New Parmigiani Fleurier chronograph is an exhibition in sporty excellence

With the first hints of summer finally starting to show themselves, many of us will be beginning to think about our summer watches. These models are generally a little smaller, with fun colours and a lightweight construction.

Still, if you want all of that in a really luxurious chronograph, the new Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Sport Chronograph Silver Verzasca might be right up your street. That model combines a killer spec sheet with a gorgeous design, making it a compelling alternative to popular picks like the Rolex Daytona and the Zenith Chronomaster Sport.

Similar to the latter, this one employs a movement which operates at a 5Hz beat rate. That's an in-house calibre PF070, which is COSC-certified, and offers a cool 65 hours of power reserve.

Sitting atop that movement is a dial coloured with silver and finished with a clou triangulaire guilloché pattern. The sub-dials are presented in the namesake 'Verzasca' hue. That's the name of a valley in Switzerland, with a similar pale green hue running through its river.

All of that sits inside a 42mm case crafted from stainless steel. That's also a respectable 12.9mm thick – not bad going for an automatic chronograph – meaning it should sit comfortably on the wrist.

The piece comes with a rubber strap in a matching Verzasca hue. That's textured similarly to a sailcloth strap, and really looks the part – more premium than you'd expect a rubber strap to be, but still sporty enough for active wear.

Priced at €32,300 (approx. £27,900 / US$37,250 / AU$53,850) this sits within the price bracket you'd expect of expertly crafted, luxurious Swiss watchmaking. That is to say, while not what anyone would call 'cheap', it does offer a lot of value.

Personally, I think it's a knockout – the Verzasca green colour is bang on trend, sitting somewhere between mint and sage. Throw in the exceptional movement and iconic Tonda case design, and it quickly becomes clear that Parmigiani has a real winner on its hands.