To mark the brand’s 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fluerier is releasing the Carillon Tourbillon.
Fitted with four gongs and four hammers, it still carries over 10 days of power reserve.
Limited to just five pieces, it is one of the most complex pieces the brand has ever made.
Creating a chiming watch is a serious endeavour for any brand, but with the new Carillon Tourbillon, Parmigiani Fleurier has taken things up a notch. This repeater watch not only contains four gongs and four hammers, alongside its 60-second tourbillon and power reserve, but it executes all 456 movement components to an incredibly high level, not to mention the hand-hammered dial, white gold gadrooned case, and an overall aesthetic that ties it perfectly into the brand’s 30th anniversary celebrations. A lot is going on with this watch, despite its seemingly calm exterior, and that is exactly how Parmigiani likes it. Complications presented in a simple, aesthetically pleasing manner.
To properly understand and appreciate this limited edition of just five pieces, you need to know the journey of the company’s founder, Michel Parmigiani. A watchmaker by trade, he began his journey in the profession the way many independent names did, by working in restoration. Handling old and often complex pocket watches when there is no instruction manual to follow, you have to figure out problems as you face them, and in doing so, get a better understanding of how these old timepieces worked and were put together. And this watch is based on one of those watches that passed over his bench as a young watchmaker and ended up in one of the most historical collections in the world, the Sandoz collection.
The pocket watch that inspired the new Carillon Tourbillon was an early 19th century piece made by Perrin Fréres and features these evocative serpentine gongs for its repeater. These overly decorative pieces were typical of this period and so it would not have been the first that Michel would have handled, but you can see that the brand has only drawn inspiration from this pocket watch, not attempted to do a complete reissue. And this is where the artistry of what Parmigiani is doing in the modern era really comes to the fore. They have established an incredibly strong visual brand with minimalist aesthetics which then allows them to take on elements from outside influences and incorporate them in without losing site of themselves or the original inspiration.
So let’s dig into this new watch and discover what is hiding beneath its hand-hammered dial. And that is probably a good place to start, this dial has been completed in line with the brand’s other anniversary celebration pieces by applying this scalloped, hand-hammered effect, which many more affordable brands may try to replicate with a simple stamp, but the richness of this texture can only be achieved through this painstaking and delicate technique. Once the texture has been applied, the dial has been given a pastel blue colour, which is becoming somewhat of a signature at Parmigiani and is being used to great effect here as it balances nicely with the colour of the white gold case.
When I talk about this watch being minimalist, the dial, void of any markers or text beyond an applied brand logo, is the perfect example. Not even the tourbillon is being shown on the dial, as you might expect. Instead, all you see is this textured dial, a logo, and the serpentine gongs with their hammers. In this watch, as it is a Carillon, it features four gongs and four hammers. This means that a lot is being packed into this 41.6mm case.
While these curved gongs are directly inspired by the vintage pocket watch, the brand is also claiming that they act as a visual representation of the sound they create. This visual representation of sound has been carried over to the movement on the back of the watch. The bridges of the movement have been finished with a unique technique called mezzo vibrato. Another technique executed entirely by hand, this delicate process leaves the surface of the bridges with a curving, staggered pattern which truly looks like sound waves being etched on them.
The movement itself is incredibly impressive, there are 456 total components, and while the hammers and gongs are visible from the dial side, the rest of the repeater mechanism has been put on full display on the reverse, along with the tourbillon and power reserve. What is perhaps most remarkable here is that this movement comes with at least 10 days of power reserve. This is all thanks to the two stacked barrels that are fitted inside the 12.6mm case, with one dedicated to the timing mechanism, while the other is only charged and unwound when the repeater is activated.
To go along with the mezzo vibrato there is a host of traditional finishes on display, including black polish, chamfered edges, and graining. You are not going to get bored looking at this movement, with the various racks and leaf springs, not to mention the flywheel regulator that ensures the repeater is kept in perfect time. Those four gongs are all tuned perfectly to different tones, with a low-pitched gong for the hours, a high-pitched one for the minutes and two more unique notes given to the two quarter gongs. Having four gongs and four separate notes really elevates the experience when you activate the repeater. Anyone lucky enough to hold a Westminster chime will know what I’m talking about.
Only five of these watches are going to be made, and when you consider that the production of them is being handled entirely in-house at Parmigiani, you can understand why. The knowledge and skill it takes to make one of these movements is incredibly high, with only a few people in the world able to carry out the countless operations required.
30 years might not sound like a long time in this industry when we have brands that stretch back centuries, but it is a significant milestone for a brand that has stayed staunchly independent and is currently one of the most sought-after brands in the market today. This watch feels like a fitting celebration as it perfectly links where the brand is today to the origins of its founder and his beginnings in restoration.
Parmigiani Fluerier Carillon Tourbillon pricing and availability
The new Parmigiani Fluerier Carillon Tourbillon is limited to just five pieces. Price: POA.
Brand
Parmigiani Fluerier
Model
Carillon Tourbillon
Case Dimensions
41.6mm (D) x 12.6mm (T)
Case Material
White gold
Water Resistance
10 metres
Crystal(s)
Sapphire front and back
Dial
Hand-hammered blue
Strap
Akyoa grey hand-stitched alligator leather, white gold pin buckle
Movement
PF950, manual wind
Functions
Hours, minutes, carillon minute repeater, tourbillon, power reserve
Availability
Limited to five pieces
Price
POA