Girard-Perregaux has been on a run when it comes to high-end watchmaking over the last few months, and the latest expression of the brand’s haute horlogerie credibility is the impressive Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges.

Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges

This intimidatingly complex watch — all 46mm of it — is a contemporary take on the brand’s famous three bridges design, with the added complexity of a minute repeater and a tourbillon added into the mix. Powered by the newly developed, in-house calibre GP9530, an open-worked movement with 475 components, and a design that not only showcases the history of the maison and the exceptional finishing abilities of the people who work there (it takes nearly 440 hours to assemble and decorate the watch), but also is intended to amplify the chime and resonance of the repeater.

The in-house calibre GP9530

To ensure the purest possible sound, the plates and bridges have been made of titanium to facilitate vibration, and the mainplate has been secured directly to the case to ensure that the vibration is transmitted cleanly to the pink gold case. Even the domed sapphire crystals (both front and back are domed) serve to amplify the melody created by the gongs and hammers, and great care has been taken to ensure that the micro-rotor and winding system is as silent as possible.  Another design choice that’s been made in the name of acoustic performance is the openworked design. The lack of dial makes for better resonance — the side effect of being afforded an uninterrupted view of the calibre is a bonus.

The domed sapphire crystals serve to amplify the melody created by the gongs and hammers

Assembling the tourbillon

Then there’s the tourbillon, nestled between the arrow-tipped points of the lowest of the bridges, which has been finished in a striking black, with bright gold bevels. From a design point of view, the Three Bridges, inspired by the famous ‘La Esmeralda’ pocket watch of yore, has always been one of high horology’s more reconsiable movement layouts, but here, with its open architecture, superb finishing and the floating gong circumventing the calibre, makes for even more of an impression. Bringing it all together is the fact that the repeater slide is shaped like the arrow-tipped bridge and, in a nice personal touch, each watch is fitted with a small plate bearing the artisan’s initials.

Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges

Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda

In today’s increasingly casual world, it’s easy to look to the Laureato and forget that the brand has centuries of tradition pre-dating that sporty design, as well as the sort of know-how that only generations of craft can impart. The Minute Repeater Flying Bridges is a refreshing reminder of just how good Girard-Perregaux can get.

Tech Specs: Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges

Movement GP9530, Mechanical self-winding manufacture movement, 60 hours of power reserve
Functions minute repeater, tourbillon, hours,minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon
Case Pink gold, 46 x 17.9 mm, water-resistant to 30M
Dial Openworked
Strap Black rubber with a fabric effect and a pink gold triple-folding clasp