the powerful Roman Empire.
Cartier utilizes much the same process used by the ancient civilization of the Etruscans. They begin with tiny gold balls from threads of gold; cut and heated over a flame. One by one the gold balls are placed and fused to a gold plate creating the ancient granulated effect. Due to the painstaking intricate work involved in creating the timepiece, Cartier has set a limit of 20 pieces for this model. 

Cartier has created a true collectors item.

Greubel Forsey in Royal Blue Fit for a King

Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain in Rose Gold

The blue speaks of oceans and skies and an endless paradise where perfection reigns in harmonious tranquility.  The striking color surrounds and hovers above a mechanical masterpiece created in calculating keenness by  Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey’s. 
Greubel Forsey is a highly exclusive watch brand featuring limited editions evoking collectors dream. I have always felt Ulysse Nardin ruled the blue, but Greubel Forsey is becoming quite the competition.  Of course wining awards and competitions is quite the norm for a relatively young company like Greubel Forsey. 
The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain encased in a red gold (5N) case is limited to 33 pieces.  This model of magnificence stands alone in its exemplar quality and yet is a direct descendent of the Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Contemporain in platinum, of which I blogged about in February of 2012,
and in the Contemporain line.

Ebel X-1 Xtremly Trendy

Ebel has come out with a seriously trendy watch collection.  The Ebel  X-1.  The design has a clunky sporty side with a distinct underlying elegance. I really like this collection of watches as they fit right into the current stylistic arena while still maintaining an ebel fluidity and sensuality so distinct in its beluga lines.
The mid-range ladies watches run from $2,500 to $7,900 price range based on gold content and diamonds.

Model# 1216117 Price: $4,900.00

The model depicted above is my favorite based on its rare color and rose gold accentuations.  The hue is the result of brushed and polished PVD-finished stainless steel. The silver galvanic dial adds a mysterious edgy charm beneath a scratch resistant sapphire crystal.  Sapphire Crystal is a must for mid-to upper range watches.  Lower Range watches like Michael Kors will have mineral crystal - not as hard as Sapphire Crystal and more prone to scratches.

Model#1216107 Price:$2,500

The women's  34mm brushed and polished stainless steel is a classy everyday watch with an elegant edge. At $2,500, this model is the most least expensive of the line; however still maintaining the exquisite representation of quality and worth.  As with the other models, the stainless steel model is water resistant to 100meters.   Click here for more info on water resistance.

Model#1216116 Price: $7,900

 At $7,900 this polished white ceramic and 18k rose gold case accentuated with a 15 diamond crown and a 48 diamond rose gold bezel is definitely the dressiest of the group.  The watch is a relished beauty suited for the most elegant of occasions and equipped for the week day wear. The movement, as all these models, are quartz.  A Quartz watch is powered by a battery and utilizes an electronic oscillator regulated by  quartz crystal.  As a result of the battery, a quartz watch requires no external energy source and thus requires little attention the actual mechanism of the timepiece.  About 90% of women's watches are quartz whereas about 60% of men's.  Obviously in the low range watches this percentage increases.  In the high range watches - where women's and men's watches run into the ten or hundred thousand mark, the percentage of quartz watches decrease; however more so for men's watches than women's watches. Whereas there is virtually no quartz watch in men's higher range watches, you still may find a couple women's watches, but as of late high-end watches for women are incorporating mechanical movements.

Mechanical movements require a constant outside source of energy provided by the swinging motion of ones arm triggering the movement of a rotor (mostly situated at the back of the watch - best material for this is tungsten), which winds the mainspring.  Watches powered this way are called automatic watches. The watch automatically winds by the swinging motion of ones arm. Manual mechanical watches require winding at the crown.    Increments of time are regulated by the precise motion of the balance wheel.
Mechanical watches require attention to the power reserve  of the timepiece, and can be somewhat of a hassle for a lady who has as many watches as shoes. If all her watches are mechanical and she does not utilize a watch winder, than more often than not her watches  have stopped calling for an exasperating excuse of lateness.
I suppose that is why many ladies watches are quartz.
As usual I went a bit off topic, but all in the name of horological education.

A. Lange & Sohne Grand Lange 1 "Lumen" A Player of Light at SIHH 2013

Every watch company wants to unveil a unique aspect to time telling, whether it be in a twist on a tourbillon; an avant garde alloy, a dashing design or an unparallelled precision in performance.  For the SIHH 2013 A. Lange & Sohne has focused on luminescence in an exceedingly interesting way. 

One can immediately identify the large luminous date which takes up a prominent position towards the top of the dial. This is the first time A. Lange and Sohne has used luminescence on its signature large size date as well as its power reserve.   An intriguing aspect of the watch is the darkened partial transparency of the dial created from sapphire crystal covering the date disc like a darkened area of a stage waiting  for its scene, but there is a very valid reason for this.  Unlike the dial hands and Indicators, the future date does not see the light of day - critical for the effectiveness of  lume (For an in depth explanation Read What is Lume?), thus in order for the A. Lange and Sohne's large date aperture to glow in the dark as soon as the next calender date appears, it would have to receive a certain amount of light prior to its appearance in the date aperture - hence the transparent sapphire crystal covering the date disc. The idea of the tinted Sapphire Crystal dial is not entirely new, but a "date targeted" change to its A. Lange & Sohne Zeitwerk Luminous Timepiece.

Now the watch itself  is a thing of beauty isn't it? The luminescence across the dial is bestowed with a flourish.  No meager dribbles 

of the stuff, like A. Lange & Sohne's earlier versions,  but thick plentiful layers of lume which glow with a clear splendor in the dark.  Of course after a couple  hours

the glow does fade, but then the alternative, tritium, which can glow for a good 12.5 years  even in a stygian grotto

has the uncomfortable  chemistry ,albeit eons of half-life's weaker, associated with another element: Radium.  Now Radium ,which is highly radioactive given its own founders, Marie Curie's, unfortunate demise and, of course the suffering of those poor young girls , has scared off a good many companies from even tentatively using tritium. One such company is Panerai. - But that story for another day.   Now I must mention the tritium used in watches today is encapsulated in tubes and as far as I've read have no ill-health effects.


Anyway I have strayed again - quite a bad thing which may send my readership plummeting into the very Stygian grotto I have aforementioned.

This watch is not for mass consumption, but rather an elite few limited to 100 pieces.  The case is crafted from platinum  - a metal often used for commemoration timepieces where the original timepiece was of steel craftsmanship, limited editions accentuating the prestige and/or watches destined to become a coveted collectors item. The manually wound movement is in-house (anything less would surely raise an eyebrow or two) A. Lange & Sohne caliber L095.2 comprised of  400 parts baring 42 jewels and capable of a 72 hour power reserve. The watch is strapped to the wrist by a hand stitched crocodile strap and secured with a platinum signature Lange prong buckle. 

I must say this is a fine piece - very fine indeed.

The Skull by Romain Jerome and John Armleder

Romain Jerome John M Armleder Art-DNA watches (1 of 10 unique)

Romain Jerome collaborates with highly regarded Geneva born contemporary artist, John M Armleder in a series of ten unique  Art-DNA watches. Each watch crafted from polished steel will be presented in a unique colors.  The signature John M. Armleder skull, which he has used in countless creative backdrops - such as emblazoned on a mirror - now serves as a imposing image atop Romain Jerome's  hammered polished dial.
Manuel Emch, CEO of Romain Jerome since 2009, has a great appreciation for contemporary art.

John M. Armleder received his inspiration for the creation of the skull motif from the Amerindian culture.

Manuel Emch, the CEO of RJ-Romain Jerome, is a devoted collector of modern art,  and explained, "I have wanted to link my passions for contemporary art and watchmaking for some time now, and apply this idea of art as a unique item or limited edition to a watch ...for me it was important to work with a Swiss artist because of the company's origins, and my admiration for John M Armleder's work and his role as a model for young artists meant that I didn't have to look for long."

John M. Armleder is not simply an artist, rather an entire art philosophy.  Born in 1948, his skills cover a wide range of artistic representations such as performance artist, sculpture and painter. His philosophy focuses the fact that art in itself is a conduction of creative energy. He is renowned for his 1980's furniture sculptures , where furniture often in monochrome was juxtaposed with abstract art.  He is also associated with the Neo-Geo artistic movement of the 1980's.  A movement which is probably better described within the age of its occurrence - refer to The New York Times Article dated July 6th, 1987.

No doubt about it John Armleder is a constant example and role model of  avant garde creations and a wellspring of intriguingly unique perceptions of space. His creations are not isolated from the environment in which they exist, but command the space while embracing its unique geometry.

The case back is engraved with the signature of John Armleder and the Piece Unique. An alligator strap seals the deal with a price tag of $22,802 USD.

Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 to Deliver Dazzle at SIHH 2013

Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 

Make way! Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 for women is tearing down the red carpet dressed in a dazzling display of haute horology.  She is dressed in her finest. A flurry of camera flashes illuminate a warm rich pallor of pink gold accentuated by two shimmering trains of 624 diamonds trailing along her polished bracelet. The diamonds of brilliant cut - amount to 3.79 carats.  A choker of diamonds upon the bezel surround a face of serene sensuality. Pink Gold Roman Numerals languish beneath slender hands of delicate grace.  A perfectly placed discrete seconds sub dial  mark time in increments of utmost precision.

All marvel at her beauty and grace as she steps upon the stage to receive her award. Of course this is not her first award.  The Roger Dubuis Excalibur holds the Hallmark of Geneva and we all know what a feat of accomplishment that is.  In fact Roger Dubuis, her maker, was the first brand to adhere to the new stringent requirements outlined by the Poinçon de Genève. Read about the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Flying Tourbillon Monopusher Chronograph it here. 
She is a Chronometer too given to her by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or COSC.  It is no easy feat to attain this exemplar status. Read about it here.

Aside from her outside beauty, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 has an inner beauty which is revealed in her  perfection of timekeeping.  Encased in a lovely exterior is an exceptional interior.  An exquisite cutting edge mechanical marvel , the automatic calibre RD821 makes her heart beat.  172 components function in mechanical harmony.

And if you wonder if she will tire on an evening such as this. Your Roger Dubuis Excalibur 36 has a power reserve of 48 hours.

And who is the dashing young man by her side.  A man dressed in midnight blue, rugged steel case and a black leather strap.  A vision of daring masculine ruggedness not quite masking a distinct aura of dependability and reliability.  Meet the Excalibur 42 Chronograph. His heart beats to a slightly different drum, the 280 component RD681 automatic chronograph movement baring a micro-rotor.  A micro rotor is as efficient as a regular rotor which usually commands the entire case back.  The micro rotor only takes up the space comparable to a sub dial.
Some men are hard to read and keep their thoughts hidden beneath a layer of macho repose; however all is revealed with startling clarity on the face of  the in-house Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42 Chronograph.  The sword shaped watch hands point to the hour and minute with precise intensity.  Seconds are revealed at the 9 'o'clock position and a telling 30 minute chronograph dial is exposed at the 3 'o'clock position.  As for a date, ones eyes are drawn to a discrete aperture located at the 6 'o'clock position.
This Gentleman's timekeeper holds the Seal of Geneva and the affluent Chronometer title.

Both timepieces are of unsurpassed quality destined to create a dazzling SIHH 2013 entrance.