Creations of Girard-Perregaux are products of La Chaux-de-Fonds – a city dedicated to watchmaking – where the profusion of natural light imbues the maison’s watches with a distinctive character. These characteristics form part of the terroir, imbuing each Girard-Perregaux timepiece with its distinctive character. The brand is now adding two new editions to its Bridges Collection
Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges
Born in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a city dedicated to watchmaking, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges draws on the talents of the Maison’s craftspeople and watchmakers. The skeletonised torso of this model masterfully plays with three dimensional shapes, conferring an aerial perspective of the eponymous three gold bridges that seemingly float in a light-filled case.
During the 1860s, Constant Girard began sketching ideas for a new pocket watch equipped with three bridges. He redefined the role of a bridge from being merely a structural movement component to an aesthetic feature as well. When, in 1867, he unveiled a pocket tourbillon watch, endowed with three parallel nickel silver bridges, he introduced to watchmaking a new design philosophy, embracing both shapes and depths. In 2021, the Manufacture released an avant-garde timepiece, the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges, an expression of Haute Horlogerie that artfully harnesses natural light. Crafted in the company’s Grand Complications Atelier and inspired by the famous pocket watch of 1889, this contemporary creation featured an ingenious movement construction.
Subscribing to a philosophy of continuous improvement, the maison has recently revisited the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges and made several improvements to its specification. One of the updates for 2024 relates to the indexes, which are a new design and include twin batons at noon. The sapphire crystals, positioned front and rear, remain ‘box’ style but are now more curved and, when viewed from the side, appear more symmetrical. A larger crown, endowed with a rounder shape, proves easier to manipulate, while the overall design of the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges has been refined to incorporate smoother contours.
By shortening the lugs and making the middle of the case rounder, the Manufacture’s design team has improved wearer comfort, something that will be especially noticeable to individuals with slimmer wrists. The hour and minute hands are now satin-finished and incorporate additional Super-LumiNova, augmenting readability in dim light. The watch comes supplied with two straps, a new fabric effect strap, first seen on last year’s groundbreaking Neo Constant Escapement, and an additional black alligator strap enhanced with a gold effect.
La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition
While Girard-Perregaux is a Manufacture, making in-house movements, it does source components from local specialists, a tradition that harks back to the 18th century and the foundation of what has since become known as ‘the watchmaking town’. La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition, the Maison’s latest creation, is a collaborative effort drawing on the skills and expertise of local specialists. Indeed, 99% of the components that form this watch originate from La Chaux-de-Fonds.
Constant Girard created several highly precise pocket watches. His achievements in this field led to his timepieces winning numerous prizes. In 1889, at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Constant unveiled La Esmeralda, an exceptional pocket watch that was awarded a gold medal. Unlike its forebears, La Esmeralda featured three bridges made of gold, subscribing to a more refined style. The savonette case of the pocket watch was also elaborately engraved and the dial was dressed in white Grand Feu enamel. Some 135 years later, the legend of La Esmeralda lives on in exquisite wristwatch form with La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition.
La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition – a limited edition of 18 – is housed in a 43 mm pink gold case. It features Three Gold Bridges in a matching hue and is endowed with a honey colour Grand Feu dial. The case, lugs, bezel and buckle are intricately engraved and pay homage to the historic pocket watch of 1889. The dial is enlivened with a combination of sunray and circular guilloché, expertly imparted by hand using a traditional rose engine lathe.
At the heart of the watch sits the Signature Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, the Manufacture calibre GP09600. Equipped with a discreet white gold micro-rotor, located beneath the barrel, the movement offers the convenience of automatic winding and plays host to golden engravings, referencing the patent filed for the Tourbillon with Three Bridges movement in 1884. Enriched with a cornucopia of refined finishes, the Manufacture calibre GP09600 perpetuates the Maison’s reputation for crafting the finest expressions of watchmaking.
As well as the dial, the case is dressed in honey-toned Grand Feu enamel. This artisanal technique is executed at the Maison’s sister company, Donzé Cardrans. Employing a Champlevé technique imbues the surface with a fade-free allure. The rear of case is intricately engraved with a fluted pattern and adorned with three galloping horses found on the historic pocket watch.
