Parmigiani Fleurier

Who are Parmigiani Fleurier?

Parmigiani Fleurier is a Swiss watchmaker based in Fleurier, in the Val-de-Travers, founded in 1996 by the watch restorer Michel Parmigiani (Parmigiani Fleurier; Wikipedia). It is owned by the Sandoz Family Foundation, which also owns the companies that make its movements, cases, dials and small parts (Wikipedia; Quill & Pad). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Parmigiani Fleurier watch second-hand in the UK.

Parmigiani says nearly 350 craftspeople work across its manufacture (Parmigiani Fleurier). It does not publish production figures.

The history of Parmigiani Fleurier

Parmigiani Fleurier grew out of a restoration workshop. The key dates are the workshop (1976), the founding of the brand with the Sandoz family’s backing (1996), the creation of the movement maker Vaucher (2003), and a relaunch around the Tonda PF under Guido Terreni from 2021.

The restorer. Michel Parmigiani was born in 1950 in Couvet, near Fleurier. At 25 he opened a workshop in Couvet called Mesure et Art du Temps (Swisswatches Magazine); Wikipedia dates the start of this restoration work to 1976. Ephrem Jobin, the first curator of the Château des Monts museum in Le Locle, gave him responsibility for the Maurice-Yves Sandoz collection of watches and automata, and through that work he met Pierre Landolt, chairman of the Sandoz Family Foundation (Swisswatches Magazine). Among the watchmakers who worked for him was Denis Flageollet, who joined in 1982 and later co-founded De Bethune (Wikipedia, Denis Flageollet).

The founding. With the foundation’s backing, Parmigiani Fleurier was inaugurated on 29 May 1996 at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, a hotel the foundation owns, with 52 references. The Toric was the first watch Michel Parmigiani designed (Parmigiani Fleurier; Europa Star).

Building the supply chain. Over the following decade the foundation gathered a group of specialist suppliers around the brand. The case maker Les Artisans Boîtiers joined in 2000, the movement maker Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier was created in 2003, and the dial maker Quadrance & Habillage was founded in 2005; Atokalpa (wheels and balance springs) and Elwin (screws) complete the group (Quill & Pad). In 2006 Hermès bought 25% of Vaucher (Swisswatches Magazine). Vaucher also makes movements for other brands; Europa Star names Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet among its clients.

Notable watches. The Ionica of 1999 was the first wristwatch with Parmigiani’s eight-day calibre PF110, and the Bugatti Type 370 of 2004 used a tubular movement (Parmigiani Fleurier). Wikipedia says the Bugatti won a Japanese press “Watch of the Year” award in 2006. In 2004 Parmigiani and Vaucher were two of the four Fleurier firms, with Chopard and Bovet, that launched the Qualité Fleurier certification (Quill & Pad).

The Terreni years. Guido Terreni, who had a long career at Bulgari, became chief executive in January 2021 (Wikipedia; Europa Star). The Tonda PF Micro-Rotor followed in September 2021, the Tonda PF Sport in 2023, and the Toric returned in 2024 (Parmigiani Fleurier; Fratello Watches). Terreni told Europa Star in 2025 that the brand had cut its points of sale from more than 200 to about 100 worldwide. Michel Parmigiani is its honorary president (Europa Star).

What is Parmigiani Fleurier known for?

Parmigiani Fleurier is known for its roots in restoration, for movements made within its own group, for the Tonda and Toric round watches, and for unusual pieces such as the Bugatti Type 370.

Restoration. Parmigiani describes itself as “a brand that draws its expertise from the art of restoration” (Parmigiani Fleurier). The Sandoz family collection Michel Parmigiani looked after includes automata and pocket watches (Swisswatches Magazine), and Parmigiani says he restored a 19th-century chronograph minute repeater in the 1980s that later became part of its L’Armoriale pocket watch of 2024 (Parmigiani Fleurier).

Movements from its own group. Parmigiani’s movements are made by Vaucher, its sister company in Fleurier (Quill & Pad). Swisswatches Magazine reported in 2019 that the group made 95% of the parts of its watches itself, the exceptions being synthetic rubies, barrel springs and leather straps. Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why buyers care about the difference.

Qualité Fleurier. This certification requires a movement that is already COSC-certified, a Chronofiable ageing test and a Fleuritest, in which the finished watch must run between 0 and +5 seconds a day (Quill & Pad). Not every Parmigiani has it; Quill & Pad cites the Tonda 39 QF with calibre PF331-QF as one that did. Our guide to COSC certification explains the base test.

Micro-rotors. Parmigiani’s micro-rotor automatic movements, in which a small winding weight is set into the movement rather than turning over it, go back to the Tonda 1950 of 2010 and continue in the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor (Parmigiani Fleurier).

Which Parmigiani Fleurier watch collections are there?

Parmigiani’s current range has four parts: Tonda PF, Tonda PF Sport, Toric and Objets d’Art (Parmigiani Fleurier). The collections table on this page gives the year each began and a line on each. A few points help when you read listings:

• Tonda and Tonda PF. “Tonda” covers many generations. The Tonda PF of 2021 is the current line; older names such as the Tonda 1950 (2010) and the Tonda GT, retired in 2023, turn up second-hand (Parmigiani Fleurier; Fratello Watches). Check the full model name and reference.
• Retired families. Wikipedia lists the Kalpa, a family first called Forma, the Bugatti and the Pershing sports watches, made with the yacht builder Pershing from 2009, among Parmigiani’s past watches.
• Movements. Calibre numbers start with PF, such as the PF070 chronograph and PF770 automatic in the Tonda PF Sport (Fratello Watches). Ask the seller for the calibre and match it to the reference.

Who owns Parmigiani Fleurier?

Parmigiani Fleurier is owned by the Sandoz Family Foundation, a Swiss foundation created in 1964 by the sculptor Édouard-Marcel Sandoz, son of the founder of the Basel chemicals firm Sandoz (Wikipedia, Sandoz Family Foundation). It is not part of a watch group or listed on a stock exchange.

The foundation’s watch division includes Parmigiani Fleurier and its supplier companies. It owns 75% of Vaucher, with Hermès holding the other 25% (Swisswatches Magazine); Europa Star adds that Patek Philippe and Chopard hold stakes in Atokalpa. The foundation’s other interests include hotels such as the Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne Palace and Château d’Ouchy (Europa Star).

In 2024 the press reported that the foundation was looking for a buyer for Vaucher and other watch companies (Swisswatches Magazine). In June 2025 the foundation said that “the Division’s historic legal structure does not permit a sale in the usual market conditions”, and Europa Star reported that Parmigiani Fleurier stays with the foundation.

In the UK, Companies House lists Parmigiani Fleurier Distribution UK Limited (no. 07923719) as dissolved on 12 May 2021.

Buying a Parmigiani Fleurier watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check the full model name and calibre, match the serial number to the warranty card, ask whether the warranty was registered and whether it passes to you, ask for the service history, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch, whether they are originals, and whether the serial number on the case matches the card or receipt. A watch sold as Qualité Fleurier should come with evidence of that certification (Quill & Pad). Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Warranty registration. Parmigiani adds two years of warranty when a watch bought from an authorised retailer is registered in a My PF account within three years of purchase; watches bought in liquidation sales or through friends-and-family schemes are excluded (Parmigiani Fleurier). The standard warranty length, and whether either part transfers to a second owner, are not stated on that page. See watch warranties explained.

3. Servicing. Parmigiani asks owners to take a watch to an authorised dealer, who sends it to an after-sales service centre (Parmigiani Fleurier). It does not give a service interval on that page. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

4. Special movements. Watches such as the Bugatti, with its tubular movement, or the eight-day PF110 are specialist work (Parmigiani Fleurier). Ask who can service the watch in the UK before you buy.

5. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns, and have the watch checked by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Parmigiani Fleurier?

The Sandoz Family Foundation, a Swiss foundation created in 1964 (Wikipedia). In 2025 the foundation said its watch division could not be sold in the usual market conditions (Europa Star).

When was Parmigiani Fleurier founded?

In 1996. It was inaugurated on 29 May 1996 in Lausanne (Parmigiani Fleurier).

Who is Michel Parmigiani?

A watch restorer, born in Couvet in 1950, who founded the brand and is now its honorary president (Swisswatches Magazine; Europa Star).

Does Parmigiani Fleurier make its own movements?

Its movements are made by Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a sister company owned 75% by the Sandoz Family Foundation and 25% by Hermès (Quill & Pad; Swisswatches Magazine).

Is Parmigiani Fleurier connected to Hermès?

Hermès owns 25% of Vaucher, the company that makes Parmigiani’s movements, but does not own Parmigiani Fleurier (Swisswatches Magazine).

What is the Parmigiani Tonda PF?

Parmigiani’s core collection, relaunched in September 2021 with the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor (Parmigiani Fleurier).

What is Qualité Fleurier?

A certification launched in 2004 by Parmigiani, Vaucher, Chopard and Bovet. It requires COSC certification, a Chronofiable test and a Fleuritest of the finished watch (Quill & Pad).

Where are Parmigiani Fleurier watches made?

In Fleurier and nearby, in the Val-de-Travers, Switzerland (Wikipedia; Parmigiani Fleurier).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Parmigiani Fleurier.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.