Girard Perregaux is celebrating almost a quarter millennium in fine watchmaking by revisiting one of its most iconic designs, the three bridges. In 1867 the brand unveiled its Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges. This was the beginning of the brand turning watches inside out and showing and highlighting the inner workings of the watch to the wearer, which was novel at the time. Girard Perregaux calls this making the invisible visible and it is still an important aspect of its work today. Says CEO Patrick Pruniaux, “Since its inception, Girard Perregaux has made the invisible visible, something I expect it will continue to do for the next 230 years. However, where our team had chosen to add a slight twist is by making the bridges from gold and then shrouding them in black PVD, save for their sides. It seems wonderfully indulgent, a trait synonymous with luxury that will remain a secret to most people, except for those in the know.”

This stealthy approach seems very modern and modest and in tune with the post-pandemic zeitgeist. The pink gold bridges are the centerpiece of the whole watch and in fact function as the mainplate, supporting the gear train, barrel and tourbillon. The hour markers are mounted on the rehaut that is in turn affixed to the case. This gives the illusion that the three bridges are suspended in mid air, an impression supported, not literally, by a sapphire caseback. But going back to the rose gold bridges, each one is hand finished and chamfered using a piece of boxwood. This centuries old technique is both painstaking and yet gives the perfect artisan finish to the watch’s main event. The stealthy black PVD coating on each of them is a bold move but one that lends the watch an ‘if you know, you know’ cool that many brands can only dream of.

With the three bridges acting as the mainplate, the watch has key elements anchored to each of the bridges. The top bridge has the barrel and micro rotor, the latter being engraved with the maison’s moniker on the face and the model name on the vertical sides. The tourbillon is on the lowest bridge and is housed in lyre-form cage and comprises 79 components weighing a featherlight 0.25 grams. The cage is another new vs old amalgam, with the lyre shape harking back to the 19th century but executed in 21st century grade 5 titanium. The cage also includes a blued small seconds hand.

In summary, Patrick Pruniaux remarks, “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 Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges embraces the three-dimensional architecture, allowing the wearer to see many parts typically hidden away.” And this has and will continue to be a key part of the brand’s strategy – making the invisible visible!

Tech Specs

Case and Dial: 44mm; 18kt rose gold case with three bridges in rose gold and black PVD floating dial.
Movement: GP09400-1273 self-winding movement with tourbillon, hours, minutes and small seconds with a 60-hour power reserve.
Strap: Black alligator with rubber effect fitted with 18kt rose gold buckle. The watch will also come with a black alligator strap with gold effect.