Parmigiani Tonda Métropolitaine Now in Rose Gold

Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda family is the largest of all the brand’s collections with watches for men and women.  Meaning ‘round’ in Italian, the Tonda family of automatic watches encapsulates the essence of Parmigiani’s watchmaking ethos with its elegant design, smooth contours and harmonious proportions. A new rose gold version with a white mother-of-pearl dial and a diamond-set family joins the Tonda Métropolitaine family, Parmigiani’s proposal of an everyday watch for women.

Asymmetric Rose Gold CASE

The Tonda Métropolitaine, which we have already seen in its dreamy moon phase interpretation, is derived from the classic Tonda 1950. The Métropolitaine line was envisioned as a more modern iteration of the Tonda designed for everyday wear and to date, offered in various stainless steel models, with or without diamonds on the bezel. Unlike other Tonda families – 1950, Metrographe, Calendrier Annuel, 1950 Lune, Hémisphères or 39 QF – that swing it both ways with men and women, the reduced 33.1mm diameter of the Tonda Métropolitaine designate this clearly as a women’s watch.

The new Tonda Métropolitaine comes in a beautifully polished 18k rose gold case with a slim profile of just 8.6mm. What many people don’t notice at first glance is the intentional asymmetry of the curving (and very beautiful) teardrop lugs. The lugs on the left side embrace the case at about the 8 and 10 o’clock position; the lugs on the right side are longer and reach further down the case to meet at the crown. Much like looking at an attractive person’s face, a subtle bit of asymmetry adds individuality and personality to the whole. The bezel is set with 76 brilliant-cut diamonds adding a halo of luxurious light and sparkle.

Mother-of-pearl dial

This is not the first mother-of-pearl dial in Tonda Métropolitaine collection, but the combination of white mother-of-pearl and rose gold is much warmer than the steel and mop combinations of the past. As an organic product, the iridescent mother-of-pearl decorating the dial will reveal different patterns making each watch unique. In keeping with the elegant rose gold case, the tapered indices are also crafted from rose gold and applied to the mother-of-pearl. The delta-shaped hour and minute hands are usually treated with lume in this collection but have been skeletonised so as not to detract from the dial. The recessed small seconds counter at 6 o’clock is picked out with a snailed background and elegant gold dot markers. The date display, as with all Métropolitaine models, is nestled inside the small seconds counter and features the characteristic 3-day span (only displaying odd numbers).

Movement PF310

Parmigiani Fleurier enjoys an exceptionally high level of vertical integration and produces just about everything in-house, with the exception of the leather straps, which are sourced from Hermès. Like all the models in the Tonda Métropolitaine collection, this watch is fitted with an in-house automatic movement – PF310. With its 23.9mm diameter, this movement is perfectly suited to a woman’s watch and like all PF products is beautifully finished with hand-angled bridges and Côtes de Genève decoration. Its two series-coupled barrels provide 50 hours of autonomy. To match the case material, the oscillating mass is made from 22k gold and decorated with an elegant barleycorn guilloché pattern and the brand’s initials PF.

Availability and Price

The rose gold version of the Tonda Métropolitaine comes with a choice of straps: an étoupe (oakum) Hermès calfskin strap, a luxurious fully integrated 18k rose gold integrated bracelet, and a honey-coloured alligator Hermès strap. The watches are not limited editions but prices vary according to the strap you choose: the Métropolitaine on an étoupe Hermès strap or on the honey alligator Hermès strap both retail for CHF 29,900, the model on the rose gold bracelet for CHF 45,000. More information at www.parmigiani.com.