Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary Watch Review
To coincide with its 30th Anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier has released the Carillon Tourbillon, a new addition to its Objets d’Art Collection. Limited to just 5 examples, the watch features a hand-hammered white gold dial, executed in a glorious ‘Morning Blue’ hue, while the case is formed of white gold, inspired by classical columns. Meehna Goldsmith provides an overview of this beautifully finished, horological tour de force.
Honouring Michel Parmigiani
The latest release from Parmigiani Fleurier is the Carillon Tourbillon, a magnificent creation that honours Michel Parmigiani’s founding of the eponymous brand 30 years ago. Guido Terreni, the CEO of the company, presented the anniversary watch to the public in the style of a letter addressed to Michel Parmigiani, describing the building of the watch while also giving an ode to Parmigiani’s illustrious career.
Image – Michel Parmigiani
Before establishing his own brand, Michel Parmigiani cut his teeth in restoration. He has brought back to life (and continues to do so) some of the most important horological treasures spanning centuries, including Fabergé Imperial Eggs from the Maurice-Yves Sandoz collection, several 19th century Frères Rochat Singing Bird Automata, a rare and complex Breguet Pendule Sympathique and a Ducommun Planetary Clock. It could be said that Monsieur Parmigiani has magical hands.
Through restoration work, Parmigiani learned to understand time. It wasn’t from the perspective of nostalgia and repeating the past. Instead, by handling and listening to those historic horological objects with a deep reverence, he could translate the wisdom of the masters into contemporary timepieces.
Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary – inspired by a Perrin Frères pocket watch
Therefore, it makes perfect sense that the Carillon Tourbillon would find inspiration in restoration. In 2000, the ateliers of Parmigiani Fleurier restored an early nineteenth-century Perrin Frères pocket watch from the Sandoz Collection. It contained a wandering hours quarter repeater and a tourbillon. Within this pocket watch lived the secrets of chiming mechanisms and the knowledge of the maestros who came before.
For Michel Parmigiani and the Manufacture, taking inspiration from a piece does not mean offering up a modern reproduction. Instead, historical pieces are reinterpreted for contemporary audiences. According to the brand, “history is never a static archive. It is a source of creation.”
Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary – serpentine gongs
One of the most distinctive aspects of the Perrin Frères pocket watch was the serpentine gong. It reappears in the Carillon Tourbillon as four serpentine gongs framing the hand-hammered ‘Morning Blue’ dial, which is a signature of the 30th anniversary pieces. Residing at 9 and 11 o’clock, two hammers give the overall effect of two floating rafts in a tranquil swimming pool.
Hand-applied 18K gold rhodium-plated appliques denote the hours, while 18K hour and minute hands circle round to mark the time. The only other visual dial feature is the discreet Parmigiani Fleurier ‘PF’ at 12 o’clock.
Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary – chiming sequence
Actuating the slide on the left flank of the case initiates the Carillon Tourbillon’s striking sequence. Comprising one low-pitched gong for the hours, one high-pitched gong for the minutes and two additional gongs for the quarters, each with its own note. The cadence of the hammers is controlled by a regulating flywheel, ensuring each strike is delivered at the optimum tempo, thereby aiding interpretation and proving mellifluous.
Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary – Morning Blue
In contrast to the serenity and simplicity of the dial, the rear of the watch reveals the poetry of the mechanics, including a 60-second tourbillon and power reserve indicator. Notice how the colour of the ‘Morning Blue’ dial is repeated with the power reserve indicator and also coordinates with the crown set with a blue sapphire, contributing to the watch’s harmonious aesthetic. Two superimposed barrels provide energy to the mechanism: one for the gear train and the other for the striking mechanism.
Lavish finishing is embellished further with a mezzo vibrato decoration, giving visual language to sound. This decoration was first used on the dial of the Armoriale Objet d’Art and is done entirely by the engraver’s hand.
Although the Carillon Tourbillon uses 456 components, it’s not a Rube Goldberg affair. Every piece fits into a deliberate architecture, each necessary for its function. During its imagining through to the final reveal, Michel Parmigiani was intimately involved in the creation of the watch.
Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary – case
Monsieur Parmigiani has always been attracted to classical columns and the redesigned 41.6 mm, 18K white-gold case features vertical gadroons in this style. The slide, mentioned earlier, automatically recharges the striking mechanism once activated.
Limited to just five examples, the Carillon Tourbillon has an impressive 10 days of power reserve and comes on an Akoya Grey hand-stitched alligator leather strap with an 18K white gold pin buckle.
Closing remarks
The significance of the Carillon Tourbillon lies beyond its specifications. From the serpentine gongs inspired by the Perrin Frères pocket watch to the hand-finished details and contemporary interpretation of traditional complications, the Carillon Tourbillon demonstrates how Parmigiani Fleurier approaches history – not as something to be preserved behind glass, but as a living source of inspiration. It is the product of a Manufacture that continues to draw lessons from the great masters of the past while expressing them through modern watchmaking. The Carillon Tourbillon is not just a fitting tribute as an anniversary piece, it showcases the deep expertise, capability and philosophy of the Manufacture Parmigiani Fleurier.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Parmigiani Fleurier Carillon Tourbillon 30th Anniversary
- Reference: PFH996-2010001-300181
- Case: 18-carat white gold, diameter 41.60 mm, height 12.60 mm, water resistance 1 ATM (10 metres), sapphire crystal to front, exhibition case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, monopusher chronograph
- Movement: Calibre PF950, hand-wound movement, frequency 21,600 vph (3 Hz), 42 jewels, power reserve at least 10 days, 456 components.
- Bracelet: Akoya Grey hand-stitched alligator leather, double-sided closure with 18ct white gold pin buckle
- Price: 490,900 CHF (RRP as of 9.6.2026)
- Limited Edition: 5 pieces