When it comes to its Tonda PF line, Parmigiani Fleurier displays an apparent desire to keep things clean, which we think must have motivated the creation of the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante. As we noted briefly on Luxuo.com, the rattrapante function here relates to how the hand indicating the second time zone behaves, not the presence of a chronograph. We will say at the outset that this may be the ultimate watch for the connoisseur who wants an objectively special watch that is also stealthy. That is a big claim, we know, but we can easily back it up.
First of all, one look at the watch and you can see that there is no flyback chronograph to be found here. It is not hiding in plain sight or anything like that. This is a fuss-free two-time zone watch, with the additional function of being on-demand. Using the pusher at 8 o’clock moves the white gold hour hand forward by one hour, while revealing a second hour hand in red gold. This red gold hand will remain tied to home time while the white gold hand now indicates local time; using the pusher at 3 o’clock gets the white gold hand gliding across the dial to once again take its position over the red gold hand, where both then move forward as normal. In practice, we think this works best when trying to manage times in two countries or time zones for short periods, from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave.
In the press presentation in Geneva, Parmigiani Fleurier called this watch a first for fine watchmaking, and while we can think of one example that works similarly (more on that in our overall story on Watches & Wonders) it does not do the same thing. Splitting hairs here is pointless because the Fleurier manufacture has delivered a unique watch, in its own way. Because the complication here is only active when called upon, it is indeed a stealth option. When in action, it looks for all the world like a regular two-time zone watch, strengthening the stealth credentials. The only thing that gives it away is that provocative pusher at 8 o’clock, which from a design standpoint adds a ferocious amount of asymmetrical wrist-presence. Well, with a dress shirt or jacket, the pusher on this 10.7mm watch will effectively be invisible, but we digress.
As with the regular Tonda PF, the dial is decorated with fine grain d’orge guilloche. The rose gold hand is matched on the case by the rose gold pusher on the crown. That is the pusher that syncs up the hour hands once the need to track two time zones has passed.
Movement: Automatic calibre PF051 with on-demand second time zone, with flyback function; 48-hour power reserve
Case: 40mm in steel with platinum bezel; Water-resistant to 60m
Strap: Steel bracelet
Price: CHF26,000
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