March 28, 2024
parmigiani-fleurier-tonda-1950-set-galaxy

Personally, I wasn’t a massive fan of the glossy leather contained in the initial run and feel that the golden brushed center links with polished borders on the bracelet fit the watch better. The bead studded polished case steps in at 39mm with a slim 8.4mm thickness, conveys a .65 carat weight, and includes a sapphire caseback (we will post pictures as they become available) — displaying the Côtes de Genève decorated PF702 in-house motion. Of the two watches, I feel that the best addition to the Parmigiani Senfine portfolio would be your Tonda Métropolitaine Selene. The Métropolitaine line is grand, filled largely with guilloche heavy or mother-of-pearl dials and Parmigiani Fleurier has done a fantastic job of advertising them towards women. That is the reason why I was amazed when looking back and realizing there wasn’t a “Galaxy” dial included before today. As soon as the Tonda 1950 Galaxy set was published, a consistent criticism was that it looked feminine.The polished stainless steel case measures in 33.1mm with an 8.6mm thickness — large enough to love the dial, but small enough to maintain maximum classiness. The bezel features 72 diamonds making a total carat weight of .496 (tripping many OCD trends). Additionally, and like its big brother, the watch includes a sapphire caseback showcasing the Côtes de Genève decorated PF310 motion.

Parmigiani Fleurier is lucky enough to have some truly inspired master dial-makers working in its Manufacture, who offer dials with always more intense and deep colors. Once again, they have worked their magic on the Tonda 1950 Galaxy, imbuing its dial with a colour that seems to have been cut straight from the night sky. It needed a material created by a chance encounter to bring it to life: aventurine glass. In 18th-century Murano, a glass blower made a fortuitous discovery when he dropped a sliver of copper into melted glass. He christened this new material “aventurine” (per aventura meaning by chance in Italian).

Crushed then recomposed, aventurine glass contains copper inclusions which give it an unmistakable sparkle, like infinite particles of gold. The gaze is drawn to this starlit sky, showcased by the bezel and case set with diamonds, forming a halo of light around it. On the crown, a milky white opal, like a precious miniature nebula, provides the finishing touch.

The Tonda 1950 Galaxy is driven by the PF702 proprietary movement, decorated with Côtes de Genève and bevelled bridges. This self-winding mechanical movement can be admired through the watch’s sapphire case-back. The case and the appliques are made from rose gold. This special edition comes with a black Hermès alligator strap.

parmigiani-fleurier-tonda-1950-set-galaxy