At the Geneva Watch Days, which will be held from August 29th to September 2nd, 2024, Girard-Perregaux unveiled two models featuring the brand's iconic "Three Bridges" design.
New for 2024: Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges
Bridges, which support the movement components, now play an important role in terms of aesthetics. Constant Girard, who founded Girard-Perregaux in 1856, produced pocket watches as early as the 1960s, evolving these components into part of the design by adding three bridges to the movement, thereby achieving an iconic aesthetic. Later, in 1967, he developed a pocket watch with three parallel bridges made of nickel silver and also equipped with a tourbillon. This design, with its unique shape and depth, was introduced to the field of watchmaking. Following this history, in 1989, the brand introduced the "Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges," which used precious metals for the bridges.
Inspired by the masterpiece from 1989, the Three Flying Bridges Tourbillon was released in 2021, marking the 230th anniversary of the company's founding. While this model features the iconic three pink gold bridges, they are placed on the dial side and are treated with black PVD coating, and the baseplate has been eliminated, with each part supported by the bridges, giving it a modern and avant-garde design.
The latest version of this Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges was unveiled at Geneva Watch Days, and in keeping with Girard-Perregaux's philosophy of "continuous improvement," every detail has been updated.
Automatic movement (Cal. GP09400-1273). 27 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 60 hours. 18KPG case (44mm diameter, 15.35mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price upon request.
The updates are focused on the exterior. First, the index design has been redesigned, with a twin baton design at 12 o'clock. The hour and minute hands are satin-finished and coated with Super-LumiNova, ensuring visibility even in the dark. The box-shaped sapphire crystal on the dial and case back, one of the collection's defining features, remains the same, but is now slightly rounded, creating a more symmetrical appearance when viewed from the side.
The crown has also been rounded to improve operability and give the watch an overall smooth, unified design.
In addition, the lugs have been shortened to reduce the overall length, and the center of the case has been rounded to improve wearing comfort.
The strap is a fabric-like design, first used on the Neo Constant Escapement, released in 23. A black alligator strap with gold accents is also included.
The case back also allows you to see the Cal. GP09400-1273. As with the previous model, this is a meticulously crafted movement, with the bridges finished in black PVD for a modern look, while the chamfered edges allow the brilliance of the pink gold to subtly peek through. Each set of three gold bridges is crafted from small pieces of boxwood, and it takes two days to complete.
This new model embodies both Girard-Perregaux's history and its ever-evolving approach.
New for 2024: La Esmeralda "Secret" Eternity Edition Honey
Another special new model was released by Girard-Perregaux to coincide with Geneva Watch Days: the La Esmeralda "Secret" Eternity Edition Honey.
Automatic movement (Cal. GP09600-2083). 31 jewels. 21,600 vph. Power reserve approximately 50 hours. 18KPG case (43mm diameter, 15.1mm thick). Water resistant to 30m. Price upon request.
This watch could only have been made in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the brand's home base from the 19th century to the present, and the hometown of Constant Girard. This watchmaking region, lined with tall buildings and with a unique street layout designed to maximize natural light for the meticulous watchmaking workshops, and with the picturesque scenery of greenery surrounding the town on summer nights, inspired the brand to create this new model with a honey-colored exterior, based on the La Esmeralda Tourbillon "Secret" Eternity Edition, released in 2016.
This timepiece features a 43mm 18K pink gold case with three matching gold bridges and a honey-colored grand feu enamel dial crafted by our sister company, Donze Cadrans. The case is finished with grand feu enamel, which is etched using the champlevé technique to prevent fading. The case and buckle are meticulously engraved, paying homage to the "La Esmeralda" pocket watch, which won a gold medal at the 1889 Paris World's Fair.
Another noteworthy feature of this elegant dial is that it has been hand-decorated by expert artisans using a rose engine lathe to create sunburst and arc-shaped guilloched finishes.
The hunter-style case back allows you to see the Caliber GP9600, which is equipped with a white gold micro-rotor located just below the barrel. This movement is an automatic movement that was patented in 1884 as a Tourbillon with Three Bridges, and is beautifully engraved.
The hunter-style case back is adorned with a fluted engraving, featuring three galloping horses, just like on historic pocket watches. The significance of the horses remains unknown.
This is a rare model, with only 18 pieces produced worldwide, but it is a new model that fully recognizes Girard-Perregaux's advanced watchmaking technology.
