It’s no secret that I really like Parmigiani Fleurier. The brand’s watches are an incredible expression of an ethos of modern watchmaking that many brands seem to aspire to but which few manage to achieve. The last few years have seen Parmigiani Fleurier really hone in on the core of their collection, stripping away many of the extraneous models in their catalog, and focusing instead on producing solid, consistent, and identifiably ‘Parmigiani’ watches. Of those, possibly my favorite has been the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, a unique take on the idea of a travel watch, and one that immediately caught enthusiast’s attention when it was introduced three years ago.
Now, Parmigiani Fleurier is introducing the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca, the first new take on the GMT Rattrapante since its introduction in 2022, and an excellent one at that. The headline here is that Parmigiani has swapped the blue dial of the original steel release for a wonderful green hue they’re calling Verzasca. The blue-green color is inspired by the water found in Val Verzasca, but while the reference may be specific, the color will be familiar to anyone who has spent time near any number of bodies of water. To me, it reminds me of the deep water off the coast of Maine. Regardless of your point of reference, one thing that’s certain is that the color works.
Like the earlier releases in this line, the stainless steel case of the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca measures a very reasonable 40mm across and 10.7mm thick. It retains the platinum knurled bezel of the earlier release, as well as the rose gold pusher and GMT hand. Inside the watch is the micro-rotor PF051 movement. The GMT hand is actuated by a pusher at 8 o’clock, and reset by the pusher on the watch’s crown. It’s an intuitive and fun way to implement a second time zone, and this new colorway keeps the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante squarely in the mix as one of my favorite travel watches of the last few years, even if it’s slightly beyond my own budget.
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is available now. Parmigiani Fleurier
