A Two-Tone Steel & Gold Parmigiani Tonda PF 36mm with a Deep Ruby Dial

Parmigiani Fleurier, the elite watch brand founded by master restorer and watchmaker Michel Parmigiani in 1996, underwent a management change in 2021 with the appointment of Guido Terreni. Terreni’s roadmap for Parmigiani involved streamlining the collections and focusing on a new collection derived from Michel Parmigiani’s Tonda watch. Released that same year, the Tonda PF is a lineup of refined luxury sports watches with guilloché dials, integrated bracelets and in-house movements. Responding to requests for a more compact, unisex case size, Parmigiani produced a 36mm version of the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor, the most straightforward time-only model. The latest reference is a two-tone rose gold and steel Tonda with a rich ruby dial.

The new model comes in an attractive two-tone stainless steel and 18k rose gold case and bracelet. Used to accentuate specific design details, rose gold is featured on the signature knurled bezel, the crown, and on the second and fourth links of the integrated bracelet. Sharing the 36mm diameter and slim 8.6mm height of its more compact siblings, the case features Michel Parmigiani’s beautiful teardrop-shaped lugs and is decorated with a mix of brushed and polished finishes. Fitted with a screw-down crown, the case lives up to its luxury sports watch classification and is water-resistant to 100 metres.

Catering to a wider range of wrist sizes, the 36mm model eliminates the date window featured on the 40mm reference. A positive decision for many, the removal of the date window highlights the dial’s elegant minimalism. Decorated with a refined hand-guilloché grain d’orge (barleycorn) pattern, the dial’s lack of superfluous elements allows you to appreciate the subtle texture of the guillochage. The twelve baguette-cut diamonds hour markers are indicated by the skeletonised rose gold delta-shaped hour and minute hands, and the only other element on the dial is the oval gold cartouche at noon with the letters “PF”.

Unlike its 40mm counterpart, the Tonda PF Automatic does not rely on a micro-rotor, which explains its slightly thicker case, measuring 8.6mm, compared to the Tonda PF Micro-Rotor’s height of 7.8mm. Designed specifically for the 36mm, the calibre PF770 is fitted with a central 22k gold skeletonised rotor, has a slim height of 3.9mm and a robust power reserve of 60 hours.

The streamlined two-tone rose gold and steel bracelet tapers elegantly and is secured to the wrist with a steel folding clasp. The Tonda PF Automatic 36mm retails for EUR 35,900. More information at parmigiani.com.