Parmigiani Fleurier is one of those small Swiss watchmakers that’s easy to forget until they launch a new jaw-dropping watch. Then you realize why they’re so beloved by watch enthusiasts “in the know.” The brand makes some incredible in-house movements and goes the extra mile in terms of finishing both inside and out. Its latest watch, a gorgeous rose gold travel watch, is just an example of some of its fine work.
The new (deep breath) Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Hémisphères Rétrograde is based on the brand’s recently redesigned Toric but receives a new dual-time movement. Where it differs from most other dual time and GMT movements is that instead of tracking just the second time zone’s hours, it can do minutes as well. It seems like overkill but given that there are a handful of time zones offset by 15 or 30 minutes so it does seem to make some practical sense. Further, the date is indicated by a retrograde scale, so the hand will regress back to the beginning at the start of the month, rather than completing a full circle.
And this is to say nothing of the little details that make this new Toric such a looker. The off-white dial has some suble drained texturing, while the hands are plated in gold. The rotor for the automatic movement is made from 22 carat rose gold, and the whole thing comes affixed to a Hérmes leather strap. Unsurprisingly, it’s not cheap, with a $29,500 price tag. But it’s undoubtedly going to be a grail watch for some enthusiasts.
