The Metrographe is one of the least cluttered tri-compax chronographs out there. Although the slightly overlapped subdials do make for a moderately affected legibility at places, overall they don’t hurt the functionality of neither the chronograph, nor the running seconds at the 3 o’clock position. The men’s line debuted with a cream and a black colored dial, and since then a “mint pale green” version was announced as well. All variations lend a considerably different mood to the watch and offer the same tri-compax layout.
One of the most characteristic aspects of the Metrographe has to be the very noticeable figure of 8, made visible by the distinct outline for its hours and minutes subdials. The cream colored version is the less formal of the two, as its light color and bold, applied Arabic numerals make for a less-serious appearance. On the other hand, the black dial loses the numerals and creates a more elegant and restrained look with the use of more contrasting colors and indexes. The figure eight on the black dials is actually done in SuperLumiNova lume paint.
They sure make for a tough choice: the cream version lacks some otherwise desirable depth to it as the dial pane is devoid of any textures or patterns; albeit that is cleverly compensated with the applied indexes and oval frames for the logo and the chronograph’s subdials. On the other hand, the black piece has a circular grained ring on its periphery and a different frame for the subdials, with the result being a slightly busier, more three-dimensional look. I appreciate the use of hand-applied indexes and other components as they play an important role in creating a more high-quality feel and look to the dials. I will say that the cream colored dial did appear a little plain at first sight, however it soon started to grow on me.
The watch will be available on light brown and black Hermès calf leather straps – to match the two different dial colors – as well as on a bracelet. And while it is no news that Hermès knows its ways around leather straps, the bracelet did turn out to be positively surprising. Although it is visibly not apparent at all, its outer links are made of polished steel while its larger, chunkier center-pieces are cut from titanium, which are then given a satin finish. The result is a bracelet that is overall considerably lighter than its all-steel counterparts and hence provides a much nicer wearing experience.
The movement inside is a new caliber from the manufacture, called the PF315. While in its most subtle details it is marginally less refined than the (much) more expensive pieces of the brand, the PF315 is one of the nicest calibers to be found in this price segment. It contains two series-coupled barrels, which although sounds promising, end up supplying a more conventional 42 hours of power reserve – albeit presumably that is with the chronograph running the whole time, with it off that should be more. The movement runs at a more modern rate of 4 Hertz and contains 351 components, making this in-house designed chronograph movement a rather complex piece of engineering. All watches have a sapphire case back, making for an easy appreciation of the movement.
Given that the chronograph mechanism is installed on the dial-side of the caliber, it is the automatic rotor and the base movement’s bridges and components that can be seen through the sapphire window. All visible components were of very high quality and showed beautiful finishing. I particularly liked how the Geneva-stripes extended from the balance-wheel’s cap – as seen on the image above. While the Tonda Metro means a few steps back price-wise, there is no obvious sign of the brand taking shortcuts to achieve that. The rotor, the bridges, all logos and scripts and other components were nicely detailed. If anything, the only one part that I would point out is the beveling of the bridges’ edges, where there is some very slight and occasional roughness between the angled part and the pane of the bridge. It is extremely minor and the fact that one has to dig so deep into the movement to find something other than perfect just shows how nicely done it generally is – plus I am sure this will get sorted out soon.
In essence, Parmigiani Fleurier’s goal with the Tonda Metro was to create something with an “urban twist” and to look away from the other, more serious models in the brand’s portfolio. And while they are a rather young company in the world of horology – having started their operations in 1996 -, the brand already has some valuable trademark design elements that showed it as a serious, refined and more elegant than extravagant player in the luxury watch market. Easing up such an image can – and does – often result in a design and marketing disaster, but that is definitely not the case here. A lot of things that are to be liked about Parmigiani are still present in the Metro watches – such as the 100% Swiss origin, the comparably high exclusivity and the fact that the entire package is coming from the company whose name is on the dial -, while the somewhat better affordability and accessibility is certainly a most welcome change.
Despite the fact that it is a fresh range of products, the Tonda Metro collection already is a solid offering and one that has the potential to bring new customers to the brand. According to Parmigiani’s communications this new selection is primarily aimed at a younger customer base, and although they strongly emphasized this, I cannot see why it would not appeal to a more mature audience as well. I feel it would take a more educated younger customer to fully appreciate what is on offer here. On the other hand, it could very well serve as a plausible entry-point for those with a more extensive understanding of fine watches and hence brands like Parmigiani, albeit previously could not afford going down this way. For them the Tonda Metro might just be a very tempting option as it packs a solid manufacture movement, some refined and yet nicely variable looks, topped off with the name of a high-end watch brand. Prices for the Metrographe are $12,200 on leather straps and $12,900 on the bracelet. parmigiani.ch
