To mark its 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier presents Mechanical Wonders in Tokyo, an exhibition on the transmission and evolution of the mechanical arts across three centuries. From 19 to 24 September 2026 at 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Gallery 3, historic masterpieces from the Maurice Sandoz Collection are shown in Japan for the first time, in dialogue with contemporary creations by the Maison.
The objects, dating from the early 19th century, are preserved by the Fondation Édouard et Maurice Sandoz (FEMS) and were restored by Michel Parmigiani, founder of Parmigiani Fleurier.
The exhibition at a glance
| Exhibition | Mechanical Wonders, Parmigiani Fleurier 30th anniversary |
| Venue | 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Gallery 3, Tokyo |
| Dates | 19–24 September 2026 |
| Opening hours | 19–23 September, 10:00–19:00; 24 September, 10:00–17:00 |
| Historic objects | Maurice Sandoz Collection, preserved by FEMS, restored by Michel Parmigiani |
| Contemporary creations | La Rose Carrée, Carillon Tourbillon, TORIC 30th Anniversary, TONDA PF Invisible Complications |
Restoration as a culture of creation
Long before founding Parmigiani Fleurier in 1996, Michel Parmigiani devoted himself to the restoration of exceptional historic timepieces and mechanical objects. Restoration taught him to look before intervening, to understand the intention of a maker through construction, proportion, materials and technique, and to preserve an object without altering its identity.
For the Maison, restoration, creation and innovation are expressions of the same approach. In the words of the exhibition catalogue: “The past is not a style. It is a source of knowledge.”
Six masterpieces from the Maurice Sandoz Collection
Perrin Frères Sector Display Watch
An 18-carat yellow gold watch in which the dial almost disappears: the hours appear one by one in round white-enamel cartouches, while the minutes travel across a curved enamel sector. It is also a quarter repeater sounding on two gongs, with winding and setting through the crystal.
Ethiopian Gold Caterpillar
Attributed to Henry Maillardet in London or Piguet & Capt in Geneva, this 76.5 mm gold caterpillar is made of eleven articulated rings. A single gear train makes its body rise and fall, reproducing the undulation of an animal crawling.
Automaton Frog
An enamelled gold frog set with half-pearls and ruby eyes that moves forward and croaks: pins on the barrel raise six hammers of increasing weight, while a cam extends the legs between each croak.
Perfume Flask with Watch, Automaton and Carillon
At 190 mm high, a gold perfume flask by Rémond, Lamy & Cie, with a mechanism by John Rich, holds a watch, five bells playing two melodies and an animated miniature scene of a spinner, a dog and a fountain.
Singing Bird Cane Handle
An enamelled gold cane handle whose cover opens to reveal a singing bird by the Rochat Brothers. Its song lasts about 19 seconds, while the bird turns, opens its beak and moves its tail and wings.
Jacquemart Watch and Automaton Scene: Moses Striking the Rock
A gold watch whose small white-enamel dial leaves room for an automaton scene. Three wheel trains and two barrels drive the automaton and a quarter repeater, chosen with a sliding selector.
The contemporary creations in dialogue
La Rose Carrée
A unique 64 mm double-hunter pocket watch in hand-engraved white gold and translucent blue grand feu enamel, built around a grande sonnerie and minute repeater movement made by Louis-Elisée Piguet between 1898 and 1904. Michel Parmigiani acquired the movement in the late 1990s; it was restored and reinterpreted for the Maison’s 25th anniversary in 2021.
Carillon Tourbillon
Created for the 30th anniversary and limited to five pieces, the Carillon Tourbillon draws on an early 19th-century Perrin Frères pocket watch restored in the Parmigiani Fleurier ateliers in 2000, whose serpentine gongs inspired its four-gong carillon minute repeater. The hand-wound calibre PF950 has 456 components, a 60-second tourbillon and a power reserve of at least ten days, in a 41.6 mm white gold case with a hand-hammered Morning Blue dial (see our article on the Carillon Tourbillon).
TORIC 30th Anniversary
TORIC, the first expression of Michel Parmigiani’s vision thirty years ago, returns as a trilogy: the TORIC Petite Seconde, the TORIC Quantième Perpétuel and the TORIC Chronographe Rattrapante. Their hand-hammered gold dials require around sixty operations; for the Petite Seconde and the Quantième Perpétuel, the movement bridges are made in solid 18-carat rose gold.
TONDA PF Invisible Complications
The TONDA PF Invisible Complications, including the TONDA PF Chronographe Mystérieux, rethink complications so that their mechanics appear only when needed. Read also our article on the TONDA PF Platinum Trilogy for the 30th anniversary.
A natural resonance with Japan
The Maison describes a particular affinity between its approach and Japanese culture. The hand-hammered dials of the TORIC collection, whose surfaces keep the trace of the craftsman’s hand, echo the Japanese sensibility of wabi-sabi, while mastery, patience, respect for materials and the transmission of knowledge are values shared with Michel Parmigiani’s life’s work.
Frequently asked questions
Where and when is Mechanical Wonders in Tokyo?
At 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT, Gallery 3, Tokyo, from 19 to 24 September 2026: 10:00 to 19:00 from 19 to 23 September, and 10:00 to 17:00 on 24 September.
What can visitors see?
Early 19th-century automata and watches from the Maurice Sandoz Collection, restored by Michel Parmigiani, alongside contemporary Parmigiani Fleurier creations such as La Rose Carrée, the Carillon Tourbillon and the TORIC 30th Anniversary trilogy.
Why Tokyo?
Parmigiani Fleurier chose Tokyo for its 30th anniversary exhibition for the affinity between Japanese values of craftsmanship and the Maison’s culture of restoration; it is the first time these objects are shown in Japan.
Source: Parmigiani Fleurier, press release and exhibition catalogue of 14 September 2026; opening hours from the Maison’s official Instagram account. Archival images: all courtesy of FEMS, Pully / Photo: Renaud Sterchi.
