Introducing The Parmigiani Tonda 1950 Double Rainbow Flying Tourbillon

Technically challenging and aesthetically daring, Parmigiani has ever since it was founded in 1996, shown a passion for combining both. This is especially true for the new Tonda 1950 Double Rainbow Flying Tourbillon. The watch is powered by caliber PF517, a movement that not only impresses with its complications but also with its finish. It has a height of  3.4mm, which is very thin, considering that it is not only equipped with a flying tourbillon but also features automatic winding. Creating such a movement in-house is something that Parmigiani could only achieve because it is a fully vertically integrated manufacture.

Each of the 207 parts of the movement is hand-assembled, and hand-finished as well. This includes the parts that are not visible when the caliber is assembled, which stands for the exceptional quality that Parmigiani is keen to deliver. The bridges feature circular Côtes de Genève and beveled edges. We are also very taken by platinum micro-oscillating weight in stunning “Grain d’Orge” guilloché, which rotates above the engine-turned decorations of the main plate.

The Tonda 1950 has grown to become one of the pillars of the Parmigiani collection, and for a good reason. The round case gets a lot of character from the way that the lugs are shaped. For this particular version did Parmigiani set the bezel with gemstones in all the colors of the rainbow, and repeats this feat also on the dial. Baguette-cut rubies, amethyst, tsavorite, and sapphires in many different hues and of the highest quality give this watch its double rainbow. Parmigiani doesn’t stop there but takes it to the next level by setting the center of the dial with a piece of blue aventurine. This makes it as if you are staring through a rainbow into the depths of space. The rest of the dial is covered by 572 diamonds, which are placed in a snow-setting. They serve multiple aesthetic purposes. First, they bring even more variety on the dial, while highlighting at the same time the flying tourbillon. Next to that offer the brilliant-cut diamonds, through scintillation, also a rainbow of colors themselves, complementing that of the colored gemstones.

Parmigiani is offering the Tonda 1950 Double Rainbow Flying Tourbillon on either a leather strap or with a rose gold bracelet. Which one you prefer is a matter of taste. The version with the leather strap, made by Hermès, offers a dash more color, where the bracelet puts more emphasis on the dial and the bezel itself. Yet whichever one you get, one thing is for sure, heads will turn when you are wearing it.