One of Girard-Perregaux’s most iconic watches is the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, first produced by the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker Constant Girard-Perregaux in 1860 (which was awarded a first-class prize by the Neuchâtel Observatory). Girard-Perregaux used the now iconic arrow shape on the bridges, thus making the movement a design element of the watch, and the timepiece won a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition.




1966 CHRONOGRAPH
Technical specifications: Pink gold or white gold case / Diameter: 40mm / Sapphire crystal / Sapphire case back / Water resistance: 30 metres / Girard-Perregaux GP030C0 self-winding mechanical movement / Calibre: 10 1/2 ’’’ / Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz) / Jewels: 38 / Power reserve: minimum: 36 hours / Functions: Hours, minutes, column-wheel chronograph, small seconds / Alligator strap with ardillon buckle.


This year at SIHH, Girard-Perregaux looks back at that watch to produce a new Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges in a round, 41mm case. This watch, limited to 50 pieces, uses the exact design of the bridges as in that 1860 watch. The result is a stunningly beautiful timepiece, traditional yet surprisingly modern.
Additionally, Girard-Perregaux is introducing a new 1966 Chronograph. The 1966 Collection was originally introduced in 2006, and this year’s version integrates a column-wheel chronograph. This new movement was developed and produced within the Girard-Perregaux manufacture and is made up of 304 components. The complexity of this mechanism and the quality of the finish can be seen through the watch's exhibition case back. This 40mm watch is available in either white or pink gold.




TOURBILLON WITH THREE GOLD BRIDGES
Technical specifications: Pink gold case. / Diameter: 41mm / Sapphire crystal / Case back fastened with six screws / Water resistance: 30 metres / Girard-Perregaux GP9600C self-winding mechanical movement / Calibre: 32mm / Frequency: 21,600 vibrations/hour (3 Hz) / Jewels: 30 / Power reserve: minimum 48 hours / Functions: Tourbillon, hour, minute, small seconds on the tourbillon / Alligator strap with deployment buckle / Limited and numbered edition of 50 pieces


Source: Europa Star December-January 2010 Magazine Issue