Parmigiani Fleurier: Tonda 1950 Squelette

Parmigiani Fleurier pays tribute to its iconic ultra-thin model, the Tonda 1950, honouring it with a fully skeletonised dial.

The new automatic calibre PF707 has been laid bare. The Tonda 1950 Skeleton exposes its gears, including components which never usually see the light of day. The main plate and bridges have been skeletonised to their very limits, only retaining as much substance as the watch needs to operate. This skeletonising process demands that a perfect balance be struck between laying the movement bare, to better unveil its mysteries, and retaining the rigidity of each component, essential in ensuring it works as designed. The barrel is also open, finally allowing the winding spring to be seen with the naked eye. The oscillating micro-weight can now be glimpsed from the back and on the surface of the movement. Its intricate decoration is worthy of such scrutiny, with engraved “barley grain” on the back of the rotor and a pattern composed of Parmigiani Fleurier’s iconic lugs, key to the brand’s design DNA, on its surface. The lug pattern is laid out so as to evoke a rotating movement, accentuating the circumvolutions of this oscillating weight.

The Tonda 1950 Skeleton shows up with a 44mm steel case and a sapphire dial, ensuring nothing obstructs the view of the skeletonised movement, except around the periphery, where the crystal is enclosed by a rose gold metal flange displaying the minute track and indices. The back of this flange features minutely detailed engraving, with fine, elegant concentric snailing adorning its surface.

The watch is combined with a blach alligator leather strap and a steel folding buckle that can be adjusted to 5 positions. With one press, the wearer can adjust the effective length of the strap, millimetre by millimetre, without having to switch to another attachment hole in the leather. (Price €. 22.500).