Six collections, 27 in-house calibres and four world firsts later, Michel Parmigiani, CEO of Swiss brand Parmigiani Fleurier, is proof that in watchmaking, one doesn't need a century-old lineage to succeed. One only needs a special equation.
At a time when the Swiss watch industry was in its dark age because of the quartz revolution, Parmigiani chose the unbeaten path. He was among the few of his peers that decided to stick with mechanical watchmaking, even while the future looked bleak. In 1976, he started taking restoration work from various collectors. He reveals of his passion, “Restoration is not repair. Repair is just changing parts to make the object function again. Restoration is learning about the object, doing your research before you even make the first move. A restored object must not make a lie of its past.”
Through learning about the intricacies of historical masterpieces, Parmigiani began making his own movements. 
He caught the eye of several watchmaking brands, who started commissioning him for projects, including Breguet, for which he produced the Calibre 90, an automatic pocket watch movement, and Chopard, for which he developed the iconic L.U.C. 1.96 automatic calibre.
Parmigiani's dedication, passion, and respect for restoration work also started a friendship between himself and the Sandoz Family Foundation, a group started by artist Edouard-Marcel Sandoz (heir to pharmaceutical giant Novartis) that invests in companies that showcase innovation and entrepreneurship. The foundation had an extensive collection which Parmigiani became sole restorer of in the 1980s.
This partnership created the brand, Parmigiani Fleurier, in 1997. Shortly thereafter a series of collections were launched for men and women: the Tonda, Kalpa, Pershing, and the Bugatti, the legendary watch co-developed with the car manufacturer of the same name, whose cylindrical movement was a world's first. Parmigiani recalls, “When you see the shape of the [Bugatti] Veyron’s very prominent engine, you will instantly recognise where the Type 370’s case comes from. It took us five years to create the watch, from development to final prototype. It’s one of our best accomplishments.”
And all these collections still exist today, a testament to Parmigiani Fleurier's enduring aesthetic.
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