At a time when watch brands tend to want to please a majority and are afraid of missing a sale because they lack a particular color, a particular dimension, or a particular attribute, Parmigiani Fleurier is taking an altogether different approach. It completely “owns” its aura of exclusivity, subtle design and a relaxed attitude to being different. That is indeed exactly why the brand is taking the risk of presenting its new Tonda PF collection as being reserved for purists. For those who know what they are talking about. For true watchmaking enthusiasts. For connoisseurs of finishes who are concerned with details. In short, those that others no longer want to address directly. There is nothing pretentious about this, as it is simply based on a conviction that ostentation is not a worthy response to the issues of our time, that an audience keen on flashy icons has plenty to choose from – and that those who want a watch embodying elegant refinement are not currently finding what they are looking for.
Steel, Gold or Platinum
Dreamed up by its new CEO, Guido Terreni, the Tonda PF takes on an important role with plenty at stake, as it embodies the future of the brand. This level of demand requires a comprehensive response. Achieving this chic purity implies inventing an overall aesthetic and then considering every last detail. That is exactly how the Tonda PF collection took shape. It is based on a round case, flanked by long, curved and arched teardrop-style lugs. They initiate the curve of a bracelet seamlessly integrated into the case, which is also completely new. In its steel version, this case is topped by a 950 platinum bezel. Its outer half is knurled, a task that involves hardening the metal. The other half is polished and the choice of platinum is justified by the special gleam it brings. For the rose gold version, the entire case exudes the shimmering warmth of this metal. As is often the case on Parmigiani watches, the dials feature a guilloché motif and on this occasion, the company’s signature barleycorn motif has been reinvented with a degree of finesse stopping just short of invisibility. This subtle texture looks matt from a distance and catches the light in a unique way up-close on the wrist, affording a delightfully selfish pleasure among many others.
Integration
Parmigiani Fleurier has placed its new visual signature on this dial, with the previous entirely spelt-out logo replaced by a vertically applied and generously sized oval medallion at 12 o’clock featuring the brand initials alone. The javelin-type hands made of 18K gold have also been reworked in a thinner, longer and openworked interpretation. Working on this basis, the brand has equipped these watches with four different movements. The first is the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, characterized by the two hands only (no seconds) and a date display. The 40mm-diameter case is only 7.8mm thick, thanks to the use of an ultra-thin caliber with a platinum micro-rotor. It increases the winding power and matches the overall high level of finishing as expressed on the stepped indices. The Tonda PF Chronograph is powered by the brand’s high-frequency PF070 caliber. Nonetheless, even more than by its technical nature, this movement stands out for the seamless integration with the case. The slightly gray-tinged deep blue barleycorn guilloché dial as well as its hour-markers feature almost imperceptible differences in level with the counters on its surface, while its pushers blend smoothly into the line of the emerging lugs. Integration is a complex issue when a sleek design is confronted with a multiplicity of indications. The ingenuity of the Tonda PF Annual Calendar is a textbook example, as the retrograde date has been pushed into the inner bezel ring, leaving the dial free for its counters.
Subtly Precious
The most special interpretation of all in terms of exclusivity and technicality is the Tonda Parmigiani Fleurier Split Seconds Chronograph. It is entirely made of platinum, from case to bracelet and even its finely sandblasted dial. The resulting ultra-precious tone-on-tone visual harmony – that none would suspect before placing it on the wrist – is interrupted by the solid rose gold, entirely integrated, high-frequency split-seconds movement. This 25-piece limited edition is truly unique, which is the whole idea behind this collection. The Tonda PF has no direct equivalent in terms of sophistication, discretion and taste.
