Parmigiani has taken an innovative approach by associating the brand not with movies, but with music. And, this means not just any music, but the best in jazz, as heard in its most contemporary setting, the Montreux Jazz Festival, which is celebrating its 41st edition this year. Parmigiani has become the event’s official sponsor.

As explains Jean-Marc Jacot, Director Watch-making Affairs at the Sandoz Family Foundation, owner of the Parmigiani brand, “One of the objectives of the brand is to become popular. Not popular in the sense of being accessible to masses of people, because our watches still remain exclusive, but in the sense of being friendly, of being admired. And, at the heart of our identity are the notions of authenticity, verity, and innovation. We also find all these qualities at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Under the energetic direction of its creator Claude Nobs, Montreux offers a totally unique programme, one that is, at the same time, high level, very creative, and highly qualitative, while presenting authentic artists, thus making them accessible to a large audience. The brand and the festival have many values in common.”
Since its creation, Montreux has become known internationally as one of the most important jazz festivals on the planet. Far from being a simple “line-up of concerts,” as Nobs explains, Montreux offers musicians a unique and creative platform, in a spirit of freedom and creativity, which lends itself well to unusual encounters. All the big names in jazz, and even beyond jazz, have played memorable sessions at the festival.
Parmigiani’s involvement in this event is mainly its participation and sponsorship of the famous Montreux Workshops, which as of this year, will be called the ‘Parmigiani Workshops’. They are special meeting places where the audience and the great jazz artists have an opportunity to meet. As one example, the great blues performer BB King met with his fans there and explained some of his musical secrets.
The brand’s participation also took a more unexpected turn, thanks to the original initiative of Claude Nobs. Each evening, Nobs climbed onto the stage and offered a Parmigiani watch to that night’s musical star. What makes the gesture so special is that Nobs himself purchased the timepiece at the catalogue price! Some of the artists who have left the stage with a Parmigiani on the wrist include Al Jarreau, Jeff Beck, George Benson, Chick Corea, and Tori Amos. As an anecdote, only Prince refused the gift, saying that he never wears a watch.

As for its other involvements, Parmigiani also had a VIP bar behind the scenes for artists and invited guests. The brand’s watches were also displayed in display cases in Claude Nobs’ loge, as well as in his famous chalet where special artists were invited to pass the afternoon. So, it is not easy to escape Parmigiani in Montreux, whether in the grand hall, on the stage, or in the wings.
In the mind of Jean-Marc Jacot, “This operation is 100 percent successful. We will remain partners in this festival as long as possible!” This union is even more significant since the festival is going international and has announced that there will be a ‘Montreux Jazz Festival’ in Atlanta, Singapore, and Tokyo. “We are not there simply to hand over a cheque,” Jacot goes on to explain (it is said that the cheque is for around 500,000 Swiss Francs), “but for the added value that this type of global partnership represents.”

Source: Europa Star October - November 2007 Magazine Issue