On the crest of a wave

Parmigiani is known for its discretion. When the Manufacture – or its management, the Sandoz Foundation – makes an announcement, it’s because it has something to say. So when the Sandoz Foundation’s delegate called a press conference at the SIHH, the audience knew this wouldn’t be talking for talking’s sake. And they were right: Parmigiani has signed an exclusive partnership with the Italian luxury yacht builder Pershing, and the two have created a collection of aquatic sports watches. A first for both partners.

Jean-Marc Jacot, managing director of Parmigiani, set the tone from the start: “Given the trend for diving watches, we could have brought you here to tell you we’d made the most amazing diving watch ever, when everyone knows that divers don’t use watches under water; they use a calculator. Which is why we’ll be referring to aquatic sports watches.” He went on to highlight the exclusive nature of the partnership: “Until now, Pershing had never wanted a partner in the watch segment.”

Not that the alliance between the two companies is so surprising. Part of the Ferretti yacht-building group, Pershing was founded by Tili Antonelli, a man who shares the same vision of his profession as the watchmaker Michel Parmigiani of his. Named after a missile, Pershing sets out to test the limits of mechanics and the art of sailing.

Luxury at any price

Noble materials, sleek lines imagined by world-class designers, manufacturing by craftsmen but also by engineers who are passionate about their work, Pershing yachts sit perfectly with the belief in excellence that distinguishes the luxury business. Around a hundred of these exclusive, high-performance, high-speed yachts leave the Italian firm’s shipyard each year. Their objective is always, as Tili Antonelli likes to remind us, to convey “emotion, passion.”

These are the same criteria that Michel Parmigiani ardently defends in his concept of timepieces. “Ever since the Manufacture began in 1996, we have set out to defend traditional expertise through the creation of exceptional watches,” says Jean-Marc Jacot. Parmigiani Fleurier, one of the few Manufactures that can genuinely boast a vertically-integrated production tool, and which has revitalised the economy of the Val-de-Travers region, produces 5,000 watches a year, each one combining the finest watchmaking tradition with original and contemporary styling.

Instantly recognisable

And so the scene was set for the two companies to come together through a collection of elegant and streamlined sports chronographs. “We had been wanting to create a sports model for some time now,” reveals the man at the head of the Manufacture.

Building on the distinctive characteristics of the Italian company’s yachts, the Pershing collection looks to the imposing volumes and rounded forms of the hull, which it brings to life using noble materials such as 18k rose gold and 950 palladium, a futuristic alloy which has long been a feature of Parmigiani watches.

As for the dials, while the numerals are immediately associated with the Pershing logo, the overall aspect says Parmigiani. Functions include a unidirectional rotating bezel and a tachymeter for calculating swimming speed, in addition to a large date and chronograph. The watch is proposed in several versions including with a rubber strap and in steel. The back of the case is engraved with a Pershing yacht. Unusually, the Pershing watch went on sale two weeks ago. “At Parmigiani, we keep our promises,” declares Jean-Marc Jacot. Sometimes it’s good to talk…