Parmigiani Tonda PF Gets Revamped Sport Mode

Nearly every luxury watchmaker is feeling the need to have a sporty collection or reference in their stable these days, much the same as some of the great sports car marques needing an SUV all of the sudden. It’s just practical. Just what makes a watch sport worthy is up for debate, but it generally comes with a bit of water resistance, the ability to absorb a shock or two, and a rubber or textile strap. Bright colors optional. In reality it means a watch that’s better suited to everyday wear, and goes with a broader selection of your wardrobe. The sporting element simply implies comfort and practicality. Parmigiani Fleurier may be known for their formal wear, but they’re no strangers to the sport watch, and this week, the Tonda line gets a completely revamped sport collection called the Tonda PF Sport. 

The new Tonda PF Sport collection will be replacing the Tonda GT collection with the introduction of 4 references that span steel and rose gold within a time and date, and chronograph configuration. The new watches bring a tighter cohesion to the Tonda family overall, taking a cleaner approach to the theme. The biggest shift from the GT collection is the date migration away from the unique oversized 12 o’clock position, and into the more controversial 4:30 position on the chronograph, and the 6 o’clock position on the time and date model.

The Tonda GT watches had plenty of quirks, from their date execution, to the month display of the calendar models labeled, quite literally, “month”. The Tonda PF Sport cleans things up a bit, offering a near sterile experience in comparison. It’s an experience that mirrors the newest Tonda PF watches we’ve seen in recent years, which feature an expansive, finely textured dial free of any extraneous details. Some may even find them a bit too sterile when it comes to the personality here, but I see a nice balance of contrast and straightforward execution.

The Chronograph Tonda PF Sport gets high contrast black sub dials within the clou triangulaire guilloché textured silver dials. Each of the hour markers also get a black luminescent coating, which helps each of the relatively small markers pop off the surface of the dial. This is an important detail I’d like to see more brands take seriously, providing some contrast against light color dials with something other than polished surfaces, which get lost easily. There is a chapter ring indexing the minutes and seconds framing the dial, breaking the plane of the dial just enough to bring some interest to itself.

The date at 4:30 is arranged horizontally, as are the numerals within the sub dials containing the running seconds (at 6 o’clock) and the totalizers (at 3 and 9 o’clock). The date disc is colored to match the subdials, thus creating a square of contrast within the silver dial, going against the grain of conventional wisdom. Being that the date is just hanging out there in such an overtly odd manner, I actually appreciate the decision to lean into the weirdness and create this moment of contrast. That said, I don’t think this dial needs a date at all, or, would have preferred the also unique 12 o’clock placement of the Tonda GT. 

The Chronograph is offered in steel and rose gold, each sized at 42mm in diameter and 12.9mm in thickness. Inside resides their own COSC certified PF070/6710 automatic hi-beat movement with 65 hours of reserve. The beautifully finished movement is visible through an exhibition back. A textile strap integrates into the case and provides much of the ‘sporty’ look and feel of the watch, and it’s something that’s carried over on the time and date reference, called the Tonda PF Sport Automatic, as well. The Chronograph is priced from CHF 26,500 in steel, and CHF 46,000 in rose gold.

The PF Sport Automatic ditches the chronograph, but keeps the contrasting date, which moves to the bottom of the dial here. This watch is also offered in steel and rose gold, but measures 41mm in diameter, and 9.8mm in thickness. The PF Sport Automatic is priced from CHF 19,500 in steel, and CHF 35,000 in rose gold. Parmigiani.