Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue
Sometimes, a new dial color is all it takes to give an existing watch an entirely different personality. That, and use of the world’s most precious metal, platinum, breathe fresh air into an already beloved timepiece: the Toric Petite Seconde. Now, the Toric Petite Seconds is crafted in platinum with an alluring morning blue dial. The soft blue hue emulates the blue sky and offers a contemporary appeal – especially with the graining on the dial.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue combines a 950 platinum case with an 18-karat white gold dial that has been meticulously hand-grained to create an unusual texture. The result is a subtle blue that seems to change hues depending on how the light catches it.
THe Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue retails for $68,200.
Paired with an Akoya Grey alligator strap, the watch has a quiet sophistication that is very much in keeping with Parmigiani Fleurier’s design philosophy. Of course, there is much more to the Toric than its dial color.
The Toric collection has a special place in the history of Parmigiani Fleurier. I remember the year 1996 vividly because the introduced its very first collection created by Michel Parmigiani: Toric. Its distinctive knurled bezel, inspired by classical architecture, became an identifying feature of the line. When the collection was reinterpreted for modern tastes, the brand retained that recognizable design element while refining the proportions and overall aesthetic.
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue with platinum case and 18-karat white gold bracelet.
One of the most interesting aspects of the new Morning Blue version is the dial itself. Rather than simply applying color to a conventional surface, Parmigiani Fleurier employs an ancient technique known as grenage, which Michel Parmigiani encountered during his years restoring historic timepieces.
The process sounds somewhat like a food recipe and involves a mixture of cream of tartar, finely ground sea salt, silver and demineralized water. The substance is then worked by hand across the gold dial using specialized brushes. Because silver is sensitive to light, the artisan works in semi-darkness, gradually creating a fine-grained surface. The technique requires considerable patience and skill, and no two dials are exactly alike.
In the new Morning Blue version, the texture adds depth to the color, diffusing light rather than reflecting it directly. It is a particularly attractive effect that gives an otherwise minimalist dial a great deal of character. Slender alpha-shaped hands, applied hour markers, a small seconds subdial at 6:00 and the discreet PF emblem at 12:00 offer additional allure. The slightly curved, stepped outer edge of the dial adds another dimension without interrupting the overall simplicity.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue watch is powered by a hand-wound in-house caliber.
Measuring 40.6mm in diameter and just 8.8mm thick, the polished platinum case retains the signature knurled bezel. Inside is the manually wound manufacture Caliber PF780, a movement that is arguably as beautiful as the watch itself. Constructed with 18-karat rose gold bridges and two visible barrels, the movement offers a 60-hour power reserve and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour.
Visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the caliber features Côtes de Fleurier decoration executed using an antique cam-operated guilloché machine, along with hand-beveled steel bridges. The contrast between the warm rose gold and the cooler steel components makes for an especially attractive mechanical display.
Completing the watch is a hand-stitched Akoya Grey nubuck alligator strap with a platinum pin buckle. Even the strap reflects the attention to craftsmanship, requiring approximately two days of work and some 20 manual operations. The watch retails for $68,200.
Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde Platinum Morning Blue
