Parmigiani under CEO Guido Terreni is rapidly turning into a challenger to the likes of Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Sohne for premium everyday watches with manufacture movements and exquisite finishing.
To underline the point, Parmigiani launched a number of top end additions to its Tonda PF range at Watches and Wonders that are every inch competitors to the likes of Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas and Lange’s Odysseus.
“I feel we are living in a new era of watchmaking. Watch purists are seeking creativity and interesting innovations, in a way that we maybe only experienced in the ’70s. In just a few months since its launch, the Tonda PF has exceeded our highest expectations, and is affirming itself as a statement of un-ostentatious high horology,” Mr Terreni says.
“In 2022, we are excited to nourish the newly born collection with discipline and care, while respecting its core values. With a few but important creations, we are aiming to extend the pleasure for horophiles, pushing the boundaries of the GMT watch through a world premiere, and interpreting Parmigiani Fleurier’s pure style in the skeleton and tourbillon functions,” he adds.
Parmigiani’s Tonda PF, first introduced last year, had several references added during Watches and Wonders targeted at high end collectors including a GMT Rattrapante, Tonda PF Skeleton and Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon.
Parmigiani has also added a Big Date Chronograph and Annual Calendar to its sporty Tonda GT family.
Parmigiani GMT Rattrapante
The new GMT Rattrapante rewrites the rules on how second time zones are handled.
It has two superimposed hour hands: one in rhodium-plated gold and the other in rose gold.
Pressing the pusher at 8 o’clock causes the upper rhodium-plated gold hand dedicated to local time to jump one hour forward, thereby revealing the rose gold hand which displays time in the wearer’s place of residence, known as “home time”.
Once the second time zone information is no longer required, pressing the crown-integrated rose gold pushbutton repositions the rhodium-plated hand on top of the rose gold hand in the same manner as a split- seconds chronograph hand.
This makes it an extremely user-friendly complication entirely in keeping with the brand spirit. The Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, a watch for globetrotters who travel between time zones, and an instrument for connecting people across distances.
The CHF 26,000 watch comes in a 40mm steel case with a platinum bezel housing a manufacture PR051 movement with a gold micro rotor. It comes on an integrated steel bracelet.
Even higher up the PF range are two skeletonized two-handers in rose gold or steel priced at CHF 88,000 and CHF 59,000 respectively. Both use the manufacture PF777 automatic movement with gold oscillating weight.
Topping out the PF collection is a flying tourbillon two-hander in platinum that is on sale for CHF 140,000.
