Parmigiani has become part of a growing trend at Watches and Wonders, where many brands now share press releases or previews early to avoid getting lost in the crowd. Yet, each year still delivers unexpected surprises. One of the most notable this year was the debut of the new Toric Perpetual Calendar an exciting addition to the recently refreshed Parmigiani Fleurier Toric line..
The Subtle Intrigue of the New Parmigiani Toric Perpetual Calendar
One of the reasons for the delay in writing about the new watch is that it is gently intriguing in a way that makes it feel like it has always been there. When we covered the new Toric line last year, one thing was clear: CEO Guido Terreni’s vision for the Toric was a return to subtle minimalism while keeping the luxurious appeal the brand has had since its inception.
Whereas the Tonda PF series has quickly captivated admirers with its range of interpretations of a sportier design, selling dress watches isn’t always seductive – or at least not easy to make so. However, the new Toric Perpetual Calendars strike a balance between clothing and sportiness, which appears to be appealing to many individuals.
The new Toric QPs come in two case materials: platinum and rose gold, with either a soft blue (“Morning Blue”) or orange-salmon dial (“Golden Hour”), all housed in a relatively compact 40.6mm by 10.9mm case, priced at CHF 92,000 and CHF 85,000, respectively. Visually, the watch appears to be a little larger, most likely because of the domed dial, which generates areas of light and shadow that lend depth while complementing the general case design and sloping bezel. That, along with the dial’s grainy texture, adds a layer of softness that alters the dial’s feel, which is further enhanced by the high-polish hands, logo, and chamfered subdial rings.
The QP display is entirely simple, with subdials showing the day of the week and date on the left and the month (with leap year indication) on the right. For those who enjoy horizontal symmetry, it’s perfectly balanced; nevertheless, sitting below the equator, the equilibrium from top to bottom is a little off. Nonetheless, it has long appealed to A. Lange & Söhne collectors.
Pushers on either side of the crown control the movement’s functions. The crown is also slightly lower than the middle of the case, as required by the design of the manually wound manufacturing calibre PF733 movement. In a year where crown-set calibres have received a lot of attention (who came first, which is better, etc.), the truth is that such advancements will be scarce for some years; however, the PF733’s slimmer design results in a more comfortable and compact size.
The PF733’s architecture should be familiar and elegant, similar to the tiny seconds version launched last year. Simple and clean, with two barrels in sequence to keep the movement slim while providing 60 hours of power reserve. I had hoped for a little more power reserve on a manually wound perpetual calendar. Still, from an aesthetic sense, Parmigiani Fleurier continues to outperform in terms of polished, clean movements that pay homage to Michel Parmigiani’s brand tradition. And, as a reminder, Michel Parmigiani’s signature is still etched into the Côtes de Fleurier.
On the wrist, it feels exactly like Parmigiani intended: an exquisite dress complication for a modern audience. When you look at the early retrograde perpetual calendars, there’s clearly a sense of nostalgia. However, those watches were still 40mm in size, which is the same as what we have here, and it’s difficult to argue that the simplified design isn’t a substantial advance over the simplicity that Parmigiani strives for.
This is why it’s amusing to say this about a watch that we’ve only just begun to discuss: this may have been one of the best releases at Watches and Wonders this year. It’s a watch that never begged for attention yet deserves a little more nonetheless.
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