Tonda PF 42 Chronograph Rose Gold Blue Dial

Born in Neuchâtel in 1950, Michel Parmigiani has solidified a reputation as one of Switzerland’s premiere watchmakers over many decades. Describing himself as having “a particular attachment to old things that tell stories,” he undertook vocational training at La-Chaux-de-Fonds Technicum before opening his independent workshop at 26.

A teacher to many of the great indie watchmakers of our lifetime (think Stepan Sarpaneva), Parmigiani has been noted for restoring some of the most technically challenging clocks in the world, such as the Breguet Pendule Sympathique - requiring over 2,000 hours of repairs.

In 1998, Parmigiani began producing wristwatches under his name, most of which were heavily inspired by classic Greco-Roman architecture. The most iconic is the Memory Time - among the earliest Parmigiani watches, featuring the now-distinctive knurled, multi-step bezel and unique “jumping hour” GMT.