Girard-Perregaux Builds A Bridge To The Future With The New Three Flying Bridges Tourbillon In Rose Gold
Born more than a century ago, Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon with Three Bridges is still a favorite among modern collectors. Today, the brand celebrates its 230th anniversary by launching a new discreetly indulgent Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – made for the first time in pink gold.
The tourbillon is one of the most beautiful horological complications. However, its attachment, called a bridge, is usually positioned in the lower or upper half of the dial, bisecting the perfect circle with a single horizontal line. That is why, typically, this bridge was hidden from view. But the brilliance of Constantin Girard’s innovation lay in the fact that he decided to make this detail a decoration of the movement.
Indeed, he emphasized the tourbillon bridge, turning it into a featured design element of the dial. Then, Girard took it a step further and added two more bridges to hold the axes of the hands and barrel. And it transformed the dial, making it a living sculpture, revealing the working of the gears, the movement of the balance, and the rotation of the tourbillon.
Thus, a legacy was born because, since 1867, when the manufacture first unveiled this model, Girard-Perregaux became known for making the invisible visible. Today, with the launch of the new Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges in pink gold, the brand continues its design philosophy by enriching it with some fascinating features.
Why Pink Gold?
This latest model of the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges features a 18K 44mm rose gold case embedded with three rose gold Neo Bridges – marking the first time the three Neo Bridges have been worked in this noble metal.
The upper and lower surfaces of the rose gold bridges are coated with black PVD, which, according to the CEO of the brand Patrick Pruniaux, gives a luxury touch to the watch “that will remain a secret to most people, except for those in the know.”
Girard-Perregaux’s emblematic signature, the three flying bridges, cross the entire dial and not only support the gear train, the barrel, and the tourbillon, but they also act as the mainplate.
The Three-Dimensional Timepiece
How can such a complicated, three-dimensional timepiece manage to remain “clean” and easy to read?
For starters, the flying bridges taking center stage and organize the whole masterpiece around them. Furthermore, to emphasize the filiform structure of the bridges, Girard-Perregaux arranged the barrel, gear train, and the tourbillon along the north-south axis.
Finally, transparency has become a sine qua non of our time, allowing for an unobstructed view of the mechanical workings of the watch. The sapphire covering the front and caseback is not only scratch-resistant, but it elevates the effect of the watch’s floating mechanical heart to a whole new level, giving new meaning to the term “crystal-clear.”
A Modern Take on the Legend
When Girard-Perregaux sets out to develop a new watch, the brand aims to combine its unique horological traditions with the latest design and technological solutions. For instance, in a press release for the new Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges, Patrick Pruniaux remarked, “We wanted to create a watch that provides a bridge to our past but also demonstrates our vision for the future. It draws on the talents of our artisans and watchmakers, pairing traditional methods with innovative techniques.”
The new Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges in rose gold strives to demonstrate the contemporary influence at each turn. For instance, the lyre-shaped cage of the tourbillon is made of modern Grade 5 titanium, a strong and hypoallergenic alloy that was almost certainly selected for its lightweight properties.
Moreover, a blued hand on the cage rotates 360° every minute and serves as a small seconds display. The tourbillon cage is comprised of 79 components and weighs a mere 0.25 grams. This remarkably lightweight cage mitigates energy consumption and contributes to the movement’s impressive minimum power reserve of 60 hours.
Priced at $156,000, the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges in rose gold comes on a black alligator strap with a rubber effect.
For more information, visit the Girard-Perregaux website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)