Parmigiani’s New Customization Service For The Bugatti Type 390 Watch

Parmigiani Fleurier showcased its high-end customization service for its newest Bugatti Type 390 timepiece by creating a watch matching the color scheme of the Bugatti Chiron unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show.

Bugatti released a new version of its Chiron at the auto show, which ends March 18, boasting improved handling and greater agility with no change in the power or performance data of this super sports car. The Geneva show car model features a duo-tone color scheme of painted Italian Red and visible grey carbon fiber on the exterior and Beluga Black with red highlights in the interior.

To commemorate this unique model and demonstrate the vitality of its partnership with Bugatti, Parmigiani unveiled the Bugatti Type 390 watch that adopts the car’s aesthetic features. The white gold case of the Bugatti Type 390 is paired with black carbon elements to reflect the car’s body and give the watch its streamlined look. The black nickel dial flange features red luminescent numerals, while the hands are also adorned with this coating. The red strap boasts black stitching to continue the Bugatti Chiron’s contrasts around the wrist.

This watch is Parmigiani’s way to showcase how different colors and textures can be combined to customize the Type 390’s appearance. Those who purchase this watch can select the materials of the case and buckle, as well as the leather strap and its edging. They then can choose their desired dial structure, the indices and hands, and the decoration of the case sides. Finally, they can choose the color of the sapphire crystals enclosing the movement.

The Parmigiani and Bugatti partnership began in 2001 and its first watch, the Bugatti Type 370, was unveiled in 2004. The concept was to create a watch to look like a car engine with a movement that can even imitate, to a certain degree, the way a car engine operates. Its groundbreaking PF370 movement has a cylindrical shape that serves as the basis for the tubular shape of the watch, with the dial is at one end of tube.

Parmigiani followed up this first achievement with the PF390 movement, unveiled in 2017, and updated this year. It’s a similar concept and the same shape as the PF370 but is more advanced and with a totally different dial using modular assembly. The tube shaped movement is attached to a square shaped dial at a 12-degree angle that display hours and minutes. A worm screw is used to transfer the power from the tubular-shaped engine to the inclined dial. A tiny one-minute flying tourbillon on the end of the tube regulates the movement.

Bugatti’s motto is “form follows performance,” but maybe in this case its performance follows form.