A dressy steel sports watch? Sure. The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda GT is a large, modern but elegant watch. I have admired the distinguished watches of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand since they first appeared around the mid-1990s. I liked the fact that the watches of this brand are rather less known and inconspicuous. And I am even more impressed by the person behind the brand. Michel Parmigiani is a watchmaker and well-known restorer of some of the most amazing historical watches, clocks and automatons (please note the Maurice-Yves Sandoz Collection – you can see many pieces in the Musée D’Horlogerie Du Locle, Chateau des Monts). Before Michel Parmigiani founded his brand, his main occupation lies here. Some of his historical work is reflected in the watches today (e.g. the amazing pantograph hands).

Many details on just one watch
With a diameter of 42 mm, the Tonda GT is a large watch. The newer model of the Tonda PF, the micro-rotor, has already become smaller (40 mm and below). The watch has a steel case with an integrated bracelet. What is striking is the perfect, fabulously three-dimensional dial of the Tonda GT with the guilloché pattern ´Clou Triangulaire´. I know of no modern sports watch with a more elaborate dial. The patterns and layers of the dial are uniquely designed and crafted. This art is continued in the hands of the watch. They are skeletonised, delta-shaped hands that indicate the hours and minutes. The seconds are displayed as small seconds in their own small dial at 6 o’clock. This display is a little fancy but again special. In two half-arcs, 30 seconds each are displayed with the same second hand (long end / short end). The date comes as a large date in two windows. The Tonda GT has an automatic movement (Caliber PF044) which is made by Vaucher. Of course, the movement of the Tonda GT is also perfectly decorated. It has a skeletonised 22k rose gold winding rotor, which shows more areas of the movement because it does not cover large parts of it.

Case and bracelet
The case is highly polished, the bracelet has matte and polished surfaces. Both case and bracelet therefore scratch easily. A design element of the watches by Parmigiani are the very special teardrop lugs, a modern interpretation of the classic shape. The bracelet is perfectly and uniquely integrated into the case. Better than any other luxury sports watch – this is the benchmark of an integrated bracelet for the whole industry. The bracelet has no visible lock or clasp and it looks and feels more like a piece of jewelry. Such a beautiful watch would certainly look even more magnificent if the dial had a thin layer of coloured enamel (in blue, e.g. guilloché et flinqué) as a crowning touch – Mamma mia! What gave me this idea? It is the release of the Les Roses Carrées “Collection Grand Feu” by Parmigiani Fleurier in late 2022 and the work of the master enameller Vanessa Lecci, who has also done the enamel work on the La Rose Carrée pocket watch. For me, Grand Feu enamel simply represents the ultimate in craftsmanship on a contemporary watch dial or case.

Yes or No?
If you flip through the following criteria, you might find the answer to the “Is-the-Parmigiani-Fleurier-Tonda-GT-the-right-watch-for-me-Question”:
1) You like Guilloché.
2) You like a non-mainstream brand.
3) You admire the experience of Michel Parmigiani.
4) You like exquisite bracelets.
5) A time-only watch is the perfect watch for you.
6) You are looking for an automatic, sportive but elegant watch.
7) You are looking for more options aside from Nautilus, Royal Oak, Overseas or Laureato, … etc.
8) You appreciate a beautifully decorated movement.
9) You cannot afford to buy one of Les Roses Carrées.
10) You don’t always need 10 reasons to make a decision.

Pros
– excellent bracelet and bracelet-integration to the watchcase

• – amazing guilloché dial

– perfect finishing

Cons
– rather large watch

• – relatively high price

– not a micro-rotor movement

Quality
95

Style
90

Value
75

Wearability
90