Parmigiani Fleurier Proudly Presents The Tonda Métrographe Abyss Blue

The Tonda Métrographe
In Search of the perfect Abyss Blue

The Métro Collection is the first Parmigiani Fleurier watch whose lines and essence embody the spirit and magic of the world’s great cities, their inhabitants and the frenetic pace that governs their movements. The collection features “Métrographe” watches for men and “Métropolitaine” watches for women.

The master dial-maker at the Parmigiani Fleurier manufacture endeavours to create the brand’s signature Abyss blue. Creating this shade is a real work of art. All the basic conditions are in place: a specialist electroplating bath, with a certain current, at a perfectly controlled temperature. With a steady hand, she dips the support into the tank and artfully moves it as only she knows how. Under the effect of electrolysis, the colour is transformed and – although she has seen it so often before – this spectacular sight never ceases to amaze her. The initial bright orange shade turns into an almost rust-coloured brown; next, purplish tones appear, as deep as the striking colour of aubergines; finally, waves of blue materialise with this blue-violet hue which turns blue…and then a moment later…Abyss blue. Stop. She keeps this colour and deftly removes the support. Two or three seconds more in this bath and the piece would have turned to royal blue then grey. With a smile, she muses how this dance of galvanic colours is a delicate art, as she gazes into the perfect Abyss blue she has created. You have to know how to play with the external parameters and wait for the right moment.

The subtlety of the Métro collection – a slight imbalance which gives it its character – comes from the fact that watch is asymmetrical: it has two different profiles. Its left-hand profile, which is devoid of a crown, is the classic, conventional side, and displays the brand’s iconic teardrop shape. By contrast, its right-hand profile features elongated lugs which extend to the crown, reaching around it to envelop the chronograph push-buttons on the men’s version.

This asymmetry confers on the watch its subtly stylish identity; a touch of modernity that overturns conventions.

DIAL AESTHETICS – CONTRASTING EFFECTS
The aesthetic of the dials in the Métro collection uses the principle of contrasts to highlight a particular aspect of the piece.

On the men’s Tonda Métrographe, it is the chronograph complication which stands out, thanks to the accentuation of its two minute and hour counters. On this new Abyss blue dial version, they are outlined with Superluminova material which highlights them in the daytime and makes them glow at night. The two counters form a slanted figure 8, enhancing a characteristic sign of the Parmigiani Fleurier brand.

The Hour Glass is the exclusive retailer for Parmigiani Fleurier in South East Asia.