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January 22, 2014

SIHH Report: Parmigiani Shows New Tonda "Metro" Variation

By Neharika Padala

parmigiani_The Métro Collection is the first Parmigiani Fleurier watch whose lines and essence embody the spirit and magic of the world’s great cities, their inhabitants and the frenetic pace that governs their movements.

A long, asymmetrical case

This round steel timepieces are characterised by their long proportions, which confer elegance. The watch features a modern, urban design which is more refined than the brand’s other classics, and reminiscent of the Tonda 1950. The calibre 3000 movement and its housing have been designed with extreme precision to produce a slim, refined case middle.

The subtlety of the Métro collection – a slight imbalance which gives it its character – comes from the fact that the watch is asymmetrical: it has two different profiles. Its left-hand profile, which is devoid of a crown, is the classic, conventional side, and displays the brand’s iconic teardrop shape.

By contrast, its right-hand profile features elongated lugs which extend to the crown, reaching around it to envelop the chronograph push-buttons on the men’s version. This asymmetry confers on the watch its subtly stylish identity; a touch of modernity that overturns conventions.

The aesthetics of the dials in the Métro collection use the principle of contrasts to highlight a particular aspect of the piece.

On the Tonda Métrographe, the chronograph complication is underlined thanks to the highlighting of its minute and hour counters. The grey counters, which sit on top of snailed discs, stand out against the white grained dial; on the black dial version they are outlined with Superluminova material which picks them out in the daytime and renders them luminous at night. The two counters form a slanted figure 8, a characteristic sign of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand.

The Métro collection sees Parmigiani Fleurier introduce a new concept featuring straps and bracelets in leather and steel.

The grained calf leather with Hermès signature produces a very distinctive effect. Its edge is of a different colour and polished, giving it a perfectly smooth surface in contrast with the rest. For example, a caramel-coloured strap features a bright red edge; a black strap is edged in white; étoupe is twinned with a grey edge for a subtle contrast.

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Whether bold or less pronounced, the principle of contrasts is used to distinguish each of the straps, making them immediately recognisable and enhancing their aesthetic appeal.

Each version of the Tonda Métro is also available with a steel bracelet of remodelled deisgn. In keeping with the spirit of the collection, the bracelets’ proportions have been redesigned to produce a slimmer, elongated and more streamlined appearance for a more aesthetically pleasing case.

The links which form the profile of the steel bracelet feature Parmigiani Fleurier’s iconic teardrop shape. Each link has unique dimensions, and is precisely calculated to ensure optimal ergonomics and perfect continuity between the case middle and the bracelet.

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