Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Watches

Although the Parmigiani Fleurier watch company was officially established in 1996, its making plans had begun earlier. The founder of the Company, Michel Parmigiani has joined the watchmaking industry in the 1970s. At the time, he ran his own workshop in which was dedicated to the restoration of antique pieces for watch collectors and even museums.

In the ‘80s, Michel was requested to work on the precious Maurice-Yves Sandoz collection for the Sandoz Family, who truly admired his incredible skills. Through the mentorship and support from the Family, Michel Parmigiani finally established the Parmigiani Fleurier brand which has remained focused on innovation till today.

Aesthetically, all the Parmigiani Fleurier watches borrow their design from the art of nature, with some even depicting the form of an engine car. In 2007, the Swiss watchmaker released the Tonda Hémisphères watch, whose design allows you to track the time of two regions simultaneously. With its stunning dual time function, the watch became an ultimate companion for the globetrotters and aviators who are usually on foreign lands.

In the year 2010, Parmigiani Fleurier added the Tonda collection with several novelties, including an update of the Tonda Hémisphères. For the new version of the Hémisphères, the inner casing feature a semi-skeletonized dial which must have been very complex to create. Furthermore, the Second Timezone function of the watch allows one to even set the minute hand, which is very uncommon in most Dual Time watches.

Another series of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda which launched in 2010 as well is the classic-inspired 1950 which was like a birthday gift. The year was the 60th birthday of the brand’s founder- Michel Parmigiani, thus the designers decided to honor the moment in a memorable style. The Tonda 1950 borrows its name from the year that the legendary watchmaker was born. In that year, the watch joined amongst the bestsellers from the brand due to its simple and elegant styling which comes in glossy gold.

For the fans of intricacy, a special edition of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950 was released at SIHH 2012. The watch has a 39mm titanium casing and a definitive grille-like dial which presents you with a peak of the Caliber PF 701 movement. Despite the rare attractiveness, the Tonda model had only 60 pieces available, so, I bet you’ll trek if you truly need a distinctive classic look.

In 2015, Parmigiani updated the Tonda 1950 series again, although with a Tourbillon feature to help enhance the accuracy of the installed caliber PF517. Apart from bringing a new face to the classic series, the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda Tourbillon 1950 went on even setting a new world record. The watch recorded to have the “thinnest/ flattest automatic micro-rotor movement with a flying tourbillon” to counter effects of gravity. The said movement (Caliber PF517) is made of 950 platinum, thus, it’s not only thin but also very light.

Born of a man who truly cherishes the world of art, the Parmigiani Fleurier staunchly believes that even classics ought to be showy sometimes. With the notion, the Swiss watches brand reissued the Tonda 1950 at SIHH 2018, but this time with a glittering grandeur. Literally, the golden wristwatch came in two distinct versions, the Tonda 1950 Galaxy and the Tonda Metropolitaine Galaxy. For the latter, however, its urban design is more redefined than the other classics in the 1950 series, thus we can’t include it as one.

In fact, Parmigiani Fleurier SA introduced the Tonda Métropolitaine as an individual series in 2016, where the midnight blue aventurine dial displayed even lunar phases. Although you’ll find some men wearing the watch, the designers created it primarily for the women and that’s why the bezel has diamonds all around.

Apart from the 1950 series, another of the most recognized Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda designs is the Retrograde Annual Calendar which debuted back in 2012. Comprising of advanced complications, the Swiss Made watch presents you with several precision functions, including center hour, date, weekdays, and also moon phase.

In 2018, the Parmigiani Fleurier Company re-launched the Tonda Retrograde Annual Calendar watch, though, with a thinner bezel to leave enough space for a minute track. This enhances the readability of the watch, whilst giving it a cleaner look. Additionally, the moon’s sub-dial at the 6 o’clock was set with the moonlight blue aventurine glass, thereby giving you a stunning starry sky look. Similar to its predecessor, the new Parmigiani Fleurier watch houses the Caliber PF339 self-winding movement, which has a 50-hour power reserve.

Historically, the Parmigiani Fleurier Company is one of the few watchmakers whose stories are difficult to compile in a day. To know more of the brand’s creations in the Tonda collection, check the selections below where we have models like Hémisphères PFC231-1001200-HA1241 and Metropolitaine PFC273-0001400-B00002.