Parmigiani Fleurier: “Carillon Tourbillon” for the 30th Anniversary—a melodious tribute to Michel Parmigiani
It has happened again: Parmigiani Fleurier—the master of minimalist design—has introduced yet another complication and created a new dial layout without compromising the brand’s signature aesthetic.
We’re talking about the “Carillon Tourbillon” (carillon tourbillon), created to mark the 30th anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier and as a tribute to its founder and namesake, Michel Parmigiani.
Since 2021, CEO Guido Terreni has been responsible for Parmigiani Fleurier’s strategy and has played a key role in shaping the manufacture’s development. A key part of this is the “Tonda PF,” introduced in 2021 as the flagship collection. It marked a strategic new beginning for Parmigiani Fleurier: a shift away from eye-catching designs toward a very minimalist, luxurious style featuring an integrated bracelet and delicate guilloché—unobtrusive watchmaking artistry and “quiet luxury” at its best.
The “Carillon Tourbillon” now follows the same philosophy—despite featuring one of the most challenging complications in haute horlogerie.
Michel Parmigiani and the Understanding of Time
And on the brand’s 30th anniversary, that very same successful strategist addresses the watchmaker—without whom none of this would be possible—with words full of respect and humility that are well worth reading: Michel Parmigiani.
“Some anniversaries invite us to look back on the journey we’ve taken. Others remind us of the enduring power of a beginning. The thirtieth anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier falls into the second category. It celebrates not only the founding of an independent watch manufacture. Rather, it honors the life’s work of a man who devoted himself to understanding time before he began to create it himself. Michel Parmigiani never viewed watchmaking as a mere outward appearance. Rather, he approached it from within: through the restoration of historic timepieces, through the careful study of objects from the past, through the patience of the hand, and through a deep respect for what earlier generations conceived, passed down, and sometimes left behind without explanation. (…) For 30 years, Parmigiani Fleurier has embodied a rare philosophy: using profound knowledge to create something innovative and placing contemporary expression in a constant dialogue with memory.”
“Carillon Tourbillon”—a melodious tribute to the anniversary
Limited to five pieces, this creation embodies Parmigiani Fleurier’s philosophy that one must first understand before one can design. With this piece, Parmigiani Fleurier also aims to demonstrate how its own history and tradition can be innovatively transformed for the present and the future.
The “Carillon Tourbillon” is inspired by an early 19th-century pocket watch by Perrin Frères, which is part of the Sandoz Collection and was restored in 2000 at the Parmigiani Fleurier workshops.
The Architecture of Sound on Your Wrist
The “Carillon Tourbillon” draws inspiration from the curved shape of the serpentine-shaped tone springs and reinterprets this characteristic mechanical architecture, transforming it into a contemporary design. At the functional heart of the watch is the striking mechanism, which makes time audible. Originally, in the Middle Ages, it set the rhythm of people’s lives in a tower clock.
Parmigiani Fleurier is now bringing this melodious timepiece to the wrist in the form of a minute repeater. Unlike a tower clock, however, the “Carillon Tourbillon” does not impose its precision on the wearer, but rather chimes only when called upon.
The redesigned white gold case, the vertical gadroons —inspired by the classical columns that Michel Parmigiani so greatly admires—the box-shaped sapphire crystal, the small hammers visible on the dial side, and the hand-hammered dial in Morning Blue define the design.
Among the most striking elements are the four serpentine-shaped clay springs. They encircle the tourbillon in elongated, undulating lines that also serve as hour markers.
While the hammers are visible on the dial side—both in terms of their function and movement—the tourbillon and power reserve indicator can be viewed through the sapphire crystal case back.
The dial itself is crafted from white gold and features a Morning Blue hue. The hand-hammered texture is one of the defining aesthetic signatures of Parmigiani Fleurier’s 30th anniversary and is in keeping with the “Toric” anniversary models.
PF950 Caliber – four reeds for an exceptional sound
The in-house caliber at the heart of the “Carillon Tourbillon” consists of 456 hand-assembled and intricately decorated components. Its design is based on a mechanical architecture built around two stacked mainsprings. These power the gear train and ensure an exceptional power reserve of 12 days.
A third mainspring barrel, dedicated to the striking mechanism, is automatically wound when the striking function slider is activated—but only when the minute repeater is engaged. This approach conserves the energy of the main movement while ensuring optimal sound quality at all times.
All components of the minute repeater are positioned on the back, allowing the entire mechanism to be admired in motion.
The clock is characterized by an exceptionally rich sound, made possible by the use of four serpentine-shaped tone springs. Unlike traditional tone springs, these have a wave-like geometry that is extremely complex to manufacture, and they produce a nuanced sound: a low-pitched tone spring for the hours, a high-pitched tone spring for the minutes, and two additional tone springs—each with its own pitch—for the quarter-hours.
The 41.6-millimeter white gold case, featuring vertical fluting, serves as both a protective, water-resistant shell (up to 10 bar) and a sound conductor. The sliders for the sound mechanism are integrated into the side of the case. (MSRP: 490,000 CHF)
Guido Terreni says of this strictly limited-edition timepiece: “With the ‘Carillon Tourbillon,’ we are presenting more than just an extraordinary timepiece. We are honoring a life’s work, a commitment to craftsmanship, a passion for innovation, and the passing down of that legacy. What Michel Parmigiani left behind at this manufacture is an uncompromising standard and an attitude that permeates everything. In keeping with this legacy, 30 years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier continues to look ahead. With gratitude, with respect, and with the responsibility to carry on what has been entrusted to us. Michel Parmigiani’s legacy is not merely part of the manufacture’s history; it shapes its path into the future.”
Pôle Horloger – Center of Excellence for Watchmaking
Thanks to its 95 percent vertical integration, Parmigiani Fleurier’s vertical scope of production is higher than that of almost any other manufacturer. At the heart of it all is the so-called Pôle Horloger, which brings together the various areas of component production—such as cases, dials, balance springs, and movements—right down to every single screw.
Since 1996—the year the Parmigiani Fleurier brand was founded by Michel Parmigiani, the Sandoz family’s watch restorer—the Sandoz Foundation has been developing this center of excellence for watchmaking. One of its cornerstones is the Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. Here, mechanical movements—both hand-wound and self-winding—as well as additional modules are developed and manufactured—not only for Parmigiani Fleurier, but also for other luxury watch brands.
