Independents

Yes, I'm talking about the Parmigiani Ionica.

1997-1998 and Parmiginiani was founded. 

Michel Parmigiani already worked many many years in the industry and was well know to restore the most important and most complicated watches from Patek, Breguet, ... 

Very often he worked for the Sandoz foundation ( family). The sandoz foundation own a very unique collection of important timepieces, automatons and clocks.

If you don't know the Sandoz foundation ... Well their most important investment is in Novartis ( Swiss pharmaceutical giant ) They own still a 3.5% stake in it which is valued at around 7 billion euro. Novartis is on the stockmarket and it's market capilatisation is close to 200 billion euro.

The sandoz foundation also invested and owns a few famous luxury hotels in Switzerland.

Now back to the watches. 

As said Parmigiani as an own brand started in 1997-1998. He worked since decades for the Sandoz foundation and I guess they decided it was time to create a top notch brand.

It would bear his name 'Parmigiani- Fleurier'

In the beginning they made only a few watches. This Ionica, the Toric, and a bit cheaper the basica.

During the next years they added ( bough) some other companies to make it a fully integrated in-house manufacture 

atokalpa – Alle, December 2000
Les Artisans Boîtiers – La Chaux-de-Fonds, May 2000
Elwin – Moutier, January 2001
Vaucher Manufacture – Fleurier, 2003
Quadrance & Habillage – La Chaux-de-Fonds, December 2005

All of these above do make parts for the most well known high end brands in the industry. Forget about the bee names telling you they make everything in-house. More than one would believe is bought from third parties.

Just one detail button of these makes the best screws you can get. And yes, many big brands use these screws.

( each of these companies mentioned above has it's own speciality , making cases, dials, and even hairsprings )

Now, concerning the Ionica which happens to be the one I like the most.

For me there was only one problem 20-25 years ago. As good as it was and as perfect finished as possible ... It was freaking expensive

I still have a Parmigiani catalog from 2001-2002 and the ionica in red gold was close to 28.000 euro, white gold 31.000 euro, platinum not mentioned but probably closer to 40.000.

To give you an idea what else you could have bought in 2000 for that price... I took one of my older 'Uhren Magazine'

It's a German magazine from 1999 or 2000. 

Just let me show you 3 shots I just made

26,500 for the Ionica, 11.000 for a Patek Calatrava and 3.000 for a rolex sub no date.

I mean, thats about 2.5 times the price of a Calatrava and almost 9 times the price of a sub no date.

Take a Calatrava today or a sub no date today and multiply it ... Your Ionica must be around 70.000 euro ... for a 3 hands watch

Now ... was it too expensive or was it justified ?

Let's look at some pictures.

To be honest I have never seen a better finished movement, and probably the same can be said about the case and dial.

But now the movement

All screws black polished

Geneva stripes done by hand and among the most perfect I've ever seen

Difficult to capture on a picture, should see it irl or at least on video ( I'll upload one on my Instagram)

Splendid anglage

And those sharp inward angles ... well al I can say is .. Patek, Vacheron, AP, Lange .... Whare are your sharp inward angles ? Too difficult or too lazy ?

So let me repeat my question again...

Was the price back then too expensive ?

Probably not.

But the best part my friends ... TODAY Parmigiani is still under the radar and if you find one you can make the deal of the century  

Forget about early Roger Dubuis Hommage, early Daniel Roth , early ... you're too late for these

But You still can get yourself a Parmigiani Ionica that is to my knowledge ever much better finished than the Hommage and Roth.

And best of all.... for a fraction of the price.

Won't last forever. 

If for example 'A collected man' writes a nice review about these .. I bet they'll sell them at a few times the price you pay today.

So, if you do not agree, please show me a better finished watch  (movement) 

Even if you could spend 50K

And if you prefer Platinum you always have this choice

More posts: calatravaDaniel Roth

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