A mutual passion for mechanical challenges has given rise to a long-lasting, gainful partnership shared by renowned Haute Horlogerie brand Parmigiani Fleurier and legendary automobile manufacturer Bugatti. Since 2004, Parmigiani Fleurier has taken inspiration from the luxury car dealer to design and produce such revolutionary watchmaking conceptions as the Bugatti Type 370 and the Bugatti Super Sport. Two years after the great success of the first Bugatti Super Sport in white gold – unveiled in August 2010 at Pebble Beach, alongside the car which inspired its design – this year, Parmigiani Fleurier presents the much-anticipated new Bugatti Super Sport Vitesse in rose gold and in titanium, alongside the restored 1935 Bugatti T57S ELECTRONTORPEDO.
As Bugatti’s new Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse unveiled its futuristic curves, Michel Parmigiani and his team were working on the extension of the prestigious Bugatti collection, specifically of the Bugatti Super Sport. Nothing from the timepiece’s initial formula was altered: the exceptional shape and revolutionary mechanism have been retained. The quest lay in the use of new materials and colours to transform the timepiece and to generate a new perspective, while reflecting the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse itself in both appearance and name.
While the Bugatti Super Sport Vitesse takes its namesake from the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, the timepiece will be unveiled alongside the unique 1935 Bugatti T57S ELECTRON TORPEDO, a two-seat roadster that has been fully restored by car enthusiast and architect/designer Jim Hull. Displayed only once at the 1935 Paris Auto Salon, the Bugatti T57.S “Competition” was missing its original magnesium body panels when it was found at the Bugatti factory in the 1960’s. In 1981 Hull acquired the unique prototype from famed German Bugatti expert Uwe Hucke. The acquisition has since inspired Hull’s 30 year homage to innovation in automotive, technical, and mechanical craftsmanship. The resurrected magnesium body is a manifestation of such craftsmanship.
This commitment to restoration is shared by Parmigiani Fleurier and Michel Parmigiani himself. Several Parmigiani Fleurier timepieces incorporate traditional aspects into modern designs. The concurrent world premiere of the Bugatti Super Sport Vitesse and the restored Bugatti T57S ELECTRON TORPEDO is thus modestly substantiated by their achievement of aesthetic and mechanical harmony.
Through the remarkable craftsmanship of the Bugatti Super Sport Vitesse, Parmigiani Fleurier demonstrates its continued passion for both watchmaking and mechanics and further distinguishes itself as a pioneer within the competitive industry. The Bugatti Vitesse brings enormous pride to Parmigiani Fleurier, as this timepiece symbolizes the alliance of technical and aesthetic prowess, and above all, refinement in the art of watchmaking.
Parmigiani Fleurier, one of the most prestigious Swiss Haute Horlogerie brands, was born in 1996 in the heart of Val-de-Travers. Thanks to the Sandoz Family Foundation and its dedication to preserving high quality Swiss expertise, Parmigiani Fleurier is today one of the few brands to design each model as a showpiece, created and perfected within its own network of workshops. Founder Michel Parmigiani had conceived the brand’s spirit as far back as 1976 through his work restoring watchmaking artifacts and his unrivalled knowledge of the mechanical marvels of the past. Now represented in more than seventy countries on five continents, the Parmigiani Fleurier brand continues to find new opportunities for expansion.
