Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca: The latest variant of the ultimate travel time watch?
Zach BlassWatches tend to resonate with people due to their romantic narratives and lifestyle associations. But look, I know most of you will find this shocking, so brace yourself: most of us will never be checking our elapsed mission time on the International Space Station, nor checking our timing bezels 300 metres or more below the surface of the ocean. So, when a watch comes along that has not only a romantic narrative but a relatable and practical use that strikes a true chord, it is a really cool thing. And that watch, for me, is the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante.
Now this overview is personal as, full disclosure, I personally bought and own the original Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante with a blue dial from 2022. At Watches and Wonders 2025, this stainless steel sequel made its debut with a new Verzasca Green dial. Whether the original steel blue dial model I own, the solid gold model with a blue dial that followed, or this new Verzasca Green variant we are taking a closer look at today, there are two key elements that are worth understanding that I want to dig into, but first let’s get into the specifications and how it wears.
The specs and how it wears
The new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca Green, as its name suggests, features a new Verzasca Green dial colour. In renders, it may not seem a far cry away from the original Milano Blue dial, but in person, the Milano Blue dial is darker than you would expect, at times appearing almost black. This new green dial, however, is green in any lighting and has a slightly more casual feel in its hue. It’s such a distinct shade of green I haven’t really seen from any other brand, so it remains refreshing despite green dials being more popular than ever.
It is a 60-metre water-resistant watch with a 40mm stainless steel case that is a rather slender 10.7mm thick. There is an impressive heft to it on the wrist, in part due to the quiet incorporation of precious metal via its thinly fluted platinum 950 bezel. This extra weight creates a strong centre of gravity that, in turn, really helps keep the watch centred on the wrist.
The bracelet has been designed with ergonomics in mind as well, with its wide stance elevating its balance and comfort around the wrist. Its butterfly clasp does not have a micro-adjust system of any kind, but the links have been sized to have a more compact length that you would see on other brands’ half links – effectively a bracelet full of half-link-sized links. In cooler weather, my Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante fits like a glove, but as the weather has warmed up a little bit, I have to say that I at times feel a bit between sizes. Adding one more link does make the watch wear a tad looser than I would like – but, to be clear, I can be very nitpicky about fit, and I suspect the overwhelming majority will have little issue in terms of the bracelet sizing. Though Parmigiani Fleurier, if you are reading this, I would not object to a clasp down the line that introduces on-the-fly adjustment!
Before we dive into the calibre, it is worth saying just how exquisite the external finishing is. The case is largely decorated with a rich satin brush that is complemented by very fine, hairline-thin polished bevels that are quiet in expression. You really see this on the lugs – which you could describe as a modern twist on a cornes de vache style – which look fantastic. The mirror polishing is most visible on the bezel, the case side pusher at 7’ (which I will elaborate more on later) and on the bracelet. I love how, as the bracelet tapers, the polished link pieces thin out as you reach the clasp.
The 48-hour in-house micro-rotor automatic PF051 is also finished to a top-notch standard, with beautiful striping and fine bevelled edges on the bridges. With its micro-rotor architecture, you have a nice, unobstructed view of the components that are alive and making the calibre tick, and the micro-rotor itself is worthy of admiration – executed in rose gold, decorated with hand-guilloche and bevelling as well.
Now that we all understand the spec, let’s get into its distinct and defining functionality and design philosophy.
Firstly, what is a GMT Rattrapante?
Well, this PF’s name is a little misleading in that it is not really a watch with a GMT function. In my opinion, it is something that is actually better: a travel time complication. While you remain in your local time zone, the watch will appear to display only the hours and minutes, whereas a GMT will always have a hand visible to indicate an additional time zone. It is only through the depression of a case-side pusher at the 7’ position, both the most visually pleasing position and the easiest and most comfortable position to engage with it for the wearer, that the complicated nature of the watch reveals itself. With each press, the local hours hand will advance forward one hour, revealing a rose gold hand that was hidden beneath that will remain in sync with your home time zone.
This is where we get into the concept of what a rattrapante is. A rattrapante, or split-seconds chronograph, to keep things simple, is a chronograph that can record multiple time intervals that start at the same time but do not end together. But rattrapante roughly translates to “to catch again” or “to take again”. So, while it is largely seen as a mechanism that has two central chronograph hands that start together, can be stopped independently, revealing a second elapsed seconds hand that was previously hidden, and then reset to “catch up” and come back together, it is not a term that needs to be exclusive to such high-end chronographs – at least since 2022 when the Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante made its debut.
Parmigiani Fleurier cleverly remixed this mechanism, utilising it for the purpose of a travel time functionality instead of a chronograph recording multiple intervals. So, the hours hand and the hidden rose gold hours hand rotate together in the same position until you hit the pusher to jump the local hours hand forward, in turn indicating two different hours despite originally sharing a starting point. The rose gold hand will remain at your home hours, no matter how many times you hit the pusher. Then, when you return home, and the local time would once again be your home time, a colour coordinated rose gold pusher within the crown will reset the display – resetting the white rhodium-plated 18k gold hand to catch up, or return home above the position of the rose gold hand, hiding the rose gold hand beneath it once again.
The incorporation of rose gold is not a mere play for a pop of colour. Rather, its warm hue represents the warmth of home, and this hidden hand and crown pusher share rose gold as a material to indicate how they are both tied to this functionality and representation or return to home. Call it romantic – I call it thoughtful design that showcases practical beauty.
Secondly, what is private luxury?
The second, more philosophical element to understand is the concept of private luxury. Private luxury, in short, and in Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni’s own words as it pertains to his brand’s watches, are timepieces that are for the wearer’s own pleasure and education. Despite more and more buzz surrounding the brand within the watch collecting niche, the objective is a watch that, until looked at up close while on your wrist and understood technically, largely flies under the radar. Not to be peacocked or flexed, but adored strictly by those willing to traverse and take in the rich layers of design intent and discover Parmigiani’s mastery of watchmaking.
For example, the hand-performed barleycorn guilloche is executed in a much finer and smaller pattern that is more understated and only reveals itself under direct light viewed up close. The Parmigiani Fleurier logo, revamped to its PF emblem, refuses to spell out its maker and further clutter the dial’s meticulously chosen colour and intricate texture pattern. In fact, this elliptical seal is borrowed from the seal previously only found engraved on the surface of the brand’s movements, bringing a hidden element to the forefront to create more of a subtle nod to the maker. Why spell it out if it’s just for you, right?
The verdict
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca, or any Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante, is a watch (and brand) that does not seek to brag about itself nor beg for attention. It’s if-you-know-you-know and a signal you are part of a community far more with the fine watchmaking behind the watch than the hype or superficiality generated by its branding. That being said, being constantly surrounded by watch nerds who get it, and are excited to see the watch on my wrist, I would be lying if I said I didn’t take pleasure in the reactions I get from people when they see me wearing mine. But, again, this is strictly within the community.
The majority of time, say when I am waiting for a light to change at the corner of a crowded sidewalk, and I pop the watch out from under my sleeve to look down at the dial and check the time, I know it is all just for me, hidden in plain sight, and think to myself if only those around me knew what I was lucky to have on my wrist.
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca pricing and availability
The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante is available now for purchase. Price: US$31,100
| Brand | Parmigiani Fleurier |
| Model | Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante Verzasca |
| Reference | PFC905-1020002-100182 |
| Case Dimensions | 40mm (D) X 10.7mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel case, platinum bezel |
| Water Resistance | 60 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Verzasca green, grain d’orge guilloché |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, butterfly folding clasp |
| Movement | PF051, in-house, micro-rotor automatic |
| Power Reserve | 48 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, split-hour GMT/ travel time |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$31,100 |