Parmigiani Fleurier Marks 30 Years With Its Most Ambitious Timepieces Yet

The answer arrived in the form of a distinctive hand-hammered gold dial, which becomes the most distinguishable element across the anniversary Toric Trilogy comprising the Petite Seconde, a Perpetual Calendar and a Split-Seconds Chronograph (each limited to 30 pieces). The hand-hammered technique, known as martelage, creates a surface of small, irregular depressions that interact with light. “We were looking for something that gave a different feeling to the watch,” says Terreni, with the delightful result revealing itself as: “each watch is different from the other.”

The execution required the expertise of an external artisan specialising in the technique. The dial, which measures less than 1mm thick, made the endeavour particularly difficult without affecting its flatness. Parmigiani Fleurier experimented with three different scales of hammering before settling on the pattern used for the watch.

Terreni describes the resulting effect as similar to “looking at the water of a lake with little waves”. The intention, he says, was to introduce texture and movement without making the watch overly decorative.

The same attention to craft extends to the double guilloché-patterned movement, a study in painstaking expertise and the patience of its artisans. The process proved more difficult than anticipated. Unlike a dial, a movement cannot be covered with a translucent coating to soften or conceal imperfections, and thus every passage of the guilloché tool remains exposed. When the first version was presented, Terreni and his team were not satisfied. The surface appeared too rough and the light did not interact with the pattern as intended. With production deadlines approaching, the guilloché artisan asked for more time. “It took three months,” says Terreni. “He had to really surpass himself to get to that level of execution.”

For Terreni, the episode illustrates the human side of high watchmaking. He recalls congratulating the artisan during a video call, only to find that the craftsman was still scrutinising the work at close range, looking for imperfections that others might never notice. “He was so proud of what he did that he wanted perfection.”

Another technical decision was the use of solid gold for the movement, a choice that presented practical challenges, including the cost and logistics of sourcing the material. Terreni explains that producing a gold case required purchasing three to five times the final weight of the component, with the unused material recovered and recycled.

The benefit, however, is consistency. Using gold across the case, dial and movement creates a uniform colour and additional weight. Even the hands and indexes can be produced in the same material rather than relying on coatings that may change appearance over time.

Adding a flourish to the anniversary releases is the five-piece limited-edition Carillon Tourbillon 30^th Anniversary, which Terreni showcased at the private lounge of Sincere Haute Horlogerie in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur prior to a collectors’ dinner. Here, in the rarefied space, the chiming of its quartet of gongs had an otherworldly, ethereal effect thanks in part to its serpentine gong construction (a version of this recording is available on Parmigiani’s website).

As opposed to a simple round gong or a cathedral gong that makes two turns, Terreni details how the serpentine form follows a longer, curved path. Each curve makes the component more difficult to produce because the steel must be carefully shaped while maintaining its acoustic properties. The serpentine design also requires additional space inside the case, which influences the volume and transmission of the sound. “The vibration of the gong is transferred through the case outside,” Terreni explains. “You have to have sufficient volume to make it chime correctly.”

The significance of the anniversary is also personal for Terreni. Parmigiani Fleurier was presented in Lausanne 30 years ago, and the brand chose 29 May, the date of its original presentation, as the occasion to mark the anniversary with the Carillon Tourbillon. Three decades later, Terreni remains focused on the same principle that has guided the maison’s development: using knowledge of traditional watchmaking as a starting point for new ideas. “Restoration is a source of knowledge to move you forward,” he says. “Innovation comes from knowing, mastering your craft and pushing it further.”