Tour De Force
Girard-perregaux’s second showing at SIHH offers a smorgasbord of tourbillon thrillers
INITIALLY INTENDED TO improve accuracy in timekeeping, the tourbillon remains a centrepiece of many modern watches and is often displayed on their dial, as a symbol of savoir-faire and status. Among the greatest makers of the mechanism is the founder of Girard-perregaux, Constant Girard, who found fame with the iconic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges.
As Girard-perregaux approaches its 227th anniversary, the watchmaker is returning to its roots and shining the spotlight on the tourbillon and its mesmerising presence. Among this year’s highlights is the marvellously musical Minute Repeater Tri-axial Tourbillon, which blends aesthetic appeal with a delightful audiosensory experience.
By moving the hammers and gong rings to the dial side, as well as by fusing the main plate with the titanium case, sound transmission becomes optimised. Two box-type glareproofed concave sapphire crystals have been fitted in the front and back to enhance acoustics, as well as maximise visibility of technical feats within, namely, the minute repeater and the triple-axis flying tourbillon. Driven by the manual-winding movement, the watch is offered in a 48mm case that is water-resistant to 30m.
Another beautiful piece from this year’s lineup is the Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton, with its handcrafted skeletonised movement. With the mainplate, bridges and the oscillating weight all gorgeously open-worked and the dial provocatively pared down to just a partial chapter ring with gold hour markers and logo, attention is drawn to the going train and flying tourbillon. This 42mm model is available in 18k pink or white gold, with alternating matte and polished surfaces. It beats with the self-winding calibre GP09520-0001, which oscillates at a frequency of 3Hz.
Finally, there is the Neo-tourbillon with Three Bridges Skeleton, an extension of the NeoTourbillon with Three Bridges from 2014. With arched titanium bridges in place of golden ones, this bears an open-worked design driven by a vertical automatic movement with an 18k white gold micro rotor. Like its predecessor, the watch features a domed crystal that accentuates the beauty of the movement.