As the final day of the Year of the Wood Snake comes to an end and the Year of the Fire Horse begins on February 17th, there is no more fitting moment to revisit one of the most culturally ambitious complications in contemporary watchmaking.
When Parmigiani Fleurier first introduced the Tonda PF Xiali Chinese Calendar in stainless steel with a platinum bezel, it established something genuinely rare that only brands like Blancpain with the Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar or Vacheron Constantin with the Traditionnelle Chinese Calendar had done before—a Swiss watch manufacture creating a Chinese lunisolar calendar in a fully mechanical perpetual system.
The rose gold execution, reference PFH982-2022501-200182, elevates that proposition into the realm of haute horlogerie, and having spent time with the watch, we can confirm it delivers on the promise.
Things to Know About the Watch
The 42 mm case in 18K rose gold, at 12.2 mm thick, carries the unmistakable warmth of a precious metal deliberately chosen for its cultural resonance. Rose gold has deep associations with prosperity and celebration in Chinese tradition, and paired with the imperial red dial, the effect is unambiguously regal without veering into ostentation. Parmigiani Fleurier walks this line with confidence.
The dial itself deserves close examination. The Grain d'Orge—barley grain motif—is executed in hand-guilloché, a technique that catches light differently at every angle and lends the imperial red surface a living quality that photographs simply cannot capture. The 18K rose gold skeleton delta-shaped hands provide excellent legibility against this rich backdrop, while a blue aventurine moonphase indicator introduces a visually striking cool counterpoint at 6 o’clock. The Xiali system distinguishes this watch from any other calendar complication on the market.
The Chinese calendar—originating over 5,000 years ago—organizes time through 24 solar terms, 12 zodiac animals, and five natural elements, each with Yin and Yang variations. The dial integrates all these indications mechanically, requiring only three correctors positioned discreetly on the case band.
Each solar term, or jieqi, derives from the sun's position in the Chinese zodiac, capturing seasonal shifts that have governed agriculture, medicine, and philosophy for millennia. It is, in effect, a perpetual calendar—but one built upon an entirely different civilizational understanding of time. Case finishing alternates between satin-brushed and polished surfaces throughout, and the watch is water resistant to 100 meters.
The Movement
The watch is powered by the in-house Parmigiani Fleurier calibre PF008, comprising 353 parts and 42 jewels, reflecting the mechanical complexity required to drive both Western and Chinese calendar indications simultaneously. This automatic movement delivers a 54-hour power reserve when fully wound, a reasonable figure given the energy demands of the complication.
The movement decoration is thoroughly executed with Côtes de Genève on the mainplate, bevelled bridges throughout, and a 22K rose gold oscillating weight that is skeletonized, polished, and sandblasted. Viewed through the display case back, the finishing is consistent and assured—exactly what one expects from a Fleurier-based manufacture at this price point.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Tonda PF Xiali Chinese Calendar Rose Gold wears with the substantial but refined presence that has defined the Tonda PF collection since its 2021 debut. At 12.2 mm thick, this is not a slim dress watch— the calendar module adds necessary height—but the integrated bracelet design and case proportions manage the thickness well, so the watch can be easily tucked under a shirt cuff.
What lingers after wearing this watch is the realization that Parmigiani Fleurier has created something without a direct competitor. Blancpain's Villeret Traditional Chinese Calendar and Vacheron Constantin's Traditionnelle Chinese calendar offer alternatives, but neither packages the complication within a modern integrated-bracelet sports-luxury design.
For collectors who observe the Chinese calendar or simply appreciate horological engineering that reaches beyond the Western canon, this watch stands alone in its category. Gōngxǐ fācái—gong-shee fah-tsai—, which means "Wishing you happiness and prosperity."
Sticker Price USD 104,300. For more info on Parmigiani Fleurier, click here.
