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 location of the Manufacture is optimised to harness light, a resource that has also influenced the design of this contemporary high complication, an ultra-refined expression of Haute Horlogerie. 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.
An abundance of light
La Chaux-de-Fonds, once described as a ‘huge factory town’, has been dedicated to watchmaking since the 18th century and is now a Unesco World Heritage site. In 1856, Girard-Perregaux opened its inaugural Manufacture in the city. Today, the company is still headquartered in the city with its Manufacture located on Rue Numa Droz.
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After suffering a devastating fire in the 18th century, La Chaux-de-Fonds was rebuilt with the help of a local engineer,
Charles-Henri Junod. Purposely designed for watchmaking, the wide streets are arranged in a grid, tiered against the hillside. The tall buildings incorporate large windows, designed to drink in light, illuminating the workbenches where fine timepieces are made. The city and the surrounding area continue to imbue each
Girard-Perregaux timepiece with a distinctive character, much loved by watch aficionados.
Click, to see the large size. ▶ BIG FOTO The location of the manufacture is optimised to harness light, a resource that has also influenced the design of this contemporary high complication, an ultra-refined expression of haute horlogerie. 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.
New, yet familiar
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.
Later, in 1889, the specification of the bridges was elevated to using
noble metal with the release of the famous Tourbillon with Three Gold
Bridges; widely considered one of the oldest mechanical signatures in
watchmaking.
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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.
Beyond functionality
Eschewing a conventional mainplate, the eponymous bridges not only
support the geartrain, barrel and tourbillon, but also provide the
essential structural integrity for the remainder of the movement.
Appearing to float mid-air, the bridges are braced by neat, openworked
plinths that project from the interior wall of the case. Due to the
absence of a conventional dial, the indexes are affixed to the case,
fulfilling a functional role while preserving the airy appearance of the
watch’s interior.
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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.
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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.
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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 updated Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges also incorporates
some minute changes that may go unnoticed by non-experts. For instance,
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.
Some things never change
While the manufacture has revisited the Tourbillon with Three Flying
Bridges, first released in 2021, and made subtle improvements, some
things remain unchanged. The three gold bridges positioned to the front
of the watch remain dressed in black. Girard-Perregaux, a brand known
for its nuanced approach to design, presents the trio of gold bridges in
a contemporary format.
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The upper and lower surfaces of the pink gold
bridges are dressed in black PVD, while the chamfered edges eschew black
coating, revealing a discreet sliver of gleaming pink gold. The
flawless execution and notable gleam of each bevelled edge is the
product of time-served hands using a small piece of boxwood to achieve
the perfect polish; in total, two days of work are required to fully
finish the set of three gold Bridges.
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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Model: BRIDGES Tourbillon 3 Flying Bridges Gold
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Reference: 99296-52-3434-5CC
Case & Dial Material: Pink gold
Diameter: 44.00 mm
Height: 15.35 mm
Glass: sapphire anti-reflective crystal ‘box’
Case-back: sapphire crystal ‘box’
Dial: no dial–bridges
ring displaying pink gold indexes with luminescent material (blue emission)
Hands: pink gold, skeletonised, ‘dauphine’ type with luminescent material (blue emission)
Water resistance: 30metres (3 ATM)
Movement Calibre Reference: GP09400-1273 Self-winding mechanical movement
Diameter: 42.00 mm (18
3/4’’’)
Height: 9.45 mm
Frequency: 21,600 Vib/h – (3 Hz) Number of components: 260 Number of jewels: 27 Power reserve: min.
60 hours
Functions: Tourbillon, hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon
Tourbillon Tourbillon cage composed of
79 components weighing only
0.250 grams
Strap Material: black rubber strap with a fabric effect
Buckle: pink gold triple folding buckle
The timepiece will be delivered with a complimentary black alligator strap with golden effect
🔴Retail Price: CHF 164,000 / $ 171,000 USD💰
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