Parmigiani Tondagraph GT Review

In 1972, a paradigm shift within the horological world began with the release of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the reverberations of which are still very much felt today. With its release came a new category of timepiece- the luxury steel sport watch. Since the 70’s, virtually every watch brand has thrown its hat in the ring in one way or another, with the vast majority of examples being in some way a reference to or in derivation of Genta’s designs. The Tondagraph GT Annual Calendar Chronograph by Parmigiani Fleurier has put forth a strong contender in this category – one that aesthetically stands on its own two feet.

The Tondagraph GT is a striking watch. The black guilloche dial has a deep, sharp pyramid pattern which is framed by seven rows of thin circular ridges, which are themselves broken up by rhodium plated indices. The entirety is then further framed by a delicate outer track of white hash marks. The rhodium plated handset is partially skeletonized, with the outer tips filled with the same inky black as the indices. The date window, along with the month indicator and ‘annual calendar’ text punctuates the dial with a stark, sporty splash of orange, bringing a touch of fun to what might have otherwise been a cold, precise landscape.

It is a study in contrasting textures that is visually luxurious. But this luxury is very nearly derailed by the ARunic sapphire crystal, which is meant to provide a colorless anti-reflective coating to the crystal while being less obtrusive than the blue or green shimmer of a traditional antireflective coating. Unfortunately, the coating is less effective than I would have hoped, resulting in a crystal which is still susceptible to distracting glare.

The veritable festival of textures continues as the eye moves further out from the dial to the bezel, a smooth slope which is abruptly met by a finely coined edge. The 42mm stainless steel case is enveloped by teardrop lugs that are accompanied on the crown side by pushers of the same boteh, or paisley-esque, shape. It is a dynamic confluence of smooth, elegant lines that is sharp and modern. While the coined bezel is a frequent design element in many other Parmigiani watches, I feel like it is a bit at odds with the overall design of this watch; contrasting with the sweeping, polished modernity of the lugs and distracting slightly from the textured elegance of the dial. I understand the need for consistency in a collection’s design language, but it ends up feeling a bit like a picture frame trying to compete with the artwork that it is framing.

The movement in the Tondagraph GT is the calibre PF043 - a modular, automatic annual calendar chronograph with 56 jewels and a 45 hour power reserve, which can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback. The movement is sufficiently finished to a level that one might expect, with radial Côtes des Genève and an engraved 22k gold rotor. In a way, this movement is the not-so-secret weapon of the Tondagraph GT. Because it is a modular movement, Parmigiani was able to offer, at a relatively more accessible price point, the annual calendar complication, which is a little bit uncommon in the watch world – it’s just not a complication you see all that often.

With just 400 black dial examples made in steel, 200 on a bracelet and 200 on the rubber strap, the Tondagraph GT is not likely to be a watch that you bump into every day. It is in this rarity that the watch finds perhaps its greatest strength - you really have to be deep into the high end watch world to come across this piece, let alone buy one. If you want to play in the realm of the luxury steel sport watch, you could buy a Royal Oak or an Offshore. If you wanted to engage in an expensive but potentially fruitless endeavor, you could try to track down a Nautilus or an Aquanaut. If the effort required to purchase those increasingly elusive pieces proves tiresome, you might have better luck with Hublot.

But as desirable, or hyped, as any of those watches are, there’s something that is starting to feel a bit ubiquitous about them, isn’t there? If you’ve reached a point in your watch collecting career where the expected watches no longer bring you excitement, then maybe it’s time to look elsewhere. The Tondagraph GT offers just such an opportunity. It isn’t the timepiece for the collector who wants the most recognizable watch. It’s for the collector who wants the off the beaten path choice - something that only those in the know might recognize on their wrist.

Written by Troy Barmore

Photographs by Jack Koto

Edited by Kathleen McGivney