Wednesday in the Vallee de Joux started out foggy and drizzly but cleared up nicely once we rose above the valley floor. Today we say goodbye to Le Sentier…

 and travel to the Neuchatel region to visit Parmigiani in Fleurier. Thought you’d enjoy a few glimpses of the lovely countryside along the way:

Time to stretch our legs:

New best buds Greg and Rick:

Lac de Joux in the background:

And some more of the wonderful scenery:

Entering Fleurier…

...and the Manufacture’s showrooms:

If you’re not familiar with Michel Parmigiani’s story, he started out as a restorer of fine clocks and pocket watches and created several designs for Hermes watches and the Chopard L.U.C. Series; he opened his own atelier in 1996 with the help of the Sandoz Family Foundation, a charitable institution involved in horology as well. Several years ago Sandoz helped fund Vaucher, Parmigiani’s in-house movement division, whose facilities are directly across the road:

Here in the dial department…

…dials are created and catalogued for both Parmigiani and a few outside sources. These dials…

…are slated for the Kalpa models. Next is bezel production:

Here we see plate finishing:

Escapement details are shown on the monitor:

Parts get additional finish polishing:

Here, Colin examines a parts tray:

Plate elaborating is done here:

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