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Hands-on with the Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde
During my stay in Florence, I had the opportunity to see and try on for the first time the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde 2024 watch, both in platinum and rose gold.
Here's the platinum variant with Grey Celadon dial and sand-coloured strap (ref. PFC940-2010004-300181-EN):
The watch is very refined, but feels a bit cold for my taste.
The strap is probably 20-18 mm and I would personally like it to taper a little more, especially as I'm not fond of the buckle, which feels less refined and understated than the rest of the watch.
On my 16 cm wrist, the 40.6 x 8.8 mm case sits very well and feels good.
The rose gold variant with Sand Gold dial (ref. PFC940-2010001-300181-EN), feels warmer and I ended up liking it better overall.
Under bright artificial lighting, the strap looks almost grey-blue, but on Parmigiani's website and other photos online, it looks more green than blue.
And I still wasn't fond of the buckle, unfortunately.
On my wrist, I found that the appearance was softer and more in harmony with my skin tone than the platinum version.
I wasn't allowed to take photos of the hand-wound movement, calibre PF780, but here are two from Worn & Wound.
As far as winding is concerned, the haptic experience is very smooth and enjoyable, but I would personally like it to be a little more "clicky". Being able to see clearly the ratchet wheels and the escapement in action is a true pleasure.
All in all, I have found these watches very well done and very refined, and I really love that they are hand-wound and not automatic, but I personally miss the double knurled bezel and guilloché dial of the original Toric references, like with the Toric Memory Time below, shot by Hodinkee:
Unfortunately, the original Toric references are automatic and not hand-wound, which I like less, despite the beautiful guilloché rotor, because I love the winding ritual.
My ideal Toric would therefore be an original one with a manual winding movement.
In conclusion, I would say that the new design of the Toric line, conceived under the direction of Guido Terreni, is an excellent example of contemporary understated refinement, and a beautiful tribute to traditional watchmaking. However, I prefer the old design because, being less radically minimalist, it seems more vibrant and resonates with me more.
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
Hands-on with the Parmigiani Toric Petite Seconde
During my stay in Florence, I had the opportunity to see and try on for the first time the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde 2024 watch, both in platinum and rose gold . Here's the platinum variant with Grey Celadon dial and sand-coloured strap (re...
I really love both old and new....
Having never seen the old variants in person, and having owned a 1950 Tonda, I think I prefer the newer versions, but I would love to see the older ones as well! Thank you so much for the high quality pictures. Cheers, Filip
My pleasure, Filip!
As always, it’s a matter of personal taste and the newer versions definitely have a lot to offer. Best, Emmanuel
FWIW I prefer the look of the platinum on you
I like the new line but find the pricing a little aspirational for a hand wound three hander. While I understand the possibility of excessive minimalism, haha, the single knurled bezel attracts me over the double. Pretty wild that no movement pictures wer...
In the Geneva Patek Philippe Salon,
I wasn’t allowed to take any photos of the 5178G-012 I was presented, not even the watch face! As for the preference between old and new versions of the Toric, it’s a matter of personal taste of course and the new versions definitely have a lot for themse...
I agree, Larry!
These are very nice watches indeed. Preferences are only a matter of personal taste of course. Best, Emmanuel
Thank you, orahu.
Yes, in my opinion, the buckle is somewhat contradictory to the very refined and minimalist aesthetic of the watch. And I personally tend to prefer 16 or even 14 mm buckles to 18 mm ones. Reason why I bought a 16 mm buckle for my Cornes de Vache, as an al...
Outstanding insights, my Friend
Having seen M4's older pieces up close, I also prefer the original models. But I also agree with your sentiments on manual winding. That is a big plus for the new collection.
Thank you so much, Michael!
I’m glad we feel the same way about these Torics! The new collection is very appealing, no doubt about that, but emotion is greater for me with the old collection. Best, Emmanuel
Seems a bit pricey...
...and that movement doesn't appeal to me for some reason. Probably the tiny balance wheel...
Pricey and small balance wheel indeed.
I would also prefer the more traditional Côtes de Genève decoration of the bridges. Best, Emmanuel
What a horological study voyage to Firenze😉👍 Thanks. Your
insight reports are just fantastic. The buckle simply is too loud compared with the front and the movement.
Thank you so much!
I completely agree with concerning the buckle: "too loud" is exactly what I felt. I did two other horological visits about which I will post (VC and IWC): my wife was kind enough to let me take the necessary time for these visits... Best, Emmanuel
The dimensions are spot on 👌🏻👍🏻
Especially the reasonably thin profile. Both look good on you but we are more used to you with colored materials on your wrist 😁 Are the straps still Hermes like in the old PF days?
I don't think they are made by Hermès, but they look very similar on the reverse side.
The upper side is alligator with a nubuck finish. You are right: I used to wear colored gold more often than white metals! But, as far as this platinum Toric is concerned, I was able to compare the feeling directly with my 5098P and the lack of any lively...
I was told the nubuck straps are made by a small shop in Italy.
Although Hermes is part owner of Parmigiani it no longer is the strap supplier.
I agree.
The platinum VC Traditionnelle 82172 is far less expensive (and Richemont prices aren't particularly reasonable)...
Terrific post Emmanuel.
I’m in the middle of a drive and will give my thoughts later today. Thanks for sharing your photos and comments.
Thanks again Emmanuel for your wonderful post.
Your observations and the comments of community members here are interesting, even illuminating. I plan to share this post with my contact at PF - North America. As an additional comment, I'm mystified by the refusal to allow you to photograph the movemen...
Thank you so much.
Concerning the movement design or architecture, I share your feelings: it isn’t mind-blowing. And I would add that I personally prefer the traditional finishing with Côtes de Genève. But the very clean and clear presentation of the balance and escapement ...