Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Honey
Geneva Watch Days: Girard-Perregaux’s 2024 Novelties are as Sweet as Tupelo Honey
As one of Geneva Watch Days’ eight founding watch brands, Girard-Perregaux has once again proven itself as one of the show’s major players by introducing some exceptional timepieces during the event.
By Barbara Palumbo
Contributor
No newcomer to fine timepieces, Girard-Perregaux has been a presence in La Chaux-de-Fonds since the 1800s, when Constant Girard, a native watchmaker in town, married Marie Perregaux in 1854. Two years later, in 1856, Girard-Perregaux was born.
Part of what makes Girard-Perregaux unique in a sector of the luxury community dominated by brands named for male watchmakers or businessmen is that the name “Girard-Perregaux“ was the product of a couple in love and not viewed as a singular entity.
This unusual origin story could be part of the reason Girard-Perregaux continues to pay attention to how beautifully crafted its watches are, as there most certainly is a “softness” to even the brand’s most complicated creations.
Case in point is one of the brand’s releases from Geneva Watch Days: The La Esmeralda “A Secret” Eternity Edition Honey.
“Honey, I’m (nearly literally) Home”
Paying tribute to an incredibly precise chronometer pocket watch created by Constant Girard, the La Esmeralda “A Secret” Eternity Edition Honey wristwatch features an 18-karat pink gold case measuring 43mm in diameter that houses the iconic Three Gold Bridges (crafted in a matching hue) for which Girard-Perregaux is best known.
The aforementioned “softness” on this particular timepiece, however, comes from the accompanying honey-colored Grand Feu dial decorated with a sunray finish and circular guilloché, as well as its elegantly engraved case, lugs, bezel, and buckle, which pay tribute to the original pocket watch Girard manufactured in 1889.
The watch is powered by the manufacture calibre GP09600 self-winding mechanical movement (50-hour minimum power reserve), with a discreet white gold micro-rotor beneath the barrel that offers the convenience of automatic winding.
Meanwhile, practically every surface of the movement features either hand-finished decorations or intricate yet subtle engravings that give a nod to the patent filed for the Tourbillon with Three Bridges movement in 1884.
Water resistant to thirty meters, the La Esmeralda “A Secret” Eternity Edition Honey is limited to eighteen pieces and lists for $447,000.
Three Bridges are Better Than One
In addition to the La Esmeralda “A Secret” Eternity Edition Honey introduced at Geneva Watch Days, the brand also put forth a watch that would appeal to people obsessed with the Three Bridges design: a brand new version of the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges.
Eschewing the typical use of a mainplate, it is this model’s three black bridges that support the geartrain, barrel, and tourbillon while also providing structural integrity for the other aspects of the watch’s mechanical movement.
This construction also creates one of the most appealing features of the model: The iconic GP bridges appear to be floating. They aren’t, of course. The bridges are, in fact, attached to the case’s internal walls via well-crafted, openworked plinths.
Since this new Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges model doesn’t have what you would call a “typical dial,” the hour markers are attached to the flange of the case. That way, they are both functional while still appearing to float, thus adding to the overall quirky and creative appearance of the timepiece.
I think if I were a TikToker, I might look at an image of this watch and say something like, “Hang it in the Louvre!”… But I digress, as a mere Gen X-er.
Other updates on this model (which originally hit the market in 2021) are as follows:
• The indices include twin batons at noon;
• The hour and minute hands are now satin-finished and filled with more Super-LumiNova to improve readability in low-light conditions; and,
• the “box”-style sapphire crystals on the front and back are now ever so slightly curved, giving the watch a more symmetrical appearance.
The novelty is also equipped with a more prominent crown that is more spherical in shape, making it a bit easier for the wearer to use.
Finally, this latest Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges is available in a pink gold 44mm diameter case and equipped with the GP09400-1273 self-winding movement, which offers sixty hours of power reserve. Water resistant to thirty meters and accompanied by a black leather, fabric-finished strap with a pink gold triple folding buckle, this non-limited edition piece lists for $171,000.
Owning Their Heritage
By sticking to its genuine approach, Girard-Perregaux has managed to stay true to the brand’s heritage while continuing to grow confident in the knowledge that its roots are strong and stable.
Girard-Perregaux isn’t trying to be like any other brand; it doesn’t need to be. The brand’s archives are filled with unique creations, so if Girard-Perregaux continues modernizing those original creations, it is on the path to a very bright future.
To learn more about the brand’s Geneva Watch Days novelties, visit the Girard-Perregaux website.
