Girard-Perregaux Unveil Tourbillon Bi-Axial With Three Sapphire Bridges

Luxury watchmaker Girard-Perregaux has unveiled a new Tourbillon bi-axial featuring some truly high-tech materials. Inspired by a classic Tourbillon pocket watch from the 1860s, this Tourbillon bi-axial with three sapphire bridges is cutting-edge.

The case of the Tourbillon bi-axial is in tantalum, a durable, malleable and corrosion-resistant gray-blue metal, which is usually used in the chemical, electronic and aerospace industries. Inside the 45mm-diameter case is a dial featuring three bridges cut in sapphire with a metallic black finish. Meanwhile the tourbillon bi-axial mechanism, which can be glimpsed from both sides of the case, is comprised of gold, steel, glucydur and grade-five titanium. The GPe07-0002 movement features two concentric cages; the internal cage bearing the balance, balance spring and escapement, which completes one turn on its axis in forty-five seconds, and the second external cage, which completes one revolution in one minute and fifteen seconds. A traditional circular guilloche motif is executed in platinum with a galvanic gray finishing, while the barrel bears the characteristic elliptic pattern of the famous nickel and silver three parallel bridge pocket watch made by Constant Girard in the 1860s. A black alligator strap with a folding buckle in microbead blasted steel completes the look.

Girard-Perregaux will only produce 12 pieces of the Tourbillon bi-axial with three sapphire bridges.

The Tourbillon bi-axial with three sapphire bridges is reference 99810-81-000-BA6A. Photos courtesy Girard-Perregaux.