Text by Takeshi Matsuyama

A watch maison from the small Swiss village of Fleurier

Fleurier, a town in a valley nestled in the Jura mountain range in northern Switzerland, has a long history of watchmaking.

There are watches in the Chinese Duplex style, such as those made by the BOVE workshop, which were exported to China in the 18th century and loved by Qing Dynasty royalty and wealthy merchants. These watches were decorated with enamel paintings and freshwater pearls, and had the character of works of art.
And today, the brand that makes noteworthy watches in the town of Fleurier is Parmigiani Fleurier.

After graduating from watchmaking school in the 1970s, Michel Parmigiani mastered complex mechanisms through the restoration of antique clocks and automata, and became famous for restoring the Château des Monts at the Le Locle Watch Museum and the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum. He is a self-made man who, with the cooperation of the Sandoz Foundation, which took notice of his technical skills, founded a watch brand.

The company was founded in 1996, a time of renaissance in mechanical watches, and the elegantly designed watches he created, incorporating complex mechanisms, quickly gained a reputation.

I am attracted to beautiful watches that are functional and elegant.

One of the designs from the company's early days is the "Trick" series, which features a bezel with fine indentations, known in architectural terms as gadroons. They have produced a variety of models, including tourbillons, perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, split-second chronographs, and 8-day reserve watches.

The model that interested me was one that had passed the Carte Fleurier precision test, a system run by a watch manufacturer based in Fleurier.
I was attracted to the fact that it was a special watch that challenged accuracy, which is the first priority for a watch, and so I bought it.

Then in 2021, Guido Tereni joined the brand as CEO, adding a modern sensibility to the brand's traditional world of classic elegance, creating the new "Trick" and "Tonda" series.

The minimalist shaped case is available in platinum or gold and still features the gadroon bezel.

My favorite is the "Petite Second" model, which is a small second model with the second hand at the 6 o'clock position.
The movement, newly designed for this series, is gorgeous, with the plate and bridges made of 18K gold.

The other series, "Tonda," uses a micro-rotor automatic movement and is basically fitted with a bracelet made of the same material as the case, giving it a sportier feel and making it a so-called luxury sports watch that has become very popular recently.

At the watch fair "Watch & Wonder" held in April 2025 in Geneva, new products from Toric and Tonda were announced, and the perpetual calendar watch with a pale blue dial reminiscent of Toric's blue sky was particularly beautiful. It is a masterpiece that combines complex calendar elements in a minimalist way.

Another face of Parmigiani Fleurier is the world of pocket watches and other products that incorporate elements of various arts and crafts, and are the essence of craftsmanship.

Unique pieces such as the "L'Armorial" and "Rose Carré" are finished with breathtaking beauty, and can be said to be artistic "objects of time," just like the watches once cherished by royalty and aristocrats.

During my trip to Switzerland this April, I had the opportunity to visit the workshop of Vanessa Retsch, who works in Grand Feu enamel, and see her amazing work.

A watch like this is sure to bring great joy to the chosen one who is granted the right to own it.

It will be exciting to see how the world created by Michel Parmigiani, who has an in-depth knowledge of the history of watches and their mechanisms, and Guido Terreni, a leading figure in the world of modern watchmaking, will develop.

What is "Takeshi Matsuyama: What connects people and time"?

A series in which Takeshi Matsuyama, a pioneering Japanese watch journalist, introduces the stories behind watches, people, and brands that he is drawn to from his own unique perspective.

Author profile

Japanese lyricist, writer, and editor. Born in Kyoto in 1946. In 1968, he wrote "Yopparai Returns" with his friends Kazuhiko Kato and Osamu Kitayama of The Folk Crusaders, which became a million-seller. In the 1970s, he was involved in the launch of magazines such as "Popeye" and "Brutus" published by Heibonsha (now Magazine House). Since the 70s, he has been fascinated by the world of mechanical watches, and has been promoting the appeal of watches. His many books include "Porridge of Wisdom and Tea of ​​Thought," "Great Japan Doraku Travelogue," and the play series "Chaai" and "Ororoji."