The design of the famous Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with three gold Bridges not only balances aesthetics with technical prowess: it establishes a new vision of watchmaking - symbolic and eternal - creating a burst of emotion, nourished by a fantastic story and born in the hands of talented watchmakers.
After more than 125 years of existence, the mechanism, which was patented in 1884, is still making the news. Available in a pink or white gold case, the mainplate is now sanded to enhance the three gold Bridges and the openworked barrel drum opens onto the micro-rotor. The new fine features of the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with three gold Bridges underscore this architecture over which time has no command.
Born in the hands of Constant Girard-Perregaux in the nineteenth century, the three Bridges movement is a revolution in the history of fine watchmaking. With it, the mechanism becomes a design feature in its own right, extending beyond a solely technical function. The Tourbillon with three gold Bridges won supreme recognition in the form of a gold medal at the Paris International Exhibition in 1889 for bringing together all the know-how of Girard-Perregaux with an entire chapter of watchmaking history.
Within a 41 millimeter diameter, which fits the wrist perfectly, the three, arrow-shaped parallel Bridges form the perfect balance. Their geometry allows for no mistakes as any imperfection would be revealed. Entirely hand-made, the finishings require such dexterity that they can only be done by a handful of craftsmen. The Bridges are "rounded-off": the bevelling gives them a domed shape, along their entire length, a perfect curve. Light glides and reflects off their "mirror polish" finishing, offering a captivating contrast with the matt mainplate.
At 12 o'clock, the barrel drum is meticulously skeleton-crafted to reveal the oscillation of the elegant and ingenious platinum micro-rotor. The tourbillon system is also the subject of particular care as its 80 components need to be assembled in a 10 millimeter diameter. The cage, like the escapement and pallets bridge are chamfered and hand-polished as are the gold adjustment screws.
The GP09600 self-winding movement operates in the background. Entirely designed and assembled in the Manufacture's workshops, it offers the qualities of the greatest fine watchmaking mechanisms: those that strike the perfect balance between art and technique.
