Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda GT Tondagraph GT Owner Review : Exclusive, completed and sporty

Parmigiani Fleurier Tondagraphe GT: A sporty QA chronograph at a bargain price! Today, I'd like to review my Parmigiani Fleurier Tondagraphe GT. Having recently acquired a Tonda GT Grande Date, I loved it so much, and the Tondagraphe GT review was so conclusive... that I decided to buy it as a complement. Because I have this particular way of working... When I really like a watch, I try to have several from the same brand, or even different versions of the same model, with complications, for example. This allows me to always have at least one available when the other is out of action. As a great friend of the Fleurier brand, when the craze for sporty chic watches was reaching its peak shortly before the Covid period, I wondered why Parmigiani didn't offer anything in this area and remained confined to its dress watch ranges. But a cleverly orchestrated teaser, shortly before the start of the pandemic, suggested that something was in the pipeline. With this name starting to leak: Tonda GT (between the former partnership with Bugatti and the name of this collection, automotive inspiration is definitely never far away with Parmigiani). And indeed, the beauty was unveiled during 2020, with a version with a large date and small seconds, and another with an annual calendar chronograph, which is what interests us today. The Tondagraphe GT is a superb watch that earns me many compliments when I take it out, especially this launch edition with a dark dial, produced in a run of 200 pieces. I often say that, given equivalent complications, it outperforms a Patek 5905 1A, for several reasons. I understand that the Patek has a fully in-house and integrated movement, while Parmigiani adds modules to its Vaucher base, reworked for the brand. But that's the Patek's only advantage. The Tondagraphe GT is thinner (13.8mm compared to 14.13mm for the Patek). Its thickness is better distributed and the 42mm of the case is easily wearable, especially since the piece is curved thanks to the "Goutte d'Eau" lugs, signature of the Fleurier house. Where the Patek is much thicker. Its case is water-resistant to 100m compared to 30 for the Patek. Its crown is screwed down. The complication is fully adjusted by the crown and is very simple to adjust, whereas you have to use these pushers on either side of the case with the appropriate stylus and an adjustment sequence to respect for the Patek. The Parmigiani can be worn on rubber as well as on a bracelet, and the latter is very well worked, so much so that it served as inspiration to create that of the PF which succeeded it by improving it. The Patek, meanwhile, comes with the same strap as the Aquanaut (which isn't the most aesthetically pleasing), and any other strap alternatives will have to be aftermarket. A big plus: the Patek retails for €64,000… while the Parmigiani costs between €12,000 and €15,000, a dream deal considering its features! The dial, meanwhile, plays well with the light and produces beautiful reflections ranging from jet black to anthracite gray. The bottom of the indexes is beautifully faceted, which again captures the light superbly and gives a high-quality impression. This dial is adorned in its center with a guilloché pattern that the brand calls "Triangular Nails" and a triple circle surrounding the track. Beautiful alternating patterns! The large date and the annual calendar window are orange, which adds dynamism and an additional sporty touch to the whole. Setting the QA couldn't be simpler. Pass midnight by turning the hands. Then get into position to change the large date and pass the dates by turning the crown, which will also change the month after every 30 or 31. That's all. This can be a bit long if, as in my case, the piece comes out alternately with a certain number of watches and does not turn regularly. But the adjustment is very simple and does not require any special precautions. You just have to be careful when reclipping the crown because the date can unfortunately have a tendency to have a little jump and pass, requiring you to start the maneuver again (this minor defect is also present on my three-hand Large Date). The Tondagraphe was produced in different colors, each time in small series. My launch version with a dark dial, of course, but also versions with a white dial and panda, grape or anthracite gray sub-dials. A rare and beautiful version with a blue dial and white sub-dials was launched for Japan, where I believe Parmigiani has strong markets. I would have bought it, but I've never seen one in our region. Japan is far away, and there would be potential taxes if I wanted to import one from the Land of the Rising Sun. Finally, there's a version made of precious metals without an annual calendar, with the movement found today on the chronographs in the Tonda PF and Tonda PF Sport ranges. Although I have the strap, I wear my watch on rubber, which gives it supreme comfort. This rubber is supple, but still feels quite sturdy. The upper part of this strap echoes the triangular stud pattern of the dial, offering a nice stylistic continuity, the dial seeming to blend into the rubber, a bit like an Aquanaut (the Tonda GT having been, in a way, the Parmigiani Aquanaut for me). The end-link is well integrated, there's no play. The piece comes on a comfortable butterfly buckle adorned with a sober "Parmigiani Fleurier." The chronograph pushers are quite smooth and responsive. They are also aesthetically pleasing because they echo the shape of the "Water Drop" lugs. As is often the case with PF watches, the devil is in the details, which makes these pieces often very pleasant to observe and decipher. The movement is beautifully decorated. A 22K gold rotor (but not guilloché, unlike the one on my Kalpa Grande) and the classic yet effective finishes so dear to a high-end Swiss brand: Côtes de Genève, circular graining, snailing, etc. As mentioned above, the 42mm case is curved thanks to the "Water Drop" lugs, allowing even average wrists to wear the watch. The knurling of the bezel is very fine, with a large number of incisions. Unlike the early Toric and Ionica models, however, I highly doubt it is handmade. To conclude, the Tondagraphe represents for me a dream offer at the price where it is found for a sports chronograph offering such performance/complications! I nevertheless find it a shame that Parmigiani discontinued the Tonda GT range to replace it with the Tonda PF Sport range. I found that the GT brought diversity in terms of dial design compared to the initial Tonda PF range, while being a little more affordable. Thus, in my opinion, the Tonda GT/Tonda PF duo could have been a choice response to Patek's Nautilus/Aquanaut duo. The PF would have thus responded to the Nautilus, with its more polished finish and its platinum bezel, while the GT would have responded more to the Aquanaut. Keeping the GT would also have been a fantastic entry-level sports watch in the world of the Fleurisanne brand. Finally, I find it sad that, despite all the qualities of the three-hand Grande Date and the annual calendar chronograph, the GTs now evolve in the shadow of the sport chic Tonda PF and Tonda PF Sport collections, being even a little forgotten and finding themselves much less frequently on the wrists of collectors. But at least, this leaves me with a very beautiful exclusive and something underestimated but simply incredible to discover or rediscover, showing that it is possible to have a BIG, very exclusive sport chic pleasure at a second-hand price much lower than that of the queens of the category!