Parmigiani Fleurier’s Bugatti Aérolithe Performance has changed a lot. With a titanium case 41 mm in diameter and 12.77 mm thick, the new features are visible above all on the dial, with double tachymeter scales in km/h and mph, in red and blue respectively, providing a link to the Bugatti car’s signature colours. There are references to the performance of the car itself, with times to reach 100, 200, 300 and 400 km/h on the bezel flange. But there is a quirky touch on the right-hand chronograph counter, which has another tachymetric scale, this time suitable for walking pace. This counter has a red and blue hand with a vertical window, not all that practical but providing an additional note of colour. The left-hand chronograph minutes counter has a double hand with both halves of the scale on the right-hand side of the subdial. All this, along with the flat rhomboid dial texture, the chronograph seconds hand with red and blue touches of colour, and the skeletonized hour and minute hands with small areas of SuperLuminova, makes for an entertaining view.
References to the Bugatti car
Other features had already appeared on the previous version of the watch, such as the lugs with a pronounced central spine, a reference to the original riveted seam of the Bugatti Aérolithe. The strap has an embossed pattern based on the Bugatti car seats. The deployant buckle is textured to match the dial.
In-house movement
The watch is powered by the in-house PF335 chronograph movement, which includes a flyback module. The finish of the movement, visible through the sapphire caseback, is superb. One thing that I haven’t been able to fathom is what sort of clutch the movement has, I’ll make enquiries. It has 311 components, 68 jewels, and runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hertz).
Price
So it’s a watch that encourages the owner of a Bugatti to leave the car in the garage and start walking. It does this by means of the unusual dial layout with the customary chronograph minutes counter and a very unusual walking pace chronograph counter. This very different chronograph has a price of €20,800.
