Some sportive events belong to our common memories and culture because they go much further than the pure dimension of the performance. And obviously, the famous boat race between Oxford and Cambridge universities belongs to this category. Even if you don't know anything about rowing (and I'm in this case), you know that the race has taken place each year since the XIXth century and that it has a very special place in the hearts of English people. Thanks to Parmigiani, I was invited to spend one day in London to attend the departure of the different races (Women, Men) in a lovely mansion (Winchester House) by the Putney bridge. You may be surprised by this kind of invitation since the link between a watch company and rowing is not that clear. But you need to understand that Parmigiani Fleurier has just become this year the official timing sponsor of the races.
The interest for Parmigiani is of course to increase its visibility on the UK market. It is also a way to promote the Tonda Metrographe pieces which are more specifically associated with the races. But it is also a way to remind something which is very important and common to the watchmaking and rowing disciplines: they need precision in the execution and team spirit. In football, if a player doesn't play at his level, maybe this lack of involvement can be compensated by an over-activity of his teammates. In a rowing race, the team is on the same boat and if one of the team member is weaker, if he doesn't row with the same rhythm than the others, the race is lost. It is the same story in watchmaking. When a movement is assembled, when a watch is built, if a link of the chain is weak, the watch can't work efficiently.
I took the Eurostar on Sunday morning to reach Winchester House at the beginning of the afternoon, just a few hours before the start of the women race. The first men race took place in 1829. Almost two centuries after this first race, I have the feeling that the atmosphere remains the same. The people around the Thames. The supporters of both universities. The cheers. The drinks.
I propose you to browse my pictorial report to discover this so british atmosphere! Thanks to the Parmigiani France team, I could wear during several days and during the event the Tonda Metrographe with the Abyss blue dial (which can be considered as the closest to the Oxford colors) while the other piece (Pale Mint Green dial) reminds the Cambridge one. I didn't have a favorite in my heart since I am not a former student of one of these universities. The watch on my wrist made me think about Oxford and my mind was maybe supporting a bit the underdogs, Cambridge since they lost the last previous races. So, which university would win this race?
The Putney Bridge seems so quiet for the moment and the sky is threatening. The races took place on a very rough Thames, far from the calm image we may have. I understood thanks to explanations brought by a rowing specialist before the start of the races that there is a special location on the river to take advantage of the best and fastest stream. It is the reason why the boats are so close despite the significant width of the river.
The entrance of Winchester House. And it was just the beginning of the surprise for me because I had the pleasure to meet two honourable PuristSPro members inside: my moderation team colleague Andrew with his family and our friend Mo himself!
Everything was ready to enjoy the day!
The Abyss Blue Tonda Metrographe on the wrist:
Rowing fans and supporters of the universities were progressively joining the departure of the race:
The garden of Winchester House offers a beautiful view on the river Thames:
The weather was actually a bit cold. I don't have the same ability than English people to support cold temperatures. So the heat of the fireplace by the bar of Winchester House was very welcome!
I don't need to tell you in which country this picture was taken! Every detail looks so English!
I made a quick exchange with a friend to wear during a few minutes the elegant Tonda 1950:
A stay in England can't be serious without a Pimm's!
It is like a symbol: the sun was back and the races were about to start!
The two boats were fighting hard from the very first meters of the race:
Faster than arrows, they quickly disappeared from my field of view...
... what obliged me to follow the end of the race on the TV screen!
And it was a clear win for Cambridge for the Men's race. Congrats to them for this impressive show of force and of consistency and harmony between the teammates.
The races were over and the river Thames found again its tranquillity.
One of the latest shots by the river:
Later in the afternoon, I reached my hotel by Grosvenor Square and the statue of F.D. Roosevelt:
The traditional wristshot in front of the typical London bus!
And the day after in the morning, I took the Eurostar at St Pancras back to Paris with a lot of lovely images in my mind!
I would like to come back on the Tonda Metrographe since it is a very interesting piece from my perspective.
First of all, I find it consistent with the spirit of the race. Actually, when I wore it, I could appreciate its casual and comfortable style while keeping some elegant details. It is at the end like an English rowing performer who knows to stay elegant even in the most active situations!
The Abyss Blue dial is my fav version. I tend to find the Pale Mint Green color too light.
As you can see by observing the dial, the chronograph displays are highlighted thanks to a specific color what creates an unbalance on the dial. This unbalance is the main reason of the touch of energy and originality of the watch. The dial finishes are flawless and I like the different types of decoration types of the dial parts. They create some lovely shades on the dial. On the downside, the glass catches all the reflections around what decreases a bit the legibility of the piece. It is also the reason why the Tonda Metrographe is a complex watch to shoot.
But, having said that, it embodies a very appealing and dynamic style thanks to the case design. The pushers are perfectly integrated on the side and the long (and curved) lugs bring their character.
I'm usually not a fan of large date displays because they tend to make the date legibility a bit more tricky. It is fine here due to light color but you obviously notice that its location removes a full segment of the hours counter what is a pity. Anyway, I'm not sure that we use the chronograph to measure something which lasts more than 4 hours.
The watch is powered by the two barrel caliber PF315 which features a power reserve of 42 hours and a frequency of 4hz. The two barrels role is to increase the thrust and the stability of the movement operation and not to increase the power reserve. The finishes are neat without any spectacular effect: they are at the end consistent with the spirit of the watch.
The great asset of the Tonda Metrographe is the comfort on the wrist. The folding clasp and the calfskin strap make the 40mm well positioned on the wrist and I could wear the watch with comfort and pleasure during these days. Again, the pushers are nice to use thanks to their shapes.
I was convinced by this watch as a sportive - chic chronograph. Of course, I would have preferred to see it without a date window but we all know why the brands keep them. The dial colors, the quite original unbalanced design and the comfort on the wrist are true assets and I consider it as maybe the best way to enter the Parmigiani collection.
The gate of Winchester House gives me the right reminder at the end of this article! I will not forget to thank a lot the Parmigiani Team for this invitation. So let's see if in 2017 Oxford will be in position to take revenge! It is after all a never ending story: there is always a good reason to race again year after year!
Fx
This message has been edited by foversta on 2016-04-02 05:02:13 
