The Carillon Tourbillon encapsulates the art of sounding time (All photos: Parmigiani Fleurier)
Three decades ago on May 29, in the stately halls of Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland, Michel Parmigiani shook the hand of Pierre Landolt and officially inaugurated his eponymous brand, Parmigiani Fleurier. That memorable moment was the culmination of a long-standing relationship between the master restorer and the Landolt family, custodians of the Maurice-Yves Sandoz Collection, one of Switzerland’s grandest assemblages of antique pocket watches and automata.
Even as Michel developed exceptional calibres and table clocks for esteemed houses like Vacheron Constantin and Breguet, he earned international acclaim for breathing new life into the Landolt family’s archival timepieces. Built on a foundation of trust forged with the Sandoz Family Foundation, Parmigiani Fleurier emerged as a unique force that champions the art of restoration, the patience of the hand and the sacred wisdom passed down through generations.
For its 30th anniversary, the independent maison has unveiled the Carillon Tourbillon, an objet d’art inspired by an early 19th-century Perrin Frères pocket watch from the Sandoz Collection restored by the brand in 2000. It must be said that the creation is not a reproduction of the historical pocket watch, but an effort that carries forward the lessons of sound, gesture, balance and horological construction gleaned from the restoration experience. Limited to five examples, the atelier piece is entirely conceived, developed, constructed, assembled and finished in-house — a remarkable feat given its impressive technical specifications.
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From medieval bells that gave rhythm to cities to grand chiming watches, the carillon preserves a legacy of translating time into sound. Yet even before the acoustics are awakened, a serene, lingering quality radiates from the watch’s aesthetics. A hand-hammered Morning Blue dial, echoing the anniversary Toric models released at Watches and Wonders Geneva in April, endow it with the calmness of capillary waves, while the undulating curves of the four serpentine gongs — directly inspired by the Perrin Frères number — peek from under the glass box sapphire crystal like ripples. A white gold case with vertical gadroons brightens the azure hue as light bounces off the surface, deliberately restrained to set the stage for the visible hammers’ performance.
A four-note melody resounds a nuanced and fluid chime upon activation: one low-pitched gong for the hours, one high-pitched gong for the minutes and two additional gongs, each with its own note, for the quarters. The striking mechanism is equipped with an integrated regulating flywheel that ensures a constant flow of energy and a perfectly regular cadence for an acoustic experience that remains controlled from the first strike to last.
While its tune is music to the ears, turning the watch over reveals a view that is equally, if not more, breathtaking. Boasting 456 components assembled by hand, Calibre PF950 showcases a highly sophisticated mechanical architecture built around two superimposed barrels that drives an exceptional 12-day power reserve — a true rarity for a chiming complication. A third barrel, dedicated exclusively to the striking mechanism, is wound automatically when the slide is activated and only when the minute repeater is engaged.
This open architecture grants an intimate look at the movement in action, from the tempo of the hammers to the vibration of the gongs and, of course, the 60-second tourbillon whirring inconspicuously backstage. Another highlight here is the mezzo vibrato decoration previously seen on Parmigiani’s Armoriale timepieces. Adorning the components, the hand-executed engraving technique is designed to visually represent acoustic vibrations with its wavy lines mimicking the ripples of sound waves. What the carillon makes heard, the mezzo vibrato makes visible.
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Multi-complication watches are notorious for their wrist-straining size, but despite the sheer volume of components required to power both the carillon and tourbillon, the watch retains a sensible silhouette, measuring just 41.6mm across and 12.6mm thick.
Following a stellar line-up of anniversary references this year, the Carillon Tourbillon keeps the brand’s creative momentum moving at full speed. It is a testament to a manufacture completely sure of its identity and bold in its convictions. “Nothing here is gratuitous. Everything is considered, constructed, attuned,” says CEO Guido Terrini.
“Through the Carillon Tourbillon, we do more than unveil an exceptional creation. We pay tribute to a life’s work, to fidelity to craft, to research and to transmission. We acknowledge what Michel Parmigiani has given this maison: an exacting standard, a conscience.
“Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier continues to move forward guided by this legacy. With gratitude, with respect, and with the responsibility to carry forward what has been entrusted to us.”
This article first appeared on June 8, 2026 in The Edge Malaysia.
