Though it’s a very young brand, Parmigiani Fleurier has been on the lips and, more importantly, the wrists of many watch aficionados simply due to their clean, affluent designs. Parmigiani was founded in 1996 as an independent watch manufacturer. Right from the beginning, Parmigiani created two in house movements – the Parmigiani 8 day mechanical and self-winding movements. The fact that Parmigiani Fleurier is an independent brand gave it the range to produce the kinds of watches that it wanted to see on the market. Today, Parmigiani has shown the world that the forms of traditional watchmaking are still alive and well.
In a world of oversized watches, Parmigiani goes against the grain and offers a case size of 39mm for its diameter. The Tonda 1950 is classified as thin with a 7.78mm case thickness. This is simply exceptional while employing a self-winding movement. The case is made entirely out of 18kt white gold, which has been polished to a fine finish. The lugs taper inwards and are chamfered over the wrist for maximum comfort. Securing this watch to the wrist is a black alligator strap.
The case back is made from sapphire and allows the wearer to view the expertly crafted movement. This movement – the PF701 is automatic and carries a total of 42 hours of power reserve. The balance wheel beats slower than most other contemporary timepieces at 21,600 alternations per hour. This movement is comprised of 145 parts which are decorated with Cotes de Genève.
Protecting the dial is an antireflective sapphire crystal. The white dial features rhodium toned indexes and rhodium toned hands. The hands are generously coated with lume for legibility at night. At the 6 position is a small seconds subdial, which adds a touch of class to this already sophisticated timepiece.
TAGS: Automatic Watches, Exhibition Case Back, Haute Horlogerie, Leather, Mechanical Watches, Men's Watches, Parmigiani Fleurier, Power Reserve, Sapphire Crystal, Selfwinding Watches, Swiss Made, Tonda 1950, Water Resistant, White Gold