SIHH Preview: Parmigiani Tonda 1950


Tonda 1950

Simple is easy, if you don’t mind wearing the equivalent of a stick figure on your wrist. Simple with elegance and style is decidedly more difficult. Proportions and details must be perfect. With the Tonda 1950, the designers at Parmigiani Fleurier capture the brand’s essence with a few brushstrokes.

Parmigiani’s newest movement – the twelfth in-house caliber from the manufacture – is the PF 700, an extra-thin automatic that powers the Tonda 1950. The movement is 30mm or 13 ¼ lignes in diameter and just 2.6 mm thick, with an off-center micro-oscillating weight in platinum 950. A single barrel provides 42 hours of autonomy.

The nickel silver main plate is sand-blasted, circular-grained and then rhodium-plated. The bridges are sand-blasted, rubbed-down or “Côte de Genève” decorated, then beveled by hand and, finally, rhodium-plated. Also note the attractive finish of each wheel, beveled, sunk, circular-grained on both faces, then gilded before cutting.

The Tonda 1950 case, with sapphire display back, measures a classic 39mm in diameter and 7.8mm thick. Available in rose gold with a grained white dial and white gold with a graphite dial, the Tonda 1950 is a study in stylish simplicity, and it is created entirely in-house, save for the crystals and strap.

If you must have a date display, Parmigiani hints that a version of the caliber with date is in the works.

Additional information appears below the images, which may be enlarged with a click.

Tonda 1950 in rose gold
Tonda 1950 in white gold

Tonda 1950

Movement: PF 700
Automatic winding. 42 hour power reserve.
Calibre 13 ¼ ”’ – Ø 30 mm, thickness 2.6 mm
Frequency: 3 Hz – 21,600 Vib/h
29 jewels, 1 barrel.
“Côtes de Genève” decoration, hand bevelled bridges.
Oscillating micro-weight made from 950 platinum.

Functions: Hour, minute, small seconds at 6 o’clock.

Exterior: Round 3-part case: Ø 39 mm. Thickness: 7.8 mm.
Material: 18 ct rose gold, white gold. Polished finish.
Water resistance: 30 m.
Anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
Crowns: Ø 5 mm.
Case-back with sapphire crystal.
Individual number engraved on the case-back.

Dials: 2 variants, “Graphite” and “Grained white”.
Diamond-polished appliques, opaline background. Delta shaped hands with luminescent coating.

Wristlets: Alligator strap with ardillon buckle on rose and white gold, polished finish.

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