Not only a graphic symbol on the logo, the bridge connects the past and future of Girard-Perregaux as well as represents the marriage of traditional craft and innovation in its haute horlogerie.
Formerly a hidden functional part, bridges became an exposed aesthetic element in 1867 when Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges.
The bridges were redesigned in a beautiful arrow-shaped form arranged in a parallel manner, and the Swiss watchmaker became known for making the invisible visible.
Its 230th anniversary is marked by a new Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges wristwatch cased in rose gold with the three Neo bridges crafted from the same noble metal.
The bridges not only support the gear train, barrel and tourbillon, they also act as the main plate. They appear to float in mid-air, seemingly untouched by gravity. This unusual construction required affixing the indexes to the flange which in turn is attached to the 44mm case.
The upper and lower surfaces of the bridges are dressed in black PVD coating, and so only the slim, vertical flanks of each bridge reveal the rose gold structure.
Likewise the three titanium bridges on the back side are covered with black PVD for a contemporary look.
Each bridge is painstakingly chamfered by hand using an ancestral technique with a small piece of boxwood.
The architecture of the watch plays with three-dimensional forms, positioning various dial elements at different heights. Despite its complexity, the dial remains clean, uncluttered and simple to read.
Positioned to the base of the dial, the tourbillon has a lyre-shaped case, a historical design dating back to the 19th century but updated with the material in Grade 5 titanium. On the cage a blued hand serves as a small seconds display.
Revealing the gold bridges, the sapphire crystal has gently sloping sides that curve downwards to the outer edge of the case middle. It takes between four to five times more material to achieve this eye-catching aesthetic, enhanced by the polishing of the crystal box. The craftsmanship is also executed for the lower crystal box to achieve a harmonious symmetry.
The Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement providing a power reserve of 60 hours.
Discover the Girard-Perregaux timepieces at PMT The Hour Glass boutiques in Siam Paragon and Gaysorn Village.
