Inside a master watchmaker’s workshop, the quiet is deafening.
It’s not completely devoid of sound though, as the steady ticking of watch parts and the focused breathing of craftspeople leaning over their workbenches are apparent.
For decades, the scenic village of Fleurier, hidden in the Val-de-Travers valley in Switzerland has been home to some of the most advanced mechanical watchmaking in the world.
But by the turn of the last decade, the most famous brand in this region was facing a tough choice about its future.
Parmigiani Fleurier, founded by master restorer Michel Parmigiani, had a rare advantage: it was fully independent and made everything from hairsprings to dials in-house.
Highly respected by other watchmakers but in a market focused on loud logos and social media hype, Parmigiani’s low-key approach was being overlooked.
That altered in January 2021. It was when Guido Terreni, who has had 20 successful years leading Bvlgari’s watch division, became the CEO of Parmigiani Fleurier.
Instead of changing everything immediately, Terreni focused on listening to his team.
Under his stewardship, Parmigiani’s lustre has surely grown.
Today, Parmigiani is a favourite among serious collectors while experts also consider its success a new benchmark for modern watchmaking.
Refocus on the brand’s values
When Terreni first walked through the doors of the manufacture over five years ago, the Covid-19 global pandemic had forced the world to slow down.
It was a fitting backdrop for a period of deep introspection.
“At the beginning of my arrival at Parmigiani, it was about understanding the values of the brand,” Terreni reflects, his voice carrying the warm, deliberate cadence of someone who measures time not just in seconds but in generations.
“The brand not only needed creative direction, but also refocus on its values, specifically Michel’s values.
“What we did was refresh the style that Michel had already done, by using the ingredients of the brand’s aesthetic goals but in a more contemporary way.”
Terreni had diagnosed a poignant disconnect.
The mechanical brilliance was undeniable, but the emotional bridge to the modern wearer had frayed.
“The brand had lost a little bit of contact with its clientele from the decade before,” Terreni notes.
“We came up with the Tonda PF collection, which was an interpretation of the elegant watches that Michel had used in his brand.”
Launched to critical acclaim, the Tonda PF collection became the physical manifestation of Terreni’s philosophy of “private luxury.”
This wasn’t luxury that shouted across a crowded room or flashily under club lights.
This was luxury meant for the wearer alone, a secret shared between the artisan and the collector.
Looking closely at the Tonda PF timepiece reveals the genius that lies in what isn’t there.
The indexes are set across two distinct levels of the dial, creating a subtle sense of depth that plays beautifully with the light.
Serving as an elegant, mesmerising backdrop is the Grain d’Orge guilloché dial pattern.
“It references the craft without being invasive of the reading of time,” Terreni explains.
“The Grain d’Orge guilloché is a very old hand-engraving technique, but we have refreshed it in a more contemporary way.”
Then there is the ultimate act of aesthetic humility: the logo.
In a bold departure from industry practice, the full name of the founder was removed from the dial and replaced by a clean, simple elliptic “PF” logo.
“The logo without the writing of the name was also a declaration of independence,” Terreni adds.
This indicates that the person wearing the watch doesn’t need to advertise the brand to validate his or her own taste.
Seamless architecture in motion
Today, as the brand continues to grow, it stays focused on the idea that real style is quiet.
In a world full of noise, Parmigiani Fleurier proves that making something simple and beautiful is the best way to get people to notice.
To understand why the Tonda PF resonates so deeply, one must look at the way it sits on the wrist.
It behaves less like a piece of jewellery and more like a second skin.
This fluidity is achieved through a meticulously integrat-ed case and bracelet design, featuring a knurled bezel that catches the light with every subtle movement of the wearer’s hand.
Terreni’s strategic pivot succeeds only because the company possesses a fully integrated,high-end manufacturing capability.
This vertical integration meant that when Terreni challenged his team to create ultra-thin profiles, micro-rotors and world-first complications like the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, the engineers and watchmakers could collaborate under one metaphorical roof to make it happen.
It allows the brand to successfully reposition itself for a new generation of modern collectors who demand absolute technical authenticity alongside immaculate styling.
True luxury is not about status; it is about how it makes you feel.
By stripping away unnecessary noise and refocusing on the pure − classic watchmaking that Michel championed in 1996 −Terreni achieved something rare in modern luxury.
He did not change the brand’s identity. He simplified it.
“Parmigiani is an anti- mainstream, anti-hype brand,”Terreni highlights.
“This speaks to people who want to showcase their own taste and knowledge, regardless whether they are very young or more mature.
“It is how you approach luxury.
“You can choose to be very private and personal in your choices from a very young age,” he points out.
This shift toward personal curation is redefining the modern watch collector.
While millennials historically kept their distance from traditional horology, Gen Z is diving in much earlier.
But the latter do so entirely on their own terms – free from the generational paradigms of their parents.
“They are building their own points of reference, independent of prejudice or inherited brand images,” says Terreni.
“I find this approach incredibly meritocratic.
“They love discovering what is lesser-known, meaning traditional brand awareness matters much less than it used to.
“It is about self-expression.”
While previous generations feel the need to fit in, he says, today’s youth want to be unapologetically themselves at an earlier age.
As the father of a 21-year-old daughter, Terreni observes a deeper, almost philosophical hunger for knowledge in this younger demographic.
In an increasingly virtual world driven by AI (artificial intelligence) and digital noise, a mechanical watch offers something rare: a tangible anchor.
“The watch remains one of the few objects belonging to a physical, tactile world,” Terreni states.
“It is a deeply personal companion.
‘I often wonder if this connection matters so much because this generation is searching for a sense of purpose.
“For our generation as parents, it is incredibly difficult to provide a roadmap for such a rapidly changing, complex world.
“In a life that moves so fast, a watch becomes a permanent, physical reminder of who you are,” he concludes.
