Up Close: Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde
A modern take on the classic Toric.
Having gone all in with the Tonda PF sports watch in the last couple of years, Parmigiani Fleurier recently revived its classic dress watch with the Toric Petite Seconde. Named after the model that launched the brand in 1996, the Toric Petite Seconde is a simple, three-hand watch.
Despite its simplicity, the new Toric is expensively executed – the dial and hands are solid 18k gold, as are the bridges and base plate of the PF780 movement, a newly-developed manual-wind calibre. Style wise, the Toric takes after the earlier generation of the model and retains the signature knurled bezel, but presented in a minimalist manner with a wide, clean dial reminiscent of the Tonda PF.
The platinum with a “grey celadon” dial
(Editor’s note: The watches pictured are pre-production prototypes and consequently have imperfections in detail and finishing, including on the dial.)
Initial thoughts
Parmigiani accurately describes the Toric design as minimalist and the PF780 movement as modernist. And as expected of Parmigiani, the quality is excellent, inside and out.
The Toric is dress watch but feels large at almost 41 mm in diameter, but the case stays thin at under 9 mm. Even though the Toric is obviously a dress watch, it almost also feels like a casual everyday watch because of the size, dial colours, and stock straps. I assume more formal dial colours like black in the pipeline; they would give this a decidedly different look.
The case has the trademark knurled bezel, but is otherwise clean and modern. In fact, Parmigiani explicitly states that the new Toric is just that, entirely new, and “no longer [has] a formal kinship with the [original Toric]”.
The unusual stitching on the strap is inspired by Neapolitan tailoring but feels a bit affected
The dial is even cleaner. Though there’s hardly anything on the dial, it is executed to a high level, including traditional, hand-applied frosting for the surface.
The dial design is appealing and also appropriate for a dress watch, but it feels too empty. The elegantly ornate style that defined the earlier generations of Toric models is absent. While the need to echo the minimalist design of the bestselling Tonda PF is understandable, extra embellishment would give the dial more character.
The movement stands out for being new with many of the features expected in a high-end calibre, including double barrels, a high-frequency free-sprung balance, as well as gold bridges. The finishing is also good; like most watches produced at scale in this price range, it’s a mix of machine and hand finishing, but more hand than machine.
The bridges of the PF780 are decorated with a pattern unique to Parmigiani
Though the movement ticks most boxes in terms of finishing and construction, the aesthetic is mixed. The bridges are simplistic, huge with linear outlines, but the decoration is finely grained and fancy. The steel bridges for the barrels and balance are finely finished, but don’t fit into the overall landscape.
Still the intrinsic quality of the movement is apparent, and that helps justify the price. The Toric isn’t priced well enough to be a value proposition, but rational in terms of the overall landscape.
The Toric starts at CHF45,000 in gold, which is on par with comparable watches from similarly positioned makers (in turn reflecting the high price index of the wider market). Similarly, there are dress watches of comparable quality for less, but with less expensive materials (no gold dials for example) and less elaborate execution, like the Vacheron Constantin Traditionelle we featured last week.
A contemporary dress watch
The Toric case measures 40.6 mm wide and 8.8 mm high – elegant proportions but still contemporary in that it doesn’t feel strictly like a formal dress watch. Given the dial colours and strap style, this was obviously a conscious choice on the part of its designers.
The case looks a little larger than it is, in part because of the design. Even though the style is refined, the case is not slender. The lugs, for example, are sturdy.
The dial was clearly designed along similar lines. It is minimalist and modern, but executed finely. The dial itself is solid gold, as are the hands and hour indices (save for the seconds that is steel for thinness and weight reasons).
Interestingly, the dial is frosted with a traditional technique, rather than the stamping or sandblasting that is now common. According to Parmigiani, the dial is made with a “special mixture… composed of cream of tartar, crushed sea salt, and silver, mixed with demineralised water… [that is then applied in] polishing with specific brushes”, which is a similar process to that used in historical watchmaking.
The rose gold model with a “sand gold” dial
Though it is expensively made, the dial feels little too clean for my tastes. The narrow chapter ring and small hour markers make it seem wider than it is, leaving an expanse of frosting. I imagine more dial colours are on the way, and that might change the look drastically.
Though it’s time-only, the PF780 is significant for Parmigiani as it’s the only new hand-wind movement the brand has debuted in recent memory.
As expected, it has a high-end construction: double barrels for stable torque and a longish 60-hour power reserve, a free-sprung balance running at 36,000 beats per hour for stability, with the bridges and base plate in 18k rose gold.
Parmigiani notes the movement is “modernist”, so the look was created with intention, but it doesn’t appeal to me. The bridges are too large and blocky, while the steel bridges look out of place. Though the finishing is done well, the large bridges also mean there are less edges to deal with.
Michel Parmigiani’s signature is engraved on the barrel bridge in between the two barrels
The bridges are finished unusually, instead of conventional striping or graining, they are covered in Côtes de Fleurier. It’s applied with a process similar to Côtes de Genève, but instead of parallel stripes the result resembles a woven pattern. Though atypical, the bridge finishing is attractive and looks traditional enough for a watch like this.
The finishing movement finishing is excellent, and also more decorative than the automatic movements found in most Parmigiani watches because there is more surface to decorate.
As is usually the case with brands that produce at scale – Parmigiani makes a few thousand watches a year – the decoration is a mix of hand and machine finishing. It’s certainly more artisanal than the biggest high-end brands (like Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin), but also relies on more machine work than the tiniest marques (like Voutilainen that makes a hundred or so watches annually).
The balance wheel looks a little small for the diameter of the movement, but it’s in part a technical trade-off for power reserve
The bevelling, for instance, is initially done by machine but finally finished by hand. And the black-polished bridges sport inward angles along their bevelling that are likely achieved with automatic tools guided by hand.
Given the price of the Toric – CHF45,000 in gold and CHF52,000 in platinum – a slightly more artisanal finish or elaborate layout would have made it more price competitive.
Concluding thoughts
The Toric fills a prominent gap in the Parmigiani catalogue that was previously dominated by sports watches. As a dress watch it’s a return to the brand’s origins in conceptual terms, but the new Toric is a modernist dress watch far removed from the namesake original.
Unsurprisingly for Parmigiani, the quality of work is high, particularly on the dial and movement. However, the minimalist aesthetics, again on the dial and movement, might not be for everyone.
Key facts and price
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde
Ref. PFC940-2010004-300181 (platinum)
Ref. PFC940-2010001-300181 (rose gold)
Diameter: 40.6 mm
Height: 8.8 mm
Material: 18k rose gold or platinum
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 30 m
Movement: PF780
Functions: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: 60 hours
Strap: Nubuck alligator with pin buckle
Limited edition: No
Availability: Now at Parmigiani Fleurier boutiques and retailers
Price: CHF52,000 in platinum; CHF45,000 in rose gold
For more information, visit Parmigiani.com.
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