When you think of luxury watchmakers, you often think of pieces over a century old, calling back to the origins of horology for on-the-go. But that doesn’t mean the watchmakers need to be old-school. The best of the best can take that old feel and honor the past while striving forward to the future. That is what Parmigiani Fleurier, a watchmaker founded thirty years ago this year, has done with their new drop, the Carillon Tourbillon. At the center of invention lies the knowledge of restoration. What their new watch proves is that there is no point in innovating for the future if you don’t understand what has been successful in the past. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways. And sometimes the old ways are made better with the new ideas. The Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon is more than an ode to the past; it is a signal for the future of luxury timekeeping.
From the tower to the wrist
At the center of most medieval towns was a clock tower. Usually atop a church, but always providing a cadence to the life of those living within hearing distance. You could hear the gong of the hour from far off, where you could set your day by the unwavering rhythm of keeping time. That was eventually scaled down to one you could keep in your pocket, taking your daily cadence with you on the go, and then, eventually, on the wrist. Parmigiani Fleurier took that notion and included four gongs on the Carillon Tourbillon. One low-pitched gong sounding for the hours, one high-pitched gong for the minutes, and two individual melodic gongs for the quarters. The result is a four-pitch harmony taking you through the rhythm of your day.
All of this is housed in a white gold case and features a blue dial and bezels adorned with vibrato decoration honoring the beauty of sound and the art of craftsmanship. Luxury isn’t in price, but it aesthetic, function, and form. The Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon has heaps of all three, taking knowledge and restoration of the past into the innovation of the future.
