Sportier and a little more affordable than its more elegant cousin, Parmigiani’s Tonda PF Sport was originally available only in steel. The Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Ultra-Cermet swaps out that conventional alloy for a case of cermet, a composite of ceramic and metal. Notably, the entire case – bezel, case middle, pushers, and crown – is in cermet.

Initial thoughts

Parmigiani has iterated its popular sports into many variations, perhaps too many, but the Tonda PF Sport in cermet is one of the most interesting so far. While the material is not new to watches, it is usually employed for one or two components, typically the bezel. The new Tonda PF Sport Chronograph is almost all cermet, which is gives it an appealing a single-tone appearance that goes well with the clean styling.

The new chronograph is available in Milano Blue (left), and London Grey

Material aside, it is essentially identical to earlier versions of the Tonda Sport PF Chronograph. Though it is little changed in fundamental terms, that’s not necessarily a bad thing as the PF070 movement inside ranks amongst one of the most sophisticated chronograph calibres, especially in sports watches.

The only downside of the new material is the price hike. The cermet model is basically a 50% premium over the steel version, which the brand will not doubt justify in terms of machining and polishing complexity, but it is still difficult to rationalise.

The PF070

Ceramic and metal

Cermet is a composite of ceramic and metal, giving it qualities of both constituent materials – a useful mix in many technical applications. As a result, the cermet case has better scratch resistance than a steel case, and a glossier surface than metal alloys.

Almost the entire case is cermet, including the knurled bezel. While the knurling is done the old fashioned way on the steel and gold models, it is likely that the cermet bezel is sintered with fluting as the nature of cermet would making traditional knurling difficult.

Due to the nature of cermet, the construction of the case is slightly different from that of the steel model, resulting in a marginally larger case that’s about 0.5 mm wider and thicker than its steel counterpart.

The cermet case is finished like its steel equivalent, which means a pleasing mixed of brushed and polished surfaces. The case middle is brushed, while the tops of the lugs are polished. And in between the lugs is a brushed cermet insert that adds textural contrast.

The dark grey cermet case is matched with an equally subdued dial finished in “black gold”, with registers in either London Grey or Milano Blue. The dial retains the minimalist design of earlier Tonda PF Sport models, but goes even further by eliminating the date window.

The PF070 is visible through the display back and it looks good. Open worked bridges reveal much of the inner workings, and the finishing is high quality, albeit clean and industrial high-end other than artisanal. It’s also dressed up with a 22k rose gold rotor.

The calibre has all of the features expected of a modern movement, including a column wheel and vertical clutch, but also the more novel high-frequency escapement with the balance running at 36,000 beats per hour. The high-beat balance is arguably most suitable for a sports watch.

Key facts and price

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Ultra-Cermet
Ref. PFC931-1020021-400182 (London Grey)
Ref. PFC931-1020022-400182 (Milano Blue)

Diameter: 42.5 mm
Height: 13.3 mm
Material: Cermet
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Cal. PF070
Features: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, and chronograph
Frequency: 36,000 beats per hour (5 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 65 hours

Strap: Rubberised fabric with Cermet buckle

Availability: At Parmigiani Fleurier boutiques and retailers
Price: CHF39,900

For more, visit Parmigiani.com.

Building on the Russian watchmaker’s signature Joker timepiece, the Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Ace of Hearts blends the European court jester with its Chinese counterpart – contained with Behren’s ultra-light, trapezoid wristwatch that was first launched in 2023 as the Ultra-Light 11G.

Initial Thoughts

One of a new breed of inventive Chinese watchmakers, Behrens has always excelled at novelty watches, thanks to a combination of creativity and competitive pricing. This sets it apart from both its domestic and international competition.

European manufacturers in the same price range simply can’t develop base movements or even custom modules for small production runs, at least economically, while only a few other Chinese brands have built enough credibility outside the country to sell five- to six-figure watches internationally.

The Ace of Hearts exemplifies what Behrens does well – while also being a collaboration with an established European independent watchmaker.

The brand’s earlier collaboration with Konstantin Chaykin was well received, but didn’t stand out from other Wristmon models in terms of styling, so it’s good to see a new direction with the Ace of Hearts.

In fact, the Ace of Hearts stands out even in comparison to the ever-growing Wristmon family. I find the sapphire case models most interesting, as the transparent case suits the airy construction of the movement and importantly, they are priced reasonably compared to Swiss brands.

Movement

The principal inspiration for the distinct smile of the Ace of Hearts is a famous statue of a drum-beating Han Dynasty entertainer that’s about 2,000 years old. Unearthed in 1957, the statue now has pride of place in the National Museum of China – even in the gift shop that sells clay replicas as well as chocolates and ice cream in its likeness.

While Behrens replicated the shape of the statue’s mouth well, the skeletonised movement does away with the statue’s other distinguishing features, like the cheeks and forehead wrinkles, and the result is less distinct.

Sandwiched between two planes of sapphire, the manually-wound movement appears to float in the case. As with Konstantin Chaykin’s Wristmon watches, one eye marks the hours and the other, minutes. Both eyes are lumed, as is the mouth and a subtle power reserve indicator doubling as a forehead wrinkle.

Behren’s primary design contribution is an unusual seconds indicator using its millstone mechanism. This takes the shape of a heart-shaped pointer that traces the outline of the character’s mouth as the seconds hand covers 60 seconds. Underneath the “mouth” bridge is a free-sprung balance, which is good to see.

Case

Behrens split the 1,000 piece run across three case materials and five colourways.

The basic version is 600 pieces in titanium. Then there are  150 each in black or white SPSCF, a proprietary carbon composite. Behrens debuted SPSCF, which presumably stands for Spark Plasma Sintered Carbon Fibre, on the Ultra-Light 11G in 2023.

Last are the pair in clear sapphire crystal cases: 80 in sky blue sapphire, and only 20 in pink. A further 50 blue SPSCF pieces are reserved for the Russian market.

Besides the materials, Behrens also retained the trapezoidal case from the Ultra-Light, though without the curved case back and movement. It’s not marketed as a thin watch, but at just under 8 mm, it’s certainly on the slimmer side.

Unlike the Ultra-Light models that utilise straps screwed onto the case middle, the Ace of Hearts employs conventional straps with quick release spring bars for easy replacement.

Each watch is delivered with a pair of synthetic rubber straps with quick-release spring bars. The titanium, white SPSCF, and sapphire models are paired with straps colour matched to the case and movement respectively. Black and red straps accompany the black SPSCF model.

Key facts and price

Behrens x Konstantin Chaykin Ace of Hearts
Ref. BHR033TI01 (titanium)
Ref. BHR033SPWHT01 (white SPSCF)
Ref. BHR033SPBLK01 (black SPSCF)
Ref. BHR033SAPK01 (sky blue sapphire)
Ref. BHR033SABLU01 (pink sapphire)

Diameter: 37 mm by 42 mm
Height: 7.85 mm
Material: Titanium, SPSCF, or sapphire crystal
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: BM07
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, and power reserve indicator
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Manual wind
Power reserve: 46 hours

Strap: Rubber with titanium pin buckle

Limited edition: 600 in titanium, 150 in white SPSCF, 150 in black SPSCF, 80 in sky blue sapphire, and 20 in pink sapphire
Availability: Direct from Behrens
Price: US$8,250 in titanium, US$10,120 in SPSCF, and US$14,960 in sapphire

For more information, visit behrenswatches.com.