Introducing: Three New Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Variants
I’d happily admit to being smitten with Parmigiani Fleurier’s new look. The hits seem to be coming thick and fast this year, following the brand’s Watches and Wonders novelties. After the focus on the rebirth of the Toric, we get three new versions of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph this time.
Parmigiani’s intricate dial treatment and a newfound air of minimal cool suits it well. While I’m a fan of earlier Tonda designs with quirky asymmetric overlapping registers, the clean, new look is suave. For me, Parmigiani Fleurier has simply become a very good alternative to the usual suspects, and maybe it’s about time.
The Tonda PF range
The minimalist PF range has become the new calling card for the brand, and the “regular” micro-rotor PF is anything but. With its broad and sleek take on integrated-bracelet chic, the vibe is modern. Too many other brands are following the coattails of Genta and Hysek too closely when it comes to design, but not Parmigiani. The genre might have been created half a century ago, but this is the Fleurier-based brand’s take on it with a wide bracelet or strap and an easily recognizable design. The dials sport Parmigiani’s triangular hobnail guilloché (clou triangulaire) and offer a clean aesthetic framed by the trademark knurled bezel.
You can order a bracelet for the Tonda PF Sport, but on a strap, this is about the casual-chic look. It’s a juxtaposition of luxury and sports that we know from the Oysterflex-equipped Yacht-Master and Vacheron Overseas, and it is becoming increasingly popular. The comfortable, wrist-hugging textile-patterned rubber straps from Parmigiani have the right blend of comfort and toughness. Well, perhaps I should say “perceived toughness” as I’m not sure I’d engage in any extreme sports wearing a €30K+ watch, but if you would, you have my respect. After all, a well-worn watch is a happy watch, right?
What’s new with the Tonda PF Sport?
The last time we saw the Tonda PF Sport range, it was a case of panda cool. And for me, the blend of elegance and sporty lean has made it a great alternative to two greats. Cost-wise, the Tonda PF Sport is close to the slightly more expensive Overseas, while the Daytona is less expensive at retail but, as we all know, very hard to get. However, the main difference is a more open outlook on diversification, with three colors expanding the previously four-reference monochrome range. Adding these three quietly colorful versions also says a lot about the brand’s faith in the Tonda PF Sport line and its success.
The case’s 42mm diameter and 12.9mm thickness remain, but now we see a deep Milano Blue, a warm London Grey, and a crisp, blueish Arctic Grey adding a flourish to the range. The colors might be muted, but with the tonality of the fabric straps, the look is one of restrained, casual swagger. The colorways are named for the sub-dials and outer minute track, and each variant comes with a matching woven-look rubber strap. Inside, the chronometer-certified manufacture caliber PF070 with its 65-hour reserve is the same as before, an obsessively finished piece of micro-machinery. Its mix of satin-finished bridges and hand-beveled edges is visible through the sapphire crystal on the back, as is its skeletonized, polished, and sandblasted 22K rose gold rotor.
A case of sleek proportions
So many brands are jumping on the bandwagon of integrated-bracelet watches, with some claiming to have reinvented the genre. However, what a watch design might gain in cohesiveness it often loses in versatility. The end-link compromise does not look good when changing from bracelet to strap. But this is where Parmigiani designers have risen to the task. Here, it looks natural, and I love it when a watch can be imbued with multiple personalities. The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph exemplifies the smooth transition from a wrist-hugging strap to a slim case for an automatic chronograph.
If you’re a WIS, you will notice the lug interface, but it is one of the smoothest around. I tried on the Tonda PF Sport Chrono in delicious rose gold at Geneva Watch Days last autumn, and I can say it felt natural. It’s not a small watch at 42mm wide, but with the 12.9mm thickness and the trademark curved lugs, it feels soft on the wrist and temptingly comfortable. Without seeing any sales figures, I’m sure the last three years have seen a massive rise for the brand, and it is all deserved.
Dials of delight
It was a big deal when Parmigiani Fleurier launched its stark, new dial design three years ago. Gone were the busy overlapping-register designs of the 2010s, replaced by a serene zen. But the best trademark details were kept for established fans and collectors, like the sweeping, almost cow-horn-like lugs and the delta-shaped hands. These have been paired with the brand’s version of the popular hobnail guilloché pattern with a triangular design. This gets a lot of (deserved) attention as the indices are small with discrete black Super-LumiNova, letting the minimalist dial shine.
These three new Tonda PF Sport Chronograph variants each cost CHF 27,900. Does that seem too expensive? Perhaps, but it’s just right if we claim that the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Chronograph is the main competitor while costing more. Sure, the Overseas comes with a bracelet and a strap, but the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph is a studied alternative to both the VC and the Daytona with a more curated sense of detail that sets it apart. The snowballing success of the brand doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
What do you think, Fratelli? If you’re looking for a luxury sports chronograph, is the new Tonda PF Sport Chronograph a good proposition? With five variants now in the lineup, you have some great choices. Let me know your fave in the comments.
