If there is one watch that we have praised in every issue this year, often with no good reason other than the fact that we like it, it must be the Parmigiani Fleurier Toric Petite Seconde. This is the sort of watch that we imagine ourselves wearing one day, when our tastes finally mature. Actually, we shall be so bold as to say it is exactly the kind of watch that all enthusiasts and collectors should want to own. Unlike far too many statement watches trying to give you whiplash, the Toric Petite Seconde invites quiet contemplation. Oh yes, and that is for owners only; onlookers will simply walk on by, none the wiser.

Now, in doing this story we run the risk of writing ourselves into a corner in the coming Festive issue. Longtime readers can guess that there will be a major story on Parmigiani Fleurier soon, and the specific subject has not been decided. By running this piece now, we risk having to go a different route. Think of it as taking a weekend trip to your dream destination, when you have an extended trip to the same spot coming up. But we love this watch too much to pass on any chance to celebrate it. To be fair, Parmigiani Fleurier just released some new materials to support the arrival of the new Toric watches in Singapore so the timing is right. The watch has also just been nominated for the GPHG, alongside notable Parmigiani Fleurier models in six categories. That has to be some kind of record but that is not the subject of this tale.

You may also have noticed that we covered the Toric collection once before, in the Summer issue, so what could we or Parmigiani Fleurier bring to the table. Certainly not a new watch. Instead, the brand doubled down on its sartorial ambitions and horological prowess with a special news pack on the Toric collection. This includes cleverly crafted takes on the Chronographe Rattrapante and Petite Seconde from the editors of The Rake (including Revolution founder and original gentleman influencer Wei Koh), and France’s Monsieur. These commentaries bring additional perspective into the conversation about a collection that needs more contemplation.

In recognition, Parmigiani Fleurier has made much more than just the basic information available from the original release during Watches and Wonders Geneva. CEO Guido Terreni told us then that he thinks most people only tune in to watch the news at special moments, like WWG for example, and perhaps Geneva Watch Days too; the GPHG probably only makes the news feeds of watch afficionados. Well, perhaps he has found a fresh way to get people to take notice but it probably only works when the collection is as well put together as the Toric is. For example, the Toric brings back the lost dial decorative art called “grenage,” which was revived by none other than Michel Parmigiani. Bridge-side, a lot of emphasis has been given over to the importance of handwork and traditional (antique) machining. When a watch collection is as low-key as the Toric, it needs a lot of careful explaining.

Simply saying that “grenage” has been used for the dial is meaningless because no one, or hardly anyone, will know what that means. Briefly, this technique sees tartar cream and sea salt ground together with a glass pestle, with the results joining forces with grains of silver and demineralised water to form a paste. This paste is applied to the base dial with a horn spoon. It is then brushed in all directions (presumably as evenly as possible) with a brush (with fine bristles) to eventually get the grains of silver to stick. This must all be done in semi-darkness because silver is famously photosensitive (meaning it reacts to light). If nothing else, this description evokes more questions so the value of space for explanations is clear.

The dial, along with the gold movement and the artisanal nubuck alligator strap, goes a long way to revealing the qualities of the Toric collection. Unfortunately, we do not have the space to get into details about the movements and straps but our longer treatise will hopefully cover it all. Consider for a moment that we have not even recounted the details of the watches, in terms of specifications. See you in the next installment of this evolving story, where we will dive even deeper into more of the details that define the Toric.

This article first appeared on WOW’s Legacy Issue #75

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