When you do print(m.parameters), it returns the method - doesn’t call it - and then gives you the representation of the model (I think it is the __repr__ method in `torch.nn.modules.Module in pytorch source).
You would have similar effect if you were to just run print(model) or just execute a jupyter notebook cell only with model in it.
As for how parameters work with custom Modules, that I am not sure. I suspect they should be still somehow registered (I have mostly used nn.Sequential) and if so, the magic that does this probably lives here 
(this is from nn.modules.module in PyTorch source):
def __setattr__(self, name, value):
def remove_from(*dicts):
for d in dicts:
if name in d:
del d[name]
params = self.__dict__.get('_parameters')
if isinstance(value, Parameter):
if params is None:
raise AttributeError(
"cannot assign parameters before Module.__init__() call")
remove_from(self.__dict__, self._buffers, self._modules)
self.register_parameter(name, value)
elif params is not None and name in params:
if value is not None:
raise TypeError("cannot assign '{}' as parameter '{}' "
"(torch.nn.Parameter or None expected)"
.format(torch.typename(value), name))
self.register_parameter(name, value)
else:
modules = self.__dict__.get('_modules')
if isinstance(value, Module):
if modules is None:
raise AttributeError(
"cannot assign module before Module.__init__() call")
remove_from(self.__dict__, self._parameters, self._buffers)
modules[name] = value
elif modules is not None and name in modules:
if value is not None:
raise TypeError("cannot assign '{}' as child module '{}' "
"(torch.nn.Module or None expected)"
.format(torch.typename(value), name))
modules[name] = value
else:
buffers = self.__dict__.get('_buffers')
if buffers is not None and name in buffers:
if value is not None and not torch.is_tensor(value):
raise TypeError("cannot assign '{}' as buffer '{}' "
"(torch.Tensor or None expected)"
.format(torch.typename(value), name))
buffers[name] = value
else:
object.__setattr__(self, name, value)