The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Collection — Watches For Enthusiasts With Refined Taste
One of my most memorable meetings during Watches and Wonders earlier this year was with Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni. This very charismatic watch CEO was impeccably dressed, talking about the history of fashion and how the new Toric collection was designed with today’s sartorialists in mind.
Terreni is glad that menswear is getting attention again after seeing the casual business wear endorsed by Silicon Valley types. For him, dressed in a beautiful suit, shirt, and loafers, expertly selected in the hotel room that morning, I reckon it’s natural, and he probably doesn’t need to think twice about what works and what doesn’t. I write this with a little envy as, more than once, I’ve needed to google what a brand means by a certain dress code on an event invitation. “Desert chic” and “Runway with a twist” are two examples I had to look up in recent months. In my previous working life at a financial institute, I enjoyed wearing a suit. I still feel comfortable in one, but I always feel slightly envious of what some men can pull off. People like Parmigiani’s CEO inspire me to put in more effort, though.
Guido Terreni
The new Toric collection
And as we’re still here for the watches, not fashion, when I look at the new Parmigiani Toric collection, these are watches you want to match your outfit, not the other way around. The Parmigiani Toric received much praise during the Watches and Wonders 2024 exhibition, not only from us but also from many who carefully followed all the introductions that week.
We’ve witnessed that brands like Parmigiani Fleurier are getting more attention from an audience with a broader view of what’s out there in the world of watches. This brand creates watches you don’t wear to show off; they are just for pleasure and enjoyment. The Toric is stealth luxury, you could say, or “private luxury,” as Terreni puts it.
The Toric Petite Seconde
The new Toric Petite Seconde is a dress watch in the classic sense — a gold case, a gold dial, gold hands, no date, and a hand-wound movement. That might sound boring on paper (or a screen), but it’s the opposite when you look at this watch. From the first glance to a closer look, the Toric Petite Seconde keeps intriguing me.
It’s a time-only watch with a recessed sub-dial for the seconds. When you look closer, you will also notice that the large dial is beveled and separated by a gold rim.
According to Parmigiani, the designers took inspiration from 1960s dress watches. The Toric’s “Sand Gold” dial has a grained finish, which is applied by hand, by the way. All these elements give the dial a lot of depth. At 12 o’clock sits the applied Parmigiani Fleurier logo in 18K rose gold. The 18K rose gold hour markers are small and almost touch the central part of the dial. As you can see in the images, Parmigiani’s Toric Petite Seconde uses Alpha-shaped hour and minute hands. Of course, the small seconds hand is also 18K rose gold, and its sub-dial has four markers designating 15, 30, 45, and 60 seconds. It’s quite an ensemble and one that shows plenty of careful consideration. While incredibly clean and crisp, it’s far from boring.
The 40.6mm 18K rose gold case has a knurled bezel similar to those of the Tonda PF models. This case is a treat on the wrist, even when you’re not sporting a handmade shirt. Parmigiani also took pride in designing a handmade alligator leather strap with a nubuck finish and punta a mano stitchwork (by hand, Neapolitan style) for the new Toric models.
The mid-case is wider than the bezel, giving it a more contemporary look than previous Toric models. It’s a matter of taste, of course, but I prefer the modern look of the redesigned Toric! The curved gold lugs are beefy but elegant.
When I turned the Toric Petite Seconde around for the first time, the people from Parmigiani must have noticed how my pupils widened. What a view! The hand-wound PF780 movement is crafted out of gold and decorated with Côtes de Fleurier. Two large barrels and the balance (bridge) are visible from the back. Additionally, the PF780 caliber has a power reserve of 60 hours, ticks at 28,800vph, and consists of 157 components. It only measures 3.15mm thick, enabling Parmigani to keep the case just 8.8mm slim.
The Toric Petite Seconde is also available in a 40.6mm platinum case with a “Grey Celadon” dial and brown-gray strap. Both versions come with a pin buckle, making it easy to admire the beautiful gold movement.
Toric Chronograph Rattrapante
Limited to 30 pieces and a tad bit sportier than the classic Toric Petite Seconde models is this Chronograph Rattrapante. With its 18K rose gold case, “Natural Umber” hand-grained dial, seven hands, and large recessed sub-dials, this watch is a feast for the eyes.
The design is similar to the Toric Petite Seconde, including the gold knurled bezel, beefy lugs, and wide case design. Additionally, it features oval pushers with a high-polished finish and a ribbed winding crown with an integrated pusher for the rattrapante complication.
PF361-Slim
The case of the Toric Chronograph Rattrapante measures 42.5mm in diameter and 14.4mm thick. Inside is an 18K rose gold chronograph rattrapante movement with column wheels and a rattrapante function. The skeletonized bridges have a beautiful brushed finish and reveal the two column wheels in a contrasting silver tone, just like the balance wheel bridge. This PF361-Slim caliber measures 7.35mm thick and consists of 285 components. The barrel provides 65 hours of power reserve.
Whereas the Toric Petite Seconde is very discrete on the wrist, the Chronograph Rattrapante model will draw more immediate attention. That said, it’s still a very sophisticated-looking watch, just like its smaller brothers in platinum and rose gold.
These Toric models are conversation starters among those in the know. The finishing of each element of the watches is impeccable, and the gold movements will leave every observer in awe.
The three new Toric watches will be available this month, and you can find all the specifications for them below. More information is also available from Parmigiani Fleurier’s website.
This is a preferred-position post. Learn more.
