My first trip over to Switzerland covering this industry had me visiting the town of Fleurier, to see the watchmaking facilities of Parmigiani in action. It was an eye opening experience and an incredible look at a brand I was relatively unfamiliar with at the time, and it included a jaunt over to Le Locle, home to the watch museum within a house called ?Château des Monts?. As impressive as the work within the manufactory was, it was the heritage pieces within the museum, some of which had been restored and maintained by the brands founder, Michel Parmigiani, that left the biggest impression. 

Parmigiani Fleurier has steadily flourished in the subsequent years, with watches like the Tondagraph GT and Tonda PF ushering in a new direction for the brand under the leadership of newly appointed CEO Guido Terreni. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier?s founding in 1996, and to mark the occasion, Terreni undertook a special project with Michel to showcase their adept hand at restoration, and the result is the La Rose Carrée seen here.
This restoration began life with a very special movement, created at the closing of the 19th century by grand complications watchmaker Louis-Elisée Piguet. Michel had acquired the movement in the ?90s, and this anniversary provided the perfect opportunity to bring it back to life. This isn?t just any movement, it?s a grande sonnerie and minute repeater with over 330 components. It?s been beautifully re-built with...