Back in 2004, Parmigiani secured a partnership with one of the world’s absolute best and most coveted car manufacturers, Bugatti. During these last 12 years, they have worked together on releasing a number of limited edition timepieces, from ones linked to the original Type 370 watch, all the way to the stunning Bugatti Super Sport watch that I went hands-on with here.
Now, over 10 years after the debut of the Veyron, the world’s fastest production car whose ultimate version reached 268 miles an hour (431 km/h), the Volkswagen Group-owned Bugatti has released a completely new car, the Chiron – and at this point, it should be no surprise that there is a Parmigiani watch to go with that debut. Enter the Parmigiani PF Bugatti 390 Concept, debuted at the Geneva Motor Show – in tandem with the Bugatti Chiron.
While, funnily enough, Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Watch Replica makes no mention of the exact dimensions of the 390 Concept watch, this wristshot from our friend Philip from classicdriver.com, shows that this new piece is certainly going to be on the relatively more wearable side of things – although it sits rather high, just like all previous high-complication Parmigiani Bugatti watches have.
There are some key design elements that are decidedly similar between the Parmigiani PF Bugatti 390 Concept and the new Bugatti Chiron. Immediately apparent is this blend of curves and sharp angles. The watch’s top-rear portion is shaped like a tube, of sorts, as it contains the movement’s barrels, parts of its going train, and at the leftmost side of it, a one-minute flying tourbillon.
The barrels of the watch have been engraved with the name of Louis Chiron, Bugatti’s racing driver and the namesake of the new car. Parmigiani uses a very different kind of gear train to transmit power from the mainsprings to the tourbillon. Omitting a flat configuration of consecutive wheels and pinions, they have opted for a set of three planetary gears which cumulatively are responsible for the reduction ratio function, transmission of the torque, and the centering of the force at each level.
The dial’s hands – one image further above, you’ll see that the hands will be fitted to that pinion you see in the center of the angled plate, just below that massive gold colored wheel – are driven by a so-called worm screw. That part is the one below the two silver-colored mainspring barrels, appearing to be four coins set on a rod, of sorts. What this worm screw does is that it connects the hands’ wheels to the main part of the movement – however, because of the unique, “tubular” construction of the crown-mainsprings-going-train-tourbillon structure, it is also responsible for bringing the drive from the movement to this other, angled plane. It sounds complicated, but in practice it actually is an ingenious solution that allowed for the creation of this genuinely three-dimensional caliber.
All in all, this is a cool new piece and a fascinating expansion of Parmigiani’s Bugatti series of watches. All previous high-end Bugatti pieces have had an unusual case shape and a bespoke, also uniquely shaped movement that was designed and fitted to them specifically – and it is good to see that Parmigiani Fleurier Women’s Watches Replica has not given up on its pursuit for more funky and spectacular in-house calibers. Since the watch is still in a “concept phase,” price for the Parmigiani PF Bugatti 390 Concept we don’t know yet… but you can expect it to come with a six-figure price tag – and then some. parmigiani.ch
The PF390 high quality caliber was created and made wholly in house, save for the jewels and palms even the Breguet overcoil equilibrium spring has been made by Parmigiani’s high-precision production subsidiary named Atokalpa. In the end of the 7-layer motion, we locate the flying tourbillon that runs in an impressive 4Hz — no more low-frequency conventional BS compromises there. The entire motion is composed of 302 parts, a very large part count for a wristwatch with only hours, minutes, and electricity reserve.Before the plates are black PVD coated, they receive haute horlogerie grade hand finishing that involves beveled and hand polished edges on all the weird and unexpectedly complicated, partly skeletonized plates and bridges, as well as on countersinks and wheel spokes. Despite the fact that Parmigiani has its own dial manufacture, they chose not to use one and rather went with a trendy, skeletonized overlay frame.The case itself is a unique invention as well and, having noticed lots of previous Parmigiani-Bugatti collaboration high-end bits, this really is a development over those, akin to the way the Chiron went outside the Veyron’s aesthetics. It is noticeably more angular and a much more aggressive looking thing, made in 18k white or rose gold. Strong lines and lengthy, wide, sweeping curves meet in the 42.2mm with 57.7mm situation which, like all previous Bugatti watches, is unusually comfortable on the wrist.A full of four anti-reflective sapphire crystals allow for a closer look in this all-new and one of a kind motion, showing finer details such as the flying tourbillon that appears to have been hermetically sealed off behind a porthole type of aperture, or like the 2 barrels which sport the signature of Louis Chiron, Bugatti’s legendary racing driver on a single, along with also the “Le vieux renard” (the old fox) also with regard to him on another side. Honestly, I think that it would have been suitable to have Michel Parmigiani’s signature on the other one, not this fox crap.