Horologii

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Watch Review

A world-first complication arrived at the 2022 Watches & Wonders event this year from Swiss watch manufacturer Parmigiani Fleurier: the GMT Rattrapante. It is an elegant take on the classic second-time zone function set within the stunning integrated architecture of the Tonda PF range. It’s been a few weeks since its release but finally, we’ve got our hands on the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch

It feels like we’ve covered the entire Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF watch collection since its debut last August, and rightly so. Featuring new design codes, a reinvented PF logo and an aesthetic largely influenced by the increasing fetish for integrated sports watches, the range of Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF watches has seen indisputable success since its introduction. The collection began with a simple time-and-date only option followed by duo of chronographs, an annual calendar complication and a rare split-second chronograph in platinum. So far this year, we’ve seen the release of two new additions to the range. The first was the Tonda PF Skeleton which we reviewed recently here and the piece we are covering today, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch.

How does the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante work?

Parmigiani Fleurier is no stranger to intricate complications but the new Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch is something else entirely, making history as the first of its kind. The word “rattrapante”  takes its name from the French phrase “to catch up” and is usually reserved for chronographs which feature two chronograph seconds hands so you can time two events of different lengths simultaneously. For the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch, there is no chronograph in sight but instead two superimposed hour hands: one rhodium-plated gold for the local time and the other in 18ct rose gold for the home time.

When you’re travelling to a different time zone, you would use the pusher at 8 o’clock to jump the silver-coloured hour hand in one hour increments until it displayed the correct time. Once your trip had ended and you were back home with no need for a second time zone display, you would press the pusher coaxial to the crown to bring the local time hour hand together instantly with the home time. The silver hand is placed directly on top of the gold hand so the latter is unnoticeable until you set the local time again.

Additional Features of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante

When you’re on home soil and not in need of a second time zone function, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch looks like a simple, two-handed watch almost exact to the Micro Rotor variation launched last August (minus the date window and the addition of the pushers at 3 and 8 o’clock. The case mimics the integrated architecture closely with a 40 millimetre diameter and a 10.7 millimetre thickness engineered from stainless steel with a combination of polished and satin-brushed finishings. On top, the iconic knurled bezel is made of 950 platinum while the crown’s push piece is done in 18ct rose gold for a nice bit of contrast. Also finished in stainless steel is the tapered three-link bracelet closed by a folding buckle.

At the centre, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch opts for a breathtaking Milano blue dial finished with the unique grain d’orge guilloché pattern which can be found on many of the pieces in the Tonda PF collection. At the centre, the brand’s redesigned oval logo is applied at 12 o’clock and the three hands, finished in rhodium-plated gold or 18ct rose gold, are skeletonised and delta-shaped. Powering the hands of the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch is the automatic winding Calibre PF051 offering a frequency of 21,600vph and a power reserve of 48 hours. The movement has been created in-house by the Swiss watch manufacturer and can be admired through the exhibition case back where you can see Côtes de Genève and perlage decoration and a 22ct rose gold micro-rotor adorned with a guilloche pattern.

If you’d like to learn more about the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante watch and shop the history-making timepiece for yourself, head over to the Jura Watches website here. Alternatively, get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at help@jurawatches.co.uk.

Specifications:

  • Case Size: 40mm
  • Case Material: Stainless steel
  • Bezel: Fixed, 950 platinum
  • Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
  • Crown: Non-screw locked with integrated rose gold pusher
  • Case Back: Exhibition
  • Water Resistance: 60 metres
  • Movement: Calibre PF051, in-house automatic winding
  • Functions: Hours, minutes, rattrapante GMT
  • Power Reserve: 48 hours
  • Jewels: 31
  • Frequency: 21,600bph
  • Dial: “Milano Blue” with grain d’orge guilloche, 18ct gold rhodium-plated indexes and hour and minute hands for local time, 18ct rose gold hand for home time
  • Strap: Integrated stainless steel bracelet
  • Buckle: Folding
  • Limited Edition: No
  • RRP: £22,600