225th Anniversary Celebration Timepieces From Swiss Manufacture Girard-Perregaux
Swiss high watchmaker Girard-Perregaux is celebrating 225 years of history with exceptional limited editions, anniversary versions of iconic collections, and sublime exclusive timepieces.
Holder of 80+ patents since its founding in 1791, renowned for its gold prize-winning “Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges” in 1889, Gyromatic HF of 1966, and “Constant Force Escapement” in 2008, the Manufacture from La Chaux-de-Fonds brings us new creations that are both technically and aesthetically stunning.
Here are three. Ladies first:
The Cat’s Eye has been a prizewinner since its creation in 2004, identifiable by its oval shape, first horizontal and more recently vertical to encase the Tourbillon with Gold Bridge.
This beauty, presented at Baselworld 2016, is the Cat’s Eye Tourbillon with Gold Bridge in a 37.30 x 32.30 mm pink gold case with 50 brilliant cut diamonds on the bezel, surrounding a superb new engraved mother-of-pearl dial. Each timepiece comes with 2 alligator straps: blue and black, with pink gold folding buckle.
Mechanical hand winding Girard-Perregaux movement GP09700-0013 with functions of tourbillon, hours, minutes, and small seconds on the tourbillon. Power reserve of 70 hours, water-resistant to 30 meters.
Priced at 121,000 EUR, in shops in April 2016.
The 1966 Skeleton. With openworked hand-decorated components, a non-existent dial, and anti-reflective sapphire crystal, we can see right into the heart of this magnificent grey ruthenium – treated pink gold automatic caliber to admire its bridges and plates, gears, levers and bolts, all beautifully chamfered, polished, satinbrushed and hand-finished. Even the oscillating weight, seen through the sapphire crystal case back, is skeletonized. The leaf-shaped hands, along with the balance and sweep seconds wheels positioned respectively at 12 and 10 o’clock enhance its strong graphic appearance within a round pink gold 38mm x 9.27 mm case. Comes with a black alligator strap and pink gold pin buckle.
Movement GP01800-0006 with the exclusive Girard-Perregaux “Microvar” variable inertia balance beating at 28,800 vph. Power reserve minimum 54 hours. Water-resistant to 30 meters.
Available in June 2016, priced at 56,900 EUR.
The Esmeralda Tourbillon: This masterpiece with a round 44 mm x 14.55 mm pink gold case is presented in tribute to the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges pocket chronometer “The Esmeralda”, gold medal winner at the universal exhibition in Paris in 1889. The finishing is superb.
The mainplate features hand-decorated barrel, geartrain and tourbillon bridges made from solid gold, with a double-headed arrow design inspired by the bridges of the historical Esmeralda. Entirely hand-finished, the tourbillon carriage comprised of 80 components performs one rotation every minute with the balance wheel oscillating at 21,600 vph.
Thanks to a unidirectional automatic winding system developed by Girard-Perregaux that allows the rotor to be positioned concentrically under the barrel rather than on the outer edge, the diameter of the barrel drum has been enlarged and the spring lengthened, increasing the power reserve from 48 to 60 hours.
Movement GP09400-0004. Tourbillon, hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon. Water-resistant to 30 meters. Exclusive, this caliber requires two months to assemble.
Available in May 2016, priced at 197,000 EUR.
Photo Credit: Haute Time. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.
