Girard-Perregaux
Three Bridges: Girard-Perregaux’s Past, Present and Future
So lauded was his creation at the fair that the watch was awarded one of its highest honors, the gold medal. Today, of course, the legacy of Constant Girard carries on through the brand, not only by the name it bears, but its most recognized timepieces, which all feature the three-bridge movement.
Perhaps the timepiece from modern day Girard-Perregaux, which most retains the spirit of the original La Esmeralda, is one that’s aptly named, La Esmeralda Tourbillon “À secret”. Announced earlier at SIHH 2018, the timepiece is a 44mm piece of horological art, crafted in pink gold. All of the motifs visible on the case surface of the watch are inspired by the 1889 La Esmeralda. A solitary artisan performs the task of engraving the timepiece, which takes no less than two hundred hours to complete.
However, the three bridge movement construction doesn’t only inspire Girard-Perregaux’s classical watchmaking efforts. It’s even gone the distance to create a spark in the brand’s more avant-garde pursuits. A perfect example of this is the Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges Skeleton.
The Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges Skeleton features a 45mm titanium case with a steep convex boxed crystal on the front and yet another, less pronounced boxed crystal on the back. This creates great visibility into the watch, which is further amplified by the skeleton movement within.
As impressive as the Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges Skeleton is, what is fundamentally most evident here is that the qualities of a genius design, conceived a century and a half ago, still hold strong. Therein, as long as Girard-Perregaux continues to draw inspiration from one of the greatest gifts from its founding father, it will continue to create timepieces that fascinate watch lovers for many more centuries to come.
For more information: thehourglass.com