Hands-On Look Inside Parmigiani's Strength In Skeletonization With The Tonda PF

This is often the problem of trying to understand a brand by looking at things like how they handle model lineups, releases, cases, or dials. The soul is always something deeper. Guido Terreni, the affable CEO of Parmigani, has far better insights than many of the other CEOs in the industry in a world where CEO interviews can often seem cut-and-paste. But little can hold a candle to Michel Parmigiani, the brand's founder.

I knew him as a legend of the industry – the founder of Parmigiani Fleuier, passionate restoration expert, and talented watchmaker – but as I sat with him in the brand's headquarters in Fleurier, Switzerland, it wouldn't be hyperbolic to say that his deep and passionate view of not only watchmaking and the brand's commitment to restoration but to life, nature, and the beauty in even the most mundane objects was incredibly moving. More important to this story, he also left me understanding the soul of Parmigiani and its watches. Some of these insights I'll save for another time, but I was struck by a passing comment he made as we prepared to part ways...

"My parents used to tell me how I should look at things," he told me. "They always told me to always be observing. 'Look how beautiful these flowers are,' they'd tell me. 'Not just from one angle, but from every angle, and in every stage of its life. Look how the light catches it as it moves and you do too.' And through that, I learned to observe. Eventually, I realized that everything I observe in nature – the laws of nature – are things I can use to express myself in watchmaking, from the Fibonacci sequence to the golden ratio."

It mirrored my understanding and appreciation of Parmigiani's skeletonized movements which had grown earlier that day as I toured the Vaucher Manufacture – which grew out of the workshop that Parmigiani founded in 1975 – where a movement engineer explained that the curves of the angles in the skeletonized bridges of the brand's rattrapante chronograph "absolutely had to" be sloping elegant lines to keep the light moving off the anglage. I saw a rose gold version of the split-second chronograph for all of 30 seconds at Watches & Wonders and while the watch was wonderful in a fleeting moment, it didn't leave much time to appreciate the nuance and balance of the fine details.

After talking to Michel Parmigiani, I made a bee-line to the Tonda PF Skeleton in Rose Gold and immediately started seeing it in a new light. Sure it was released last year, but it still is a core part of the brand's growing lineup. And the movement is, after all, the soul of the watch just as Parmigiani's mandate to challenge yourself in how you see the world seems to be a big part of the soul of the brand. So what better watch to study?

The skeletonization of both the rear of the movement and the dial are, truly, masterpieces of this kind of work. And maybe you don't notice that as well when – as someone is apt to do – you miss the trees for the forest, so to speak. It's hard not to when considering a watch where the entire package is so complete and effective. From the satin polished center of the bracelet and case flank to the super high polish edge of the bracelet that carries through the slightly horn-like lugs. It's actually (in my opinion) a more elegant visual to have the polishing on the edge of the bracelet, giving a distinct frame to the watch from top to bottom.

The other thing that might cause someone to miss the beauty of the skeletonization and the elegance of the PF777 movement (3.9 mm thick with 60 hours of power reserve) is the sand-blasted and satin-finished graphite coloring of the bridges softens the beauty of the reflections on their curves. It's a necessary compromise, probably, just like going with a full rotor instead of the brand's great micro-rotor movement. The watch might be illegible if the bridges conflicted any more with the already delicate rose gold delta-shaped hands. But I never really felt bothered when looking for the time in my short hands-on with the watch. Or maybe I wasn't bothered because I liked the work on the movement so much.

If the development of the rattrapante chronograph movement is any guide, I suspect (though I didn't have a chance to ask) Michel Parmigiani was intimately involved in the design of the fully skeletonized Tonda PF. The movement engineer at Vaucher told me that they designed the bridges of that watch to Parmigiani's guidance and taste, with small adjustments based on what was practical. They didn't push the skeletonization to the limit of technical feasibility, choosing to focus on creating a movement that allows the greatest durability and longevity not just for the owner but for future generations, a nod to Parmigiani's background in restoration. But instead, the watch was developed based on a mix of Parmigiani's aesthetic taste (passion for nature and the spiral of the golden ratio included) as well as a healthy dose of the engineer's intuitive feel for what was technically possible.

At 40mm wide and only 8.5mm thick, the watch follows in (or at least near) the footsteps of the measurements of iconic watches like the Jumbo (Royal Oak or Nautilus, take your pick) and as such wears incredibly comfortably. You'd expect as much at CHF 94,000, but then again there are a lot of brands making more expensive and less comfortable watches. If you're lucky enough to afford the watch, I hope you also make an effort to speak to Parmigiani himself, whatever that may cost. Your appreciation for what you've got on your wrist – and more – will be better for it.

For more information, visit Parmigiani Fleurier online.