Introducing the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport

If you’re thinking that Parmigiani Fleurier hasn’t been getting enough attention, I’d be inclined to disagree with you. An entire design overhaul a couple of years ago cleaned up a catalog under the leadership of Guido Terreni. 

The do-over worked wonders on watch journalists, as well. Ever since Tonda PF has been the darling of industry insiders and quietly championed as a rival to the more talked-about producers of modern classics.

In many ways, Parmigiani has faced an image problem to the one Bvlgari faced for years. It is an undoubtedly graceful brand, producing watches that, thanks in large part to their pared-back dial designs and confident use of negative space, have a tendency to look more like fashionable accessories than the serious horological instruments they are. But what Bvlgari has had that Parmigiani Fleurier has not had is a headline-grabbing range that, upon its release, upended the mainstream perception of the manufacture.

Parmigiani desperately needed its own Octo Finissimo. And, while the Tonda PF Sport is nowhere near as disruptive (and only a marginal modification to the brands existing Tonda PF line), it finally feels as if Parmigiani has a flagship model around which an entire brand universe can be built.

The Low Down

The collection comprises four pieces. Functionally, you can choose between either a time and date model or a chronograph. Both designs are available in either rose gold or stainless steel. The time and date pieces are 41mm wide and 9.8mm thick, while the chronographs come in at 42mm across, standing 12.9mm tall on the wrist. Interestingly, although the chronograph is slightly larger, it looks a bit smaller from a distance due to the case relatively boxier case and busier dial.

The recognizable “double lug” design flows naturally into textured Cordura-treated rubber straps that suit the “yacht set” vibe of these watches down to a T. It’s just as well that the strap is well chosen, as the proprietary lug attachment means subbing it out for an alternative is far from straightforward.

The most notable external changes from the standard Tonda PF line can be seen in the crown and the bezel. Firstly, the crown is bigger, has a second chamfer where it touches the case, and has wide, deeper knurling for better grip. It is worth mentioning, however, that while the Tonda PF Sport is water resistant to 100m, this is exactly the same water resistance rating as the regular Tonda PF. Both ratings are more than sufficient, of course, but from a story-telling angle, I perhaps would have enjoyed seeing the Sport line increase the depth rating here.

For a more “rugged” look (although not that rugged), the bezel fluting has been simplified. The regular Tonda PF bezel has precisely 225 flutes, while the Sport series has just 160 incisions per bezel. Of course, the PF Sport is still an extremely debonair watch as a result, but, side-by-side, the difference is easily spotted.

In-house movements power both styles of watch, with the expertly finished PF770 automatic and PF070 chronograph calibers visible through sapphire display backs. Notably, both movements are fitted with a 22-karat rose gold oscillating mass, which is a treat on a watch you can comfortably swim with.

IMHO

Let’s be real: the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport is not revolutionary. It isn’t going to change the direction of watchmaking. In terms of design significance, it doesn’t even move the needle. And yet, it is glorious. It is beautiful. It is, at last, a fully realized idea from a brand that has been oh-so-close to perfection for oh-so-long. To me, these new releases feel like the culmination of every good intention that has gone before. They tie it all together. At last, this new era of Parmigiani Fleurier makes sense.

This is what the brand needed. It is a catalog-defining release. The Tonda PF Sport line offers very solid alternatives to runaway success stories like the Czapek Antarctique, the H. Moser & Cie. Streamliner, the Octo Finissimo from Bvlgari, and classics like the Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Vacheron Constantin Overseas and 222 collections. But best of all, it stares down one icon of the industry in a way few other watches have ever dared: that’s right, the Rolex Datejust has a legitimate rival from a brand that, in all honesty, cripples the Crown horologically speaking.

The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport doesn’t try to do anything remarkable. It’s a stone-cold killer. It has a mission and it delivers on all fronts. For my money, this is exactly what more brands should be trying to do: distill their knowledge, their experience, and their character and craftsmanship into a mature, wearable watch that is all business in the front and party in the back.

Every model the brand has released since its aesthetic rebirth has been close to the top of my wishlist in whatever category said models occupied, but they never landed at the top. That, with this release, has changed. The feeling in the industry was clear. We want more luxury steel sports watches to choose from. Thankfully, Parmigiani was listening.