Following the launch of the Tonda 1950 Rainbow, Parmigiani Fleurier presented its new creation at this year’s Watches & Wonders digital event: the Tonda 1950 Double Rainbow Flying Tourbillon. This haute horlogerie timepiece, powered by the in-house ultra-thin PF517 movement, features a double gradient of extraordinary colours and draws its inspiration from a natural phenomenon.
Sparkling dial
The dial, set with white diamonds, is adorned with a crescent of aventurine within a gradient of coloured stones. This colour progression represents a mirror image of the stones set on the bezel. No rainbow usually stands truly on its own; a second rainbow, featuring the colours in reverse, generally accompanies it. This is caused by a secondary reflection of the light on water droplets. The careful selection and setting of the stones in this timepiece evoke this natural phenomenon.
Movement
The ultra-thin PF517 movement, comprising a platinum micro-rotor and flying tourbillon, was developed following in-depth studies by the Manufacture’s watchmakers. To keep the Tonda 1950 Double Rainbow Flying Tourbillon as slim as possible, the tourbillon was in fact integrated in the movement’s main plate.
The position of the tourbillon at 7 o’clock on the dial is a nod to the brand’s founder, Michel Parmigiani, who was born at 7:08 am on December 2nd, 1950. The Tonda 1950 line also pays tribute to this master watchmaker who, in the midst of the Quartz Crisis, maintained a firm belief in the value of the finest traditional mechanical watchmaking. The rose gold case and the red Hermès leather strap, or the rose gold bracelet, complete the array of colours.
Finally, it should be noted that ultra-thin movements are one of Parmigiani Fleurier’s areas of expertise. For example, its restoration workshop recently worked on a pocket watch in enamelled gold commissioned by Tsar Nicolas I. This extremely rare watch dates back to around 1840 and was made by Robert Brandt & Cie in La Chaux- de-Fonds. The ultra-thin watch movement that powers it is known as a “Bagnolet”. This is an “inverted” calibre in which the gears rotate in the opposite direction to allow the time to be read in the conventional way.
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