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Culture Of Time: King Charles' Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Chronograph Is A Real Collector's Choice
Two chronographs – one bought, one military-issued – make a collection fit for a king.
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Val-de-Travers village; home to Bovet (1822), Parmigiani Fleurier (1996), Chopard L.U.C (1996); Qualité Fleurier birthplace.
The Ultra-Cermet sports chronograph returns in a Mineral Blue colorway that's hard to ignore
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Two chronographs – one bought, one military-issued – make a collection fit for a king.
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The pocket watch as talisman.
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In anticipation of Father's Day, we sat down with Michel and Anne-Laure Parmigiani to discuss what it's like working together.
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In fact, it celebrates them. In this case, with a limited, double-signed Tonda GT and Tondagraph GT to Celebrate Oliver Smith Jeweler’s 40th Anniversary.
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The latest Twist continues Chopard's tradition of offering unconventional excellence in its L.U.C. line.
Quill & Pad
While its convertible Amadeo case allows the Bovet Miss Audrey watch to be easily converted to a pendant or desk clock, the focus of Sweet Art is its incredible sugar crystal dial. Joshua Munchow was skeptical when he first heard about the sugar being used but the results speak for themselves, and it is hard to argue that the dials aren’t indeed gorgeously crafted. You must see this for yourself.
Complicated, classy, and offering surprising bang for the buck.
A high complication from the best-kept secret in Swiss watchmaking.
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A look inside a suite of classic high complications.
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What We Know Less than a year ago, Greubel Forsey discontinued the most emblematic pillar of its particularly well-finished watchmaking, the Balancier Contemporain. The Balancier is dead. Long live the Balancier. The new Balancier QM, that is. Very much grown out of the lessons, successes, and even the architecture of the Balancier Contemporain, the Balancier QM is the first to carry the brand's new Qualité Musée standard. While it looks somewhat different, with a floating balance cock and rearranged location of the power reserve, the Balancier QM is a familiar watch to anyone who has seen a GF before. That's because the movement borrows much of its architecture from the old Balancier Contemporain, as well as its identical sizing (39.6mm by 12.25mm for both models), now in white gold. What the Balancier QM is instead is more of a codification of a new Qualité Musée (QM) certification for this and future GF watches. Like the Patek seal, Qualité Fleurier, Breguet Hallmark, and other in-house standards (all three of which have also just added chronometric certification not found here), this guarantees a certain—particularly extreme—level of hand-finishing quality. Finishing has been one of the key raisons d'être for GF since its founding. There's been an "if you know, you know" quality to the brand that signaled that, included in their extreme pricing, you get extreme finishing from the brand. That was a novelty in the past, but now it's a "must" for any high-en...
WatchAdvice
TAG Heuer’s Monaco Evergraph may just be the best Monaco yet. A redesigned case, a new look dial, and of course, the new TH80 movement. We took it for a spin to see how it stacks up. What We Love: The new innovative TH80 movement Refined case makes for a better wearing experience Overall look is sporty and modern What We Don’t: The new clasp doesn’t allow for an exact fit on the wrist The watch does wear larger on the wrist visually, so check the sizing if you have smaller wrists The lack of versatility due to the Monaco design. it is a sports watch through and through Overall Rating: 9/10 Value for Money: 9/10 Wearability: 8.5/10 Design: 9.5/10 Build Quality: 9/10 When TAG Heuer unveiled the Monaco Evergraph at Watches & Wonders 2026, it immediately became one of the show’s most talked-about releases. Why? Because it housed a completely new chronograph movement developed over several years by TAG Heuer Lab in collaboration with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier. The Monaco itself is no stranger to innovation. Since its debut in 1969 as one of the world’s first automatic chronographs and one of the first waterproof square-cased watches, it has always had a special place in TAG Heuer’s collection. The design has never been universally loved, but that’s arguably part of its appeal. More than half a century later, it remains one of the most recognisable watch designs in the industry. Steve McQueen made the Monaco famous in Le Mans, but it wasn’t an instant hit,...
SJX Watches
Among the great surprises from Watches & Wonders 2026 was the Monaco Evergraph from TAG Heuer. The new model not only brought some welcome aesthetic changes to the iconic square chronograph, but also benefits from a core rethinking of the chronograph mechanism itself. The Evergraph’s movement is notable in many respects, but the most interesting is the use of bi-stable compliant structures for the chronograph mechanisms. Initial thoughts This year’s Watches & Wonders was marked by some interesting developments — not least some renewed emphasis on technical substance from a subset of brands. While mainstream luxury still dominates the market, there was a shift toward thoughtful engineering and incremental innovation that could be felt across many releases. One such remarkably technical release was the Evergraph from TAG Heuer. While there’s no shortage of chronographs coming to market — from solid entry-level pieces to low-volume artisanal offerings — few are as genuinely forward-thinking as the Evergraph and its innovative TH80-00 movement. The TH80-00 was created by TAG Heuer in partnership with Vaucher Fleurier — a specialist noted for its expertise in chronographs — over a period of four years. TAG Heuer chose the longer road of developing a movement from ground up and not just applying its novel flexure chronograph mechanism to an existing base. As a result, the brand had a clean slate to incorporate signature elements like the nine o’clock crow...
Time+Tide
Chopard celebrates the 30th anniversary of its Manufacture Fleurier facility with this understated yet impressive dress watch.
Monochrome
Thirty years ago, Chopard’s co-president, Karl-Friedrich Scheufele, opened the Manufacture in Fleurier. The first in-house calibre, L.U.C 1.96, a slim automatic micro-rotor movement, made its debut inside the L.U.C XPS 1860 the following year. Rapidly ascending the complications ladder, in 2006, Chopard celebrated the tenth anniversary of its Manufacture with the release of the L.U.C […]
Monochrome
Chopard celebrates 30 years since the founding of its Manufacture in Fleurier, and the L.U.C collection, named after Louis-Ulysse Chopard, continues to highlight the brand’s most technical and refined timepieces. Among the anniversary releases, the new L.U.C XPS Prussian Blue presents an evolution of the sector-dial model in green introduced in 2024. This new edition […]
SJX Watches
To mark 30 years of its Fleurier manufacture, Chopard has introduced a new variant of the watch that started it all. The new Lucent steel L.U.C 1860 adds a blue dial to the brand’s flagship time-only dress watch. The L.U.C 1860 is short on novelty, being merely a new colour for a model that debuted in 2023, but the incremental improvements result in a sleek and sophisticated steel dress watch. Initial thoughts The L.U.C 1860 is very traditional dress watch in the sense that nothing feels exaggerated. At the same time, it doesn’t feel boring thanks to its guilloché dial and the obvious quality of the movement within. While there are some who believe that a proper dress watch must come in precious metal, the popularity of the steel-and-salmon L.U.C 1860 released in 2023 proves there’s an alternate perspective. The brand’s proprietary ‘Lucent’ steel makes the watch more accessible, especially in the age of near-record gold prices. Despite the use of a comparatively humble material, the case finishing remains high-end - though the design is generation behind the new case profile introduced for the Grand Strike. Since the original L.U.C 1860 debuted in 1997, it has always been a small watch. For a time, that left it out of step with consumer preferences, especially in the early 2000s, but tastes have once again shifted back in favour of smaller cases. In this context, the vintage-leaning 36.5 mm size feels just right. That said, while it makes sense for Chopar...
Monochrome
Chopard marks the 30th anniversary of its first in-house movement produced in the brand’s Fleurier Manufacture. A pivotal moment for Chopard, the calibre 1.96 was released in 1996 and is still regarded as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor movements today. The first watch to feature the calibre was the L.U.C 1860, presented in a […]
Deployant
Reviewing the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante Arctic Rose. An indepth look into the maison's latest watch that whispers "discreet luxury".
SJX Watches
Independent watchmaking continues to draw enthusiasm from collectors, particularly as a new generation of creators begins to establish its voice. New brands are springing up to cater to that demand, and one of the most interesting recent debuts is The Owl by L’Atelier Bernard, a sold-out six-piece limited edition that blends unconventional aesthetics with equally unconventional mechanics. Handcrafted in Fleurier by the young duo Bernard Van Ormelingen and Bernard Braboretz, the watch showcases now familiar elements of artisanal finishing and inverted-movement architecture, along with something rarely seen, a duplex escapement, which makes The Owl a more distinctive entry in the crowded field of emerging independents. Initial thoughts The Owl is handcrafted by a pair of young and talented watchmakers, the Bernards who gave their name to the brand. Clearly a show of their shared aesthetic sensibilities and technical chops, the Owl is meant to kickstart the independent creators’ artisanal venture in Fleurier. One of the Bernards is not new to independent watchmaking; those who closely follow independent watchmaking might remember Mr Van Ormelingen’s name from Van Bricht, a now-defunct brand for which he produced guilloche dials. The Owl is unexpected and intriguing on several fronts. Its aesthetics, mechanics, decoration, and layout seem almost at odds with one another, yet the result is a distinctly artisanal object. There is no conventional dial; instead, the watch pr...
Monochrome
Since formalising its modern manufacture capabilities (including a long-standing stake in Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier), La Montre Hermès has developed a distinct vocabulary with typography that’s unmistakably Hermès. The H08 collection, launched in 2021, translated the approach into a daily-wear sports watch that felt designed rather than engineered. Its cushion case, graphic numerals, and mix of […]
SJX Watches
Following the launch of the uber, multi-function world time last year, Bovet Fleurier continues its exploration of time zones with the Récital 30, a simpler, everyday-wear evolution on its complex predecessor. Initial thoughts The Récital 30 is more accessible both in terms of function and price, and more restrained in terms of design; overall it’s a more wearable version of the full-fledged original. The new world time caters to a different customer from last year’s Récital 28, the client who doesn’t necessarily care for lavish decorations or extreme complexity, but seeks a forward-thinking, wearable world time with some unique functionality. While the accessibility of this should be applauded – it costs almost one-tenth the Recital 28 – this does leave the impression of a watered-down creation. There is almost no lavish movement decoration visible, instead the dial fully covers the face. And the calibre only incorporates one complication, admittedly one executed in a complex manner. World time indication At its core, the Récital 30 is built on the same principles that underpin its pricier bigger brother, namely the clever roller world time system. This ingenious mechanical solution allows seamless adjustments across 25 distinct time zones, including GMT+5:30 for New Delhi, India, which is offset by an inconvenient 30 minutes. The beauty of the system is its calibration for four distinct annual periods: Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), American Summer Time...
SJX Watches
Having stepped in to acquire Brodbeck Guillochage in 2022, Voutilainen has announced the opening of a new, larger facility in Fleurier that is poised to become a new centre of excellence for guilloché. Retaining the name Brodbeck Guillochage in honour of its founder Georges Brodbeck, the new facility is located in what was once the local watchmaking school of Fleurier, the town adjacent to Voutilainen’s hilltop headquarters at Chapeau de Napoléon. The new home of Brodbeck Guillochage in Fleurier Initial thoughts This is welcome news for a number of reasons. First, it will help perpetuate the legacy of Mr. Brodbeck, ensuring that his life’s work will continue to have a positive impact watchmakers and lovers of fine objects for years to come. Second, the steady hand of Kari Voutilainen, whose accomplishments as an entrepreneur rival his skills as a watchmaker, should help the new enterprise navigate potential industry downturns in the future. Finally, the impressive scale of the operation should be a magnet for talent, improving the economic prospects for young artisans interested in guilloché. A new centre of excellence A self-taught guillocheur, Mr Brodbeck founded his eponymous firm in 2004, gradually building up a stock of more than 30 antique engine turning machines, each restored to working order by Mr Brodbeck himself. In 2023, Mr Brodbeck was awarded the Prix Gaïa, arguably the highest award in the Swiss watch industry, for his contributions to the preservati...
Monochrome
Karl-Friedrich Scheufele’s dream of mechanical independence materialised in 1996 with the presentation of Chopard‘s first in-house movement known as calibre 1.96. Produced in Chopard’s Fleurier manufacture, the calibre was fitted inside the first L.U.C 1860 watch, writing a new chapter in the brand’s high-end watchmaking journey. Recognised as one of the finest ultra-thin micro-rotor automatic […]
SJX Watches
T3 Special Watches made its debut in 2021 with the Dague, a watch designed to embody the aesthetic preferences of its Italian founders, vintage watch dealer Andrea Marzari and watch aficionado Alessandro Poggi. Inspired by the Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 96 and livened up with colourful, “Stella” style dials, the Dague has now been given an artisanal touch with the Dague Time Dragon and the Dague Guilloché. The newest iterations illustrate the brand’s ambitious attempts at fine enamelling and guilloché – the brand recruited noted enameller Vanessa Lecci for the cloisonné dial – techniques typically seen on pieces from more established brands. Initial thoughts In the realm of micro-brands, it is uncommon to find traditional and artisanal guilloché and enamelling due to their high cost. Therefore, it was surprising to see T3 partnering with enameller Vanessa Lecci, renowned for her exceptional work for establishment brands like Cartier, Parmigiani Fleurier, Vacheron Constantin, and Voutilainen. The initial Dague series had a pleasant design that was not truly captivating for anyone not inclined towards a retro, Italian style. However, the new series showcases a significantly more compelling aesthetic. The enamelled dial of the Time Dragon, juxtaposed with the sector-styled outer disc, creates a visually striking contrast highly reminiscent of vintage watches with cloisonné dials made by Patek Philippe and Rolex. It would be exciting to witness the brand’...
Time+Tide
It’s not often I get to write about watches that can’t be bought, but occasionally there’s something special enough to warrant exploration. I have already delved deep into the history of Bovet, from their familial ancestry in Fleurier to their absolute dominance in 19th century Canton. Despite some struggles in the past, The House of … ContinuedThe post The OWO & House of Bovet Special Edition 19Thirty is a truly exclusive watch appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Hodinkee
It's called the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Rose Gold Ruby. And it taught me a thing or two about New Year's resolutions.
Deployant
The year was 1996, and Chopard had just inaugurated its own manufactory in Fleurier. The Chopard Manufacture was dedicated to crafting so-called “L.U.C” movements entirely decorated by hand. Today, over a quarter of a century on and dozens of models later, the L.U.C collection has grown into Chopard’s most prestigious line, with plenty of awardsRead More
SJX Watches
Confirming chatter that was circulating in Geneva during watch auction season two weeks ago, Urban Jürgensen & Sønner (UJS) has been taken over by a group of investors with Kari Voutilainen at the helm. Having worked at UJS decades ago as a young watchmaker, Mr Voutilainen is returning as the chief executive. He will also retain his role at his namesake brand, which recently moved into new premises high up above the town of Fleurier on the mountain known as Chapeau de Napoléon. Kari Voutilainen Working alongside Mr Voutilainen at UJS will be his daughter, Venla, who recently completed her watchmaking studies and then an internship at a large watch retailer. Better known for the unique pocket watch she helped create for Only Watch 2019, Ms Voutilainen will be in charge of after-sales service at UJS, while also working at the Voutilainen brand itself. Originally an 18th century Danish brand, UJS was revived in the 1970s by the late Peter Baumberger. Control then passed on to watch expert and auctioneer Dr Helmut Crott after Baumberger’s death. During that period, Mr Voutilainen became involved with the brand once again, when he helped to refine its in-house calibre. UJS was then taken over by its most recent owners, Danish investors led by former Nokia executive Søren Jenry Petersen. Although the brand earned some press with new products during that period, most notably with its first sports watch, UJS never gained the necessary momentum to break into the ranks of top...
Hodinkee
Chopard is one of the few brands out there that can boast both being independent and having a storied history, but many watch enthusiasts don't realize that Chopard is producing truly in-house movements to an extremely high level in the hills of Fleurier while also making its own cases and smelting its own gold back in Geneva. There are actually three facilities across Switzerland that make up the Chopard manufacture family and here we take you on a tour through all three.
As part of celebrating the 20th anniversary of its Fleurier manufacture, Chopard decided to surprise us with two new COSC-certified travel companions in the L.U.C line, the Time Traveler One and the GMT One. This collection is named in tribute to Louis-Ulysse Chopard, the company's founder, and reserved for pieces entirely designed and manufactured in-house. We had the opportunity to see them in the metal last week and have tons of live pictures and our first impressions of both models. Spoiler alert: We were mightily impressed.
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