Parmigiani Fleurier’s Tonda PF Xiali Calendar is the most complete Chinese calendar wristwatch

Moments in Time

A 42mm stainless steel case houses the rich Imperial Red grain d’orge (barley grain pattern) guilloché dial of the Tonda PF Xiali Calendar, which manages to condense all the complex information of the Chinese calendar yet maintain a clean, understated look that the manufacture is known for. Still, it takes some effort to understand how to read the Xiali Calendar for those who are unfamiliar with it.

Starting off with the most basic function of the watch—telling time—the hours, minutes and seconds are read as per normal with the help of three hands and indices that mark out the hours on the dial. Framing these indices is an external subdial, which displays the 24 solar terms that every year is divided into based on the sun’s position.

Each solar term has a Chinese name that relates to the changes of seasons and climates, marking the different important points in the agricultural calendar, which helped to guide farming activities in ancient China. Later, solar terms were adopted into Chinese medicine to better prescribe treatments according to the cycles of nature.

The Tonda PF Xiali Calendar also has four subdials evenly spaced out at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock. At 3 o’clock, the counter indicates the numeric month in Chinese characters. As each month starts with the new moon, the number of days in a month can be 29 or 30, which is accounted for here. The aperture in this subdial also shows whether the current month is the shorter 29-day month, annotated with the Chinese character xiao (translates as “small” in Mandarin), or the longer 30-day month, annotated with da (“big” in Mandarin).

An elegant moonphase made in blue aventurine is located on the subdial at 6 o’clock, which is synchronised with the day number. Moving on to the subdial at 9 o’clock, the counter shows the month number, ranging from 1 to 12. On the occasion of a leap month, which happens when an additional 13th month is added to the calendar every three years to allow the lunar and solar cycles to coincide, it is indicated in the aperture.

Lastly, there are three levels to read within the final subdial of the watch at 12 o’clock. The outermost ring displays the name of the year, according to the 12 Earthly Branches, a Chinese ordering system, often used in combination with the 10 Heavenly Stems, a Chinese system of ordinals, to form a 60-year sexagesimal cycle. Each year’s name corresponds to an animal in the zodiac, located in the second ring of the subdial; one of the five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water located in the innermost ring; as well as yin or yang energy, indicated by the colour—darker for yin and lighter for yang—of the element.

Writing History

It is an impressive amount of information to account for in one watch, but Parmigiani Fleurier has succeeded in doing so thanks to its new Calibre PF008. Any adjustments can be made quickly via the various correctors located on both sides of the case middle. As the Chinese calendar is not cyclical, the complication is mechanically programmed and covers a period of 12 years via a cam system. At the end of these 12 years, the watch must be reset for a new equivalent period. During this period, all information remains accurate without any intervention necessary, as long as the watch does not stop. If the watch is stopped, it can be corrected simply by changing the day and month number with a rapid corrector that facilitates adjustments over long periods.

There are many intricacies that arise from the non-cyclical nature of the Chinese calendar over a 60-year period, which Terreni says posed some unique challenges in producing the Tonda PF Xiali Calendar. “We meticulously broke down this expansive time frame into 12-year cycles. Concerning the technical challenges, there were basically two: the first was to manage the display of such complex information neatly and in a readable and balanced way; the second, was to master the thickness of such a complicated movement, in order to provide a comfortable wearability to the owner. The creation of such a piece goes beyond technical mastery; it is a commitment to placing ourselves in service to another culture.”

He adds: “The Tonda PF Xiali Calendar is designed for the discerning individual who appreciates both horological mastery and cultural significance, but also for those with a keen eye for craftsmanship, a taste for uniqueness, and an appreciation for the rich narrative that the watch captures.”

For those who prefer a Gregorian calendar watch, Parmigiani Fleurier also offers some annual calendars in its current collection, such as the limited-edition Tonda PF Annual Calendar SHH Edition and the Tonda PF Annual Calendar in rose gold with a brown alligator strap. The Tonda PF Annual Calendar SHH Edition was created in collaboration with luxury watch retailer Sincere Fine Watches and features a guilloché dial in Pacific Blue housed in a sleek 42mm stainless steel case and paired with a matching stainless steel bracelet. The watch runs on the calibre PF339, which includes a retrograde date, day and month indicator, as well as a moonphase that is accurate for 122 years in both hemispheres.

This same movement also featured in the dressier Tonda PF Annual Calendar in a 42mm rose gold case with a dark grey grain d’orge guilloché dial and brown alligator strap. Both annual calendar watches exude Parmigiani Fleurier’s signature clean and refined aesthetic with simple design codes and uncluttered, highly legible dials.

“Parmigiani is continually inspired by the challenge of pushing the boundaries of watchmaking further, and calendar complications are part of it,” says Terreni. “Our inspiration stems from a profound respect and admiration for tradition coupled with an unwavering desire to innovate. The amalgamation of these elements drives us to create timepieces that not only tell time but also tell a story.”

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