Last night, Watch Journal partnered with Parmigiani Fleurier to host the most recent installment of its Collector Series of events. The dinner served as the U.S. premiere of the Toric Chronomètre timepiece and the rest of Parmigiani Fleurier’s 2017 SIHH novelties.
The event began with a cocktail hour as guests arrived and mingled with the Watch Journal staff and members of Parmigiani Fleurier’s management, including the guest of honor, brand Founder, President, and Master Watchmaker Michel Parmigiani.
Watch Journal Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Bues kicked the dinner off with a short Q&A with Michel that found the legendary restorationist discussing what inspires him creatively in today’s tech-focused world and recounting what his greatest achievements have been.
Parmigiani said that the natural world and its patterns and proportions inform his watch designs. His greatest achievement, in his mind, has been to create a brand that continues to thrive 20 years after its founding. For the evening, Parmigiani wore the first watch that he designed for his eponymous brand, the Toric, which this year has been revived in the form of the Toric Chronomètre.
As the guests, which included the artist Sophie Matisse and Royal Bank of Canada Senior Vice President Richard Fitzburgh, headed towards the dinner table, Bues proposed a toast to Parmigiani Fleurier honoring Michel for all that his brand has accomplished since its founding in 1996. Which is just a year before Watch Journal was founded.
