We visited the Parmigiani Fleurier manufacturing site for on-site reporting. Their unchanging integrated production system and respect for handcrafted work are evident.

In April 2026, the editorial team of Chronos Japan had the opportunity to visit Parmigiani Fleurier's suppliers and restoration department. Due to limited time, they were only able to see a small portion of the facilities. However, Parmigiani Fleurier's distinctive features—its astonishing integrated production system and respect for handcrafted work—remained unchanged everywhere they went.

A fully integrated system that surpasses that of a manufacture.

Parmigiani Fleurier, which made a name for itself with the "Tonda GT" and its successor, the "Tonda PF," has finally achieved the reputation it deserves, although to me it feels a little too late. However, it is very pleasing to see that the company, which has always strived to create high-quality watches, has finally attained the fame it deserves.

　A major reason for the success of the two Tonda models was their choice of a sporty watch configuration with a bracelet. However, without a high level of craftsmanship, they would have quickly lost momentum. Fortunately, the GT and PF models featured a streamlined design that emphasized their excellent craftsmanship, a case that seamlessly integrated the bracelet, and a dial with bold use of neutral colors. Of course, all of these components, including the movement, were manufactured within the same group. In short, the Tonda PF collection was a clear and tangible manifestation of the comprehensive capabilities that Parmigiani Fleurier had cultivated.

　When Parmigiani became an independent watch manufacturer, it initially lacked the cooperation of suppliers. Even with the backing of the Sando Foundation, no manufacturer would be willing to supply parts to a newly established, low-volume brand. Since then, the company has established its own suppliers and now boasts an unparalleled integrated production system.

　The companies we visited were Cadrance et Aviage, which manufactures the dials, and Les Artisans Boitiers (LAB, formerly Bruno Aforte), which manufactures the cases. The person in charge of both companies at the time of the interview described the advantages as follows: "Although the manufacturing of the cases and dials is separate, they are manufactured in the same building. Currently, we have more than a dozen clients, including Parmigiani. All of them are high-end manufacturers."

　During my visit, the dial for the "Trick Perpetual Calendar" was under production. The dial was an astonishing 1.1mm thick. Most suppliers are reluctant to produce dials that are more than twice as thick as usual. However, Parmigiani adopted this thickness to create a sense of depth. What's interesting is the way the PF logo is fixed. Like other companies, the logo has legs and is embedded in the dial. However, they cut a large section out from the back of the dial where the legs are embedded, and then inserted the thin legs of the logo into that section. This is to precisely fix the long, slender legs. When fixing such small parts to a dial, the standard practice is to use a thin dial. But Parmigiani does things differently.

As the person in charge stated, "Color is the real challenge," and the exquisite intermediate colors that characterize Tonda PF and Trick are also developed at Cadrance et Aviage. They primarily use lacquer finishes, but PVD and ALD are also used depending on the color. However, these finishes are only possible after meticulous preparation. In addition, the cutting and slicing of mother-of-pearl and onyx are also done within the company's group network. They use as many as 50 different discs to prepare the base. The person in charge said that "having a certain thickness (of the dial) makes it less prone to distortion during finishing," which is likely because the manufacturing of the dial involves at least 14 steps. Of course, Cadrance et Aviage also makes dials of standard thickness. However, that thickness is not necessarily the standard 0.45mm. The reason is that "the thickness is changed depending on whether the final step is plating or painting." Also, the thickness of the clear coat applied to protect the dial is subtly changed from a few microns to tens of microns depending on the desired expression.

　The manufacturing of the cases is also meticulous. Like other companies, they use the latest machine tools to cut the materials. However, 99% of the cases manufactured in the LAB, including the stainless steel ones, have welded lugs. While welding precious metals is one thing, welding stainless steel is technically difficult, and this is done to add a finishing touch to even the smallest details of the case. Looking at the lugs of the Tonda PF, you honestly wouldn't know they were welded. The quality of the finish extends to even the parts that aren't visible. I was shown a Tonda PF case before it was shipped, and even the flange on the case back was perfectly polished. This is probably to improve the grip with the thick gasket that fits onto the case back. It makes sense that the ultra-thin Tonda PF has high water resistance, but the excessive polishing is typical of Parmigiani.

　Next, I was shown a restoration workshop in Fleurier. Here, they restore not only Parmigiani's complicated watches but also vintage pocket watches. The person who explained everything to me was watch restorer Francis Rossignol. "We remake broken parts in this workshop. Sometimes we even cut them using old-fashioned jeweler's saws. It would be a waste to draw up blueprints and use the latest machinery just to make one part." However, the composition of materials can be different now than it was then. How do they handle that? "For example, springs. Modern parts have higher tension, so we make them slightly smaller. How do we judge that? It's just intuition and experience."

　Michel Parmigiani himself made a visit to the workshop. "I believe the essence of watchmaking lies in old watches. In fact, I started my career restoring watches and then created new models, building on tradition. The meaning of restoring watches by hand is to preserve the know-how of the past. And that remains as a benchmark for our watchmaking. There are many wonderful watches that have been cultivated by history, but they can no longer be recreated. That's why we have to be humble." As an example, he cited a new model that uses an old ébauche (movement).

"There are watches for which only the movement was ever made, so we are remaking them into new works of art."

　I once had the opportunity to visit all of Parmigiani's workshops. More than a decade has passed since then, and Parmigiani has become a major name, with its new products exciting many watch enthusiasts. But thankfully, Parmigiani's tradition of meticulous handcrafting remained completely unchanged during this visit. Luxury watches are made by people. This is surely what makes Parmigiani a truly extraordinary manufacture.

"Mechanical Wonders 2026 | Mechanical Art Continues to Evolve, Transcending Three Centuries" to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the company's founding.

　To commemorate the 30th anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier, the exhibition "Mechanical Wonders 2026 | Mechanical Art Continues to Evolve Across Three Centuries" will be held in Tokyo from September 19th. The exhibition will feature the first public showing in Japan of a collection owned by the Sando Family Foundation, restored by the repair workshop led by founder Michel Parmigiani. These watches will be displayed alongside current Parmigiani Fleurier models. By presenting both together, the exhibition aims to demonstrate the unbroken connection between past craftsmanship and the expression of modern watchmaking. Watch restorer Christy Girel is also scheduled to visit Japan.