Because you don’t have to reinvent the wheel to make a fresh and appealing watch: A look at the Girard Perregaux Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges from Baselworld 2014, a modern take on the brand’s signature complication.
Girard Perregaux’s most important new release this year is the Tri-Axial Tourbillon, it’s most complicated tourbillon escapement to date. And while I totally appreciate the technical merits of such a watch, the Baselworld 2014 release that won me over was their Neo Tourbillon with Three Bridges.
Easily the brand’s most distinctive design, the Triple Bridge tourbillon watches date back to the mid-19th century, aElements have changed throughout the course of time, with different iterations including automatic winding and different finishes and materials. In the Neo Tourbillon, the characteristic Triple Bridge layout was kept with the barrel at 12 o’lock, the gear train in the middle and the tourbillon escapement at 6 o’clock. But they way it’s executed is totally avant-garde.
The bridges are not only the most prominent of any Triple Bridge movement, they’re also the most futuristic. Fashioned in matte-finished titanium with a black PVD treatment (though the final color is more anthracite), the three bridges remind me of something Zahia Hadid would design, albeit much more symmetrical. The various openings lend them a very sculptured and architectural look, with oval openings on each side matched by the shape of the polished rose gold skeleton hands.
To provide even more depth, the mainplate is faceted with an inclination towards the center, finished in a contrasting grey ruthenium tone. With a matte surface, it makes the bridges and other movement components stand out so much more than on the more classically decorated Triple Bridge Tourbillon pieces from Girard Perregaux.
In proportion to the massive bridges, the tourbillon cage in Girard Perregaux’s signature lyre shape measures 14.44mm wide and is crafted from titanium, giving it a total weight of merely 0.25 grams.
Equally impressive as the movement is the seemingly classical round 45mm case made entirely satin-finished rose gold. What makes it so visually captivating is that the case has no bezel per se. Instead, Girard Perregaux opted for a significantly raised and slightly domed crystal, allowing a much more unobstructed view of the movement from different angles. Because of how the case dips at the lugs, you can literally see the tourbillon cage and barrel horizontally from the sides of the case.
Flip the watch over and you’ll find the back is as modern as the front. The movement has a fairly uniform matte grey ruthenium finish, with three black arrow-shaped bridges reminiscent of more classical Triple Bridge movement. A micro-rotor placed directly underneath the barrel and hidden away beneath the lyre-shaped ratchet wheel. When fully wound, the mainspring is able to provide 72 hours of power reserve. And while the movement does have an automatic winding system, Girard Perregaux went with a sonnerie-style click wheel for a very satisfying tactile experience when manually winding.
A perfect example of modern aesthetics and construction in a relatively traditional package, the Girard Perregaux Neo Tourbillon with Three Brdiges comes with a price tag of approximately 145’000 CHF.
More information on www.girard-perregaux.com
