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ReviewIntroducing The Parmigiani Tonda GT Series: A Fresh Take On Luxury Sport Watches

Now in India, Parmigiani's new line of luxury sport watches—the Tonda GT collection—is one that exudes a distinct visual identity, presenting a perfect amalgamation of Parmigiani’s traditional design aesthetic and a more leisurely appeal that sets these timepieces apart from the atelier's other offerings

Priyam Bagga June 21, 2021

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Parmigiani Fleurier, the atelier famous for their breath-taking and luxe horological offerings, have introduced a new series within their largest collection—the Tonda line. The name ‘Tonda’ is derived from the Italian word ‘tondo’, which refers to a circular painting or mural. The latest additions to the collection, new Tonda GT (Gran Turismo) timepieces use the same round case, reinterpreted as luxury sport watches that are clean, functional and meant for everyday wear.

Parmigiani Tonda GT — The Tonda GT line is Parmigiani’s take on a luxury sports watch that’s distinct and incredibly wearable. Seen here is the highlight of the line—the Tondagraph GT Acier, presented with a beautiful integrated bracelet

Unmatched in their renown for creating complicated and gorgeous dress watches, with the Tonda GT collection, the brand has evolved to tap into the soaring demand for premium sports watches, all the while remaining distinctively and indisputably Parmigiani.

The Tonda GT Collection—Distinctly Parmigiani

To create these arresting timepieces, the brand worked with designer Dino Modolo, resulting in ergonomic watches that not only look stunning but are incredibly comfortable to don. Though the design of the watches is as modern as can be, Parmigiani has taken inspiration from successful past models to make a line that’s trendy as well as luxurious. The case shape of each of the watches is inspired by the Tonda Chronor timepiece, which was awarded the ‘chronograph watch’ prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) in 2017. The fluted bezel on the cases is reminiscent of yet another iconic line from Parmigiani—the Toric collection. The signature teardrop-shaped lugs remain in all the watches. While this isn’t the brand’s first luxury sports watch (the Tonda Métrographe came first), it is definitely its most wearable by far.

While the Tondagraph GT is only available in stainless steel, the Tonda GT, one has a choice between stainless steel and 18-karat rose gold cases. The dials brilliantly catch one’s attention—each boasting traditional ‘clou triangulaire’ guilloche decorations. Open-worked delta-shaped hands echo throughout the collection, keeping the focus where it should be—on the stunning dials. Each of the watches are presented with a sporty rubber strap or, metallic bracelet. The lugs are designed for integration between the case and the strap—highlighted best in the bracelet versions—taking a cue from icons of watchmaking that celebrate integrated braclelets, such as Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato, and Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas. This bracelet, which we had predicted would be a trend to watch out for in 2020, wins in terms of its wearability and stunning good looks. The well-priced line is one of the more casual offerings from the house of Parmigiani till now—however, it does hold its own in more formal settings as well.

“This is yet another step forward for Parmigiani Fleurier as the brand continues to evolve and innovate,” stated a brand spokesperson at the time of the global launch. “The new Tonda GT line, with its more casual shape and attractive price point, reflects current market needs and is, at the same time, distinctively Parmigiani.”

The Tondagraph GT—An Exceptionally Innovative Offering

The Tondagraph GT Acier is a feature-packed watch offering two complications rarely seen together—an annual calendar and a chronograph
Presented with an integrated bracelet, the watch offers incredible wearability
The integrated links, brushed and polished to perfection, provide an overwhelming dimension of comfort
The bold case size of 42mm ensures that the watch catches attention
The timepiece also comes attached with a sporty black rubber strap

The heavyweight within the collection is definitely the 42mm Tondagraph GT Acier, a sporty utilitarian behemoth, which is bound to have many takers. The in-house PF043 automatic movement, with an impressive power reserve of 45 hours, controls the annual calendar and chronograph complications. Parmigiani breaks barriers here too, as these are two complications that are very rarely seen together in one watch. Despite exuding such functionality, the dial does not appear cluttered—as is always the case with any Parmigiani timepiece that you pick up. Three sub-dials can be seen on the dial, clear as day—the small seconds sub-dial at three o’clock has within it a month indication, the 12-hour counter is presented at six o’clock and the 30-minute counter is placed at nine o’clock. The large date aperture is right beneath the Parmigiani Fleurier logo at 12 o’clock. The date and month are both painted in bright orange so as to grab attention quickly. Despite being packed with features, the watch boasts a thickness of only 13.7mm.

Parmigiani Tonda GT EXPLORE THE COLLECTION

With a sapphire crystal caseback giving you a glimpse of the beautiful movement ticking away inside, finished with Côtes de Genève stripes and presenting a 22-karat gold rotor, the case provides a water resistance of 100m. Available with an integrated steel bracelet or a supple black rubber strap, this particular timepiece is limited to 200 pieces, ensuring that it will be coveted by horological enthusiasts for some time to come.

Parmigiani Tonda

The Tonda GT Rose Gold Blue And Tonda GT Black—Daily Beaters That Beat The Odds

No less impressive are the two other 42mm watches released by the brand, with two additional variants that get the heart racing and put the ‘sport’ in sporty. Boasting blue or black dials whose highlight is their unbelievable clarity, the hand-guilloche decoration stands out in these watches. With a small seconds sub-dial at six o’clock and a large date aperture at 12, these watches are functional as well as elegant—meant for the minimalist man.

They are powered by the PF044 automatic movement, offering a power reserve of 45 hours. The model that is the most alluring comes with an 18-karat rose gold case. Paired with a solid 18-karat rose gold integrated bracelet that matches the case, this watch is effortlessly luxurious and sophisticated.

The same case also comes attached with a blue rubber strap—for that quintessential pop of colour that your horological collection is missing. The other iteration sports a black dial housed inside a stainless steel case, and comes with either a stainless steel integrated bracelet or a black rubber strap. The Tonda GT Rose Gold Blue is limited to only 150 pieces, while the steel model will have 250 pieces available.

Parmigiani’s new Tonda GT collection, thus, has much of the flair that comes with any other timepiece offered by the brand. However, rather than being very grandiose in its design scheme, these watches are quite leisurely and sporty—easily transitioning from night to day. While luxury sports watches can be seen aplenty in the watchmaking world, as always, it is Parmigiani’s attention to detail and restrained design, at a fair price point, that makes the GT line a strong contender with a distinctly urban visual identity that’s bound to impress.