Parmigiani Tonda PF Micro Rotor

[flyguy33]

I recently purchased and received the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Micro Rotor and wanted to share my thoughts and impressions with the forum. I was able to purchase the watch through the fantastic people at Topper Jewelers (in particular Jay, who is awesome!). I had a 3-4 week wait once I decided to pull the trigger and they treated me very well throughout the entire process.

I didn’t start out looking to buy this watch. I was looking at/discussing other models with Jay when this watch caught my eye. I was familiar with the brand and had seen the watch but I’d never looked closely at it. Once I started looking I kept uncovering lots of little details that slowly reeled me in. It was the classic peeling back layers of the onion that finally sold me as each layer I found was better than the last.

Pre-Purchase Discoveries

It was the styling of the watch that initially caught my eye. It is an unquestionably modern design but presented with classic styling elements that greatly appealed to me. I find the vast majority of steel sports watches are either designs that are 50 years old, or new designs that have 50-year-old aesthetics. I’ve thought for a long time that the Bulgari Octo-Finissimo is the best example of a new modern sports watch that takes the key design elements and presents them in a modern way. I’ve appreciated the Octo-Finissimo for quite some time, even though the specific aesthetics are not to my taste. I think Moser and some of the independents are also doing some nice creative things that are moving styling concepts forward. I’ve been interested for some time in the concept of a steel sport watch with modern-styling that would also stand the test of time. That was my first impression of what the Tonda PF provides.

I was always aware of Parmigiani as a brand and was pleasantly surprised as I learned more details of Michael Parmigiani’s place in the industry as well as the considerable horological horsepower that the Sandoz family assembled in the Parmigiani group’s various manufacturing entities. I won’t recall all the details here, but the info is readily available and plentiful for anyone who wants to dig in. Let’s just say that this brand has as much horological capabilities as anyone out there and more than most.

Once I’d spent some time considering the watch and the brand I started reading some interviews and listening to podcasts from the relatively new CEO Guido Terrini. Mr. Terrini joined the brand about a year ago after serving 10+ years leading Bulgari’s watch practice. He has been very involved in bringing the Octo Finnissimo to market and the careful way that Bulgari has grown that brand over the last decade. It is clear listening to Mr. Terrini that he is a passionate watch lover, who understands the Parmigiani brand and has worked to develop this watch (and the associated line) as his expression of what Parmigiani can be and where he sees the future of the company headed. The thought and consideration that their team put into every detail of this watch is evident now that the watch is in my hands (details below). He also describes his vision of the type of watch buyer that this watch and this brand will attract, which also appeals to me. They are looking to appeal to a very specific segment of the market who wants a watch for their own enjoyment. I encourage anyone who wants more details to read some interviews and/or listen to any number of podcasts that Mr. Terrini has been on in the last 6 months. I’ve read and listened to them all and my recommendation is the “Keeping Time” podcast from Jeremy Oster as the best of the bunch.

Enough about all that, here are my impressions of the watch after wearing it for a few days…

Dial
The dial is easily the most controversial part of this watch as people tend to love it or hate it. It is subtle, refined, and reveals itself slowly to the wearer. Yes, it is very minimalistic with the stylized logo, small hour indices, subtle minute track, date window, and only two hands. The dial has an incredibly small and subtle guilloche that is almost imperceptible when viewed straight on but the closer you look it gets more intricate and detailed. It (the guilloche) was smaller in person than I expected from the pictures, but it is fantastic. Look at it under a loupe and it is an amazing piece of craftmanship. For most owners they may be the only one who ever even really knows what is lying under the crystal, but it pops up at a glance when you least expect it and you can get lost for days playing with it as it dances in different lighting conditions.

The hour indices are a favorite criticism in the reviews, but to me they are perfect. The thing that I didn’t realize from the picture is how much light that these indices catch. They sparkle and dance as the watch moves in and out of light. The result is an ever-changing view with different indices stealing the spotlight from each other. They are the perfect size for the watch, balanced in a fantastic way with the subtleness of the guilloche, if they were any bigger they would be overwhelming the other parts of the dial.

The hands are fantastic as well. They are made of the same material as the indices, but they don’t have the same faceting, so they don’t catch quite as much light (in a good way). I feel like the use of only two hands plays well into the minimalistic style. For those who want to set the watch to the second and monitor how it performs, you can absolutely do that by waiting until your reference hits 12:00 on the second’s hand. The choice to not lume the indices or the hands allows for the light play that I mentioned earlier, I believe it also adds a refined feel to the watch. I’m not much of a lume guy in general (it never stays lit very long anyway) so this suits me.

The minute track is another nice detail. It sits at a visibly lower level than the guiloched portion of the dial and is sandblasted in a monochromatic color tone. The depth is much more evident in person than in the pictures.

The color of the dial if very nice. It changes from black to brown to grey.

Case
7.88mm thick… this is what sold me on the watch and it does not disappoint. The slim, ultra-thin profile is one of the best aspects of the entire watch. There are very few watches in this market that can get anywhere close to this level of ultra-thin. The platinum bezel is also very nice. I must admit that I’m not one of those who can tell the difference between platinum, white gold and steel on sight, but I love the polished slope and knurled feature. The knurling adds just the right amount of detail without being overbearing and maintaining a subtleness that suits me.

The crown is tiny. Aesthetically it looks great and I wouldn’t want them to change anything, but my big fingers look huge while I’m setting the time/date. It is a little bit difficult to maneuver due to this smaller size, but it isn’t an issue. I wouldn’t want them to change the size and throw off the proportions.

Bracelet

The bracelet is extremely well done. It is thin and the narrow links really drape across your wrist to provide a lot of comfort. When you look down on the watch from above the way that the bracelet connects to the lugs makes it difficult to distinguish between the two. The result is that it gives the appearance of the bracelet connecting directly to the watch under the bezel. Also the shape of the lugs results in a better fit as the watch curves around the wrist from the start.

The combination of polished areas along the edges and brushed interior is different than a lot of competitors and looks nice.

Movement

The movement is fantastic and is something that you can spend a lot of time just looking at. The finishing is top notch and the micro-rotor means that you can see the entire movement. I also like the way they broke up the base plates to provide peaks into the interior.

My only complaint, and it isn’t really a complaint as it doesn’t matter to me but I know it will to some is that the date change is a long extended process. It seems to start changing the date around 10:40 and it will finish around 11:50. It doesn’t bother me, but I know it would annoy some collectors.

Overall
Mr. Terrini likes to say that the Tonda PF is not a first watch or an only watch and I would agree with him. It’s not a go anywhere and do anything watch as the general presence is well on the dressy side. It looks great with a suit, business casual, or for a nice dinner/night on the town. I’m not sure if it is the right choice for jeans and t-shirt on a Saturday, but I don’t believe that is what they were going for. The brand intends for this watch to be a part of a collection and from that aspect it fits wonderfully. My suspicion is that when I’m making that morning decision it will ultimately get chosen more times than the others in the watchbox.

[Watchflair]

Very nice - congratulations. I’ve long been a fan of the brand - I have a Tonda 1950 in white gold at the moment - had a rose gold version previously. One of the finest decorated movements out there - I’m a sucker for a micro rotor.

I’m hoping the new CEO off his heels of success with Bvlgari can find traction for the brand. It’s well deserved.

I only have one issue with the current direction - price. Now is a great time for the acquisition of a brands customer base since the big 3 are essentially nonexistent in terms of availability. My personal thought is that they should have set MSRPs at closer to the actual transactional prices of these pieces. Make them a true value in the watch market and build your customer base.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Droolex]

Definitely on my short list for my next watch.

[Bug04]

The more I see the more I like it

[uniqueMR]

Congrats
Enjoy it in good health.

[jeffnar]

Originally Posted by uniqueMR

Congrats
Enjoy it in good health.

I recently pulled the trigger on the Tonda GT with the green khaki dial. One of only 20 pieces made. No regrets. It has become my daily watch!

[enjoythemusic]

Congrats!!!

[Justindo]

Congratulations! I think it's a great looking, high quality watch that is just is good and possibly better than the holy trinity's integrated bracelet steel sport watches. I do think it needs a sweep second hand but I don't know if the movement allows for it. I do enjoy my white gold 1950 Tonda and think Parmigiani makes great watches.

[charger_vital]

Awesome watch

[uniqueMR]

Originally Posted by jeffnar

I recently pulled the trigger on the Tonda GT with the green khaki dial. One of only 20 pieces made. No regrets. It has become my daily watch!

Very nice, congrats.
I am thinking of ordering one, gray dial. I hope Parmigiani does limited edition..

[mongrelnomoad]

Amazing. Absolutely love it. Enjoy it in good health!

[MILGAUSS88]

Their old designs were just a little too avant garde for me.

The new line up looks so much better.
Especially this model.

Post a close up of the dial. We can't really see the textured design in the posted photos.
I think that might be the best part of the watch.

[GB-man]

Congrats! I also bought one and have been extremely happy with it. You did an excellent job on this write up and I agree with everything you said.

For some reason I was worried it would fall flat when it arrived (I ordered it without trying it on) but my experience has been the polar opposite.

I can’t recommend this piece enough to anyone looking for a swimmable HH sport piece that’s not derivative.

[flyguy33]

Originally Posted by jeffnar

I recently pulled the trigger on the Tonda GT with the green khaki dial. One of only 20 pieces made. No regrets. It has become my daily watch!

I think your green dial Tonda GT is stunning. I feel like the Tonda GT and Tonda PF both have their places in the lineup for PF. The GT is sportier and the PF is a little more dressy, overall I feel they compliment each other nicely.

[flyguy33]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Congrats! I also bought one and have been extremely happy with it. You did an excellent job on this write up and I agree with everything you said.

For some reason I was worried it would fall flat when it arrived (I ordered it without trying it on) but my experience has been the polar opposite.

I can’t recommend this piece enough to anyone looking for a swimmable HH sport piece that’s not derivative.

I also ordered sight unseen, although I did have the opportunity to try on a Tonda GT and Tondagraph ahead of time while I was on a layover in Vegas. I walked out of the store, called my AD and placed my order on the spot.

As I note above both the PF and GT are great watches. They vary in diameter and thickness as well as the dial features, but the quality is top-notch throughout.

[flyguy33]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Congrats! I also bought one and have been extremely happy with it. You did an excellent job on this write up and I agree with everything you said.

For some reason I was worried it would fall flat when it arrived (I ordered it without trying it on) but my experience has been the polar opposite.

I can’t recommend this piece enough to anyone looking for a swimmable HH sport piece that’s not derivative.

You did a better job of capturing the PF in the picture you posted in the other thread. Once I sized my pics down to meet the site requirements I lost the guilloche.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by flyguy33

You did a better job of capturing the PF in the picture you posted in the other thread. Once I sized my pics down to meet the site requirements I lost the guilloche.

I’m dumb enough to pay for Tapatalk pro lol so it lets you post better images. This watch is quite photogenic

[Bloomberg]

I love mine!

[JakeK]

Congrats!!!!

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by Bloomberg

I love mine!

Nice! Makes me feel good I’m not the only one who thinks this is a wildly overlooked release.

[rag5178]

I’m a little bit disappointed to learn that the dial guilloche is machine finished. When this watch was released, there were many articles that referred to the guilloche as having been hand done on a rose turn, but that was either false or they have since changed the production process.

[dchang81]

Curious the difference between this movement and the pf701

[huydoan]

Originally Posted by rag5178

I’m a little bit disappointed to learn that the dial guilloche is machine finished. When this watch was released, there were many articles that referred to the guilloche as having been hand done on a rose turn, but that was either false or they have since changed the production process.

how do you know? i also thought it is hand made. yea it is disappointed.

[rag5178]

This YouTube video and comments section:

https://youtu.be/dwXnK0ZN7ng

Seems like a product pages for ADs like Feldmar and Exquisite Timepieces also say the bezel is hand knurled despite the fact that it is also machine finished.

[flyguy33]

Originally Posted by rag5178

I’m a little bit disappointed to learn that the dial guilloche is machine finished. When this watch was released, there were many articles that referred to the guilloche as having been hand done on a rose turn, but that was either false or they have since changed the production process.

If you listen to the CEO on podcasts he says that the original dial was hand turned by a craftsman, and that they went though a fair amount of trials to get the right size/depth of the guilloche. Once they had t what they wanted they use a machine to replicate the hand work for the production models.

I can’t say with certainty how it works with other brands, but my best guess is that this is as close as you get to hand guilloche at this price point and that more than this requires more of a true one-off, which would be much more expensive.

[huydoan]

Originally Posted by rag5178

This YouTube video and comments section:

https://youtu.be/dwXnK0ZN7ng

Seems like a product pages for ADs like Feldmar and Exquisite Timepieces also say the bezel is hand knurled despite the fact that it is also machine finished.

thank you.

[GB-man]

I was aware of the dial being a CNC process before purchasing my Pf micro rotor. It did not deter me as the outcome is beautiful to my eye and most of my favorite brands (Journe, Rolex, etc) lean on machines as well.

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Congrats! I also bought one and have been extremely happy with it. You did an excellent job on this write up and I agree with everything you said.

For some reason I was worried it would fall flat when it arrived (I ordered it without trying it on) but my experience has been the polar opposite.

I can’t recommend this piece enough to anyone looking for a swimmable HH sport piece that’s not derivative.

Just noticed you put it up for sale. How come?

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by mongrelnomoad

Just noticed you put it up for sale. How come?

Basically just because I’m an ADD nut job with an insatiable habit for picking up shiny things and putting them down. I don’t actually have a good reason. I bought it to wear on a vacation which is another bad habit I have.

[mongrelnomoad]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Basically just because I’m an ADD nut job with an insatiable habit for picking up shiny things and putting them down. I don’t actually have a good reason. I bought it to wear on a vacation which is another bad habit I have.

lol. True.