With the Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux, Parmigiani Fleurier introduces a new chronograph architecture that redefines both the display and operation of one of watchmaking’s most codified complications.
Conceived without traditional sub-dials, it offers a full-dial reading while keeping the chronograph function entirely concealed when not in use.
At rest, the watch retains the visual purity of a three-hand Tonda PF, with no indication of the complication beneath.
This development is based on an unprecedented structure bringing together a triple clutch construction, comprising one vertical clutch and two horizontal clutches, and five coaxial hands at the centre of the dial.
When activated, three hands deploy to measure hours, minutes and seconds, while two others ensure the continuity of civil time. The result is an innovative display configuration in watchmaking, developed over several years.
Since 2022, the Maison has explored complications revealed on demand, notably with the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante and the Tonda PF Minute Rattrapante.
In this new model, the concept is extended to the chronograph, integrating the function without altering the equilibrium of the dial and allowing it to appear only when required.
The entire sequence is controlled by a mono-pusher integrated into the caseband at 7:30.
A first press triggers an instantaneous flyback of the three rhodium-plated chronograph hands, which align at 12 o’clock before starting immediately in perfect synchronisation.
At the same time, the rose gold hour and minute hands dedicated to civil time appear, allowing both indications to coexist seamlessly. Measurement unfolds across the full dial, free from conventional counters.
A second press stops the chronograph, enabling a direct reading of elapsed time, while a third press realigns the chronograph hands precisely with the current time, restoring the original three-hand display.
In this configuration, a single central seconds hand alternates between civil and chronograph functions.
Such a system required a dedicated movement. The automatic manufacture calibre PF053 was developed specifically for this timepiece around the principle of complete disappearance of the chronograph indications at rest.
Built as an integrated column-wheel chronograph, it comprises 362 components and 41 jewels, operates at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), and delivers a power reserve of 60 hours.
Measuring 32.4 mm in diameter, it incorporates a complex triple clutch architecture combining one vertical and two horizontal clutches, enabling the superimposition and transformation of hand functions with precise and instantaneous transitions.
Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement is finished according to the Maison’s standards, with satin-finished openworked bridges, bevelled edges and a skeletonised 22-carat rose gold oscillating weight featuring alternating polished and sandblasted surfaces.
The watch is housed in a stainless steel case with alternating polished and satin-brushed finishes, measuring 40 mm in diameter and 13 mm in thickness, and is water-resistant to 100 metres.
The knurled bezel in platinum 950, a defining element of the Tonda PF collection, frames a Mineral Blue dial decorated with hand-crafted Grain d’Orge guilloché, whose texture subtly modulates light.
Applied rhodium-plated gold indices and skeletonised delta-shaped hands in 18-carat rose gold reinforce the refined aesthetic, while the integrated stainless steel bracelet ensures continuity with the case design and is secured by a folding clasp.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Chronographe Mystérieux ref. PFC908-1020001-100182 is priced at CHF 36,900, offering a technically sophisticated reinterpretation of the chronograph centred on clarity, discretion and mechanical ingenuity. parmigiani.com
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