Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Watches

In spite of its young age, the Parmigiani Fleurier Company has been able to win the trust of many enthusiasts than even some of the oldest watchmakers. The story of the Swiss brand began in 1996 through the efforts of watchmaker Michel Parmigiani and the support of the Sandoz Family Foundation.

At the end of the 20th Century, Parmigiani Fleurier introduced the Toric QP Retrograde which features a distinctive bezel with stunning gadroons and knurling. This bezel style went on becoming the distinctive face of the brand from the rest of Swiss watches in the market. In the same year, the renowned watchmaker created the “Ionica” watch (currently known as Kalpa Hebdomadaire) which has a rectangular “tonneau” design. Following the creativity involved in its making, the watch even won the 1999 innovation award.

In the year 2001, Parmigiani Fleurier launched a new caliber 331 self-winding movement which it has developed entirely in-house. The movement was introduced in a new watch line known as the FORMA at the time but later changed to Kalpa. Due to its bold and exclusive tonneau design, the wristwatch became a hit instantly. A year earlier, the Sandoz Family Foundation has acquired a high-end watch case manufacturing workshop with which the brand began manufacturing complex watch cases.

In 2007, Parmigiani Fleurier Watch Company introduced the Kalpagraph watch which became the first sporting line of watch for the brand. The watch came with a Caliber PF 334 chronograph movement which the Swiss watchmaker has developed with its in-house team.

With the brand’s staunch desire for innovation and adventure, a modern version of the Kalpagraphe Chronomètre left the ambiance of SIHH 2019 glowing with bliss. With Reference PFC193-3040200-X01442, the ultra-modern watch still has its sporty look, though with a distinct skeleton-like dial which I bet was truly complex to produce. In case you’re the kind who cherishes both the outer splendor and intricacy of functionality, the new Kalpagraphe has Caliber PF362 self-winding movement. Stunning and superlatively superior, the 332-component movement has a design which matches perfectly with the tonneau-shaped casing of the Kalpa collection. Dissimilar to the 4Hz caliber that powers most of the Swiss watches, the new movement beats at a frequency of 5Hz (36000 beats per hour).

Essentially, the Kalpagraphe PFC193-3040200-X01442 wasn’t the first reference to use the movement as the rose gold Chronometre PFC193-1002500-XA1442 from the SIHH 2018 already had it. The watch has appeared at the fair together with two other new series still for the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa collection. Amongst the two is the Kalpa Chronor which has a rose gold casing and the same caliber PF362 movement with the Kalpagraphe Chronometre series.

To distinguish the two, though, the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa Chronor has its movement in solid gold. Thereby adding a distinguishable golden elegance on your wrist.

Well, having a look at the third series- Hebdomadaire, for the Kalpa collection at SIHH 2018, the wristwatch features a modest yet modish display. The matte black guilloche dial of the timepiece has a date and display, with the seconds hand on an individual sub-dial at 6 o’clock. Furthermore, on the dial, there’s also a power reserve indicator to help you track when your watch needs winding.

As a re-launch of the Kalpa Hebdomadaire from the 1990s, the new prestigious watch has a similar manually-wound caliber PF110 with an 8-day power reserve. The watchmaker Michel Parmigiani is a great lover of traditional watchmaking art which he had feared might vanish before deciding to start the Parmigiani Fleurier brand.

Since the Swiss watches brand mostly equips its watches with transparent caseback to showcase their watchmaking dexterity, the new PF110 needed a new modern look. The designers refined its makeup and added new features like “Côtes de Genève” patterns and beveled bridges which got rid of the old-fashioned look.

Apart from the Kalpa collection, another of the most recognized line of watches from the Parmigiani Fleurier SA is the Bugatti.

The first Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti watch appeared in the market in 2004 under the name Bugatti Type 370. This comes after the Swiss watchmaker partnered with the French exotic cars manufacturer whose cars has begun taking over the automobile industry. For the new Bugatti Type 370, the entire design became the world’s first of its kind following the tubular formation which evokes a car engine.

In the year 2014, Parmigiani Fleurier launched the Bugatti Type 370 Mythe which has a dial that evokes the front grill of the legendary Bugatti Type 57 car. The two-tone timepiece was to mark the 10th anniversary between the luxury cars manufacturer and the watchmaker, hence firming their bond even more.

Check out the selections below to view more avant-garde and ergonomic watch designs in the Parmigiani Fleurier Kalpa collection. Also, visit our blog for the latest releases and reissues from the renowned Swiss Watches manufacturer which is set to defy all the conventions of watchmaking.