The origins of Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux date back to the late-18th century and have been one of the premier creators of time ever since. One of its most notable accomplishments was the gold medal award in 1899 at the International Exposition in Paris, where it launched the tourbillon with three gold bridges. This was seen as a mechanical marvel back in the day and Girard-Perregaux has since unveiled two new additions to its Bridges collection: the La Esmerelda Tourbillon "A Secret" Eternity Edition Honey as well as the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges.

Both watches were created and developed in-house by Girard-Perregaux, whose manufacturing facility is located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a Swiss city in the canton of Neuchâtel. Founded in 1656, the city also houses the most important watchmaking industry in the area known as Watch Valley. The Girard-Perregaux La Esmerelda Tourbillon "A Secret" Eternity Edition Honey and the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges were inspired by the natural lighting of the area.

La Esmerelda was first created by Constant Girard, who went on to win the gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Back then, La Esmerelda was an exceptional pocket watch that featured three bridges made of gold alongside an elaborately engraved savonette (bar of soap) case and a white Grand Feu enamel dial. 135 years later, La Esmerelda makes its grand reappearance but this time, as a wristwatch.

At the heart of the watch, you will find the Manufacture calibre GP09600, which comes equipped with a discreet white gold micro-rotor. Located beneath the barrel, the movement offers the convenience of automatic winding and plays host to golden engravings. This references the patent filed for the Tourbillon with Three Bridges movement in 1884. Protecting the movement of the La Esmerelda Tourbillon "A Secret" Eternity Edition Honey is the 43 mm pink gold case.

It features the Three Gold Bridges in a matching hue and is lathered with a honey colour Grand Feu dial. The dial is enlivened with a combination of sunray and circular guilloché, expertly imparted by hand using a traditional rose engine lathe. Other parts of the watch were also designed to pay homage to the historic pocket watch of 1889 with the case, bezel, lugs, and buckle all featuring intricate engravings.

Aside from the dial, the case of the watch is also bathed in a honey-toned Grand Feu enamel. This artisanal technique was executed at the Maison’s sister company, Donzé Cardrans, who utilised a Champlevé (enamel decoration) technique to acquire a fade-free allure on the surface of the watch. Intricate engravings with a fluted pattern that take the shape of three galloping horses can also be found on the back of the case, which pays tribute to the significance of the equine scene.

In 2021, Girard-Perregaux released the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges, an avant-garde piece that thoroughly showcased the expression of high-end watchmaking while artfully harnessing natural light. It has since been reworked upon to include several improvements, which includes a new design to the indexes found on the dial as well as including twin batons at 12 o'clock. The overall design of the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges was also improved upon with smooth and refined contours while it also features a larger, rounded crown for better convenience and ease of use.

Comfort was also a big factor when it came to updating the watch as it now has shorter lugs while the middle of the case is also rounder. This will be especially noticeable for wearers with a slimmer wrist. The hour and minute hands of the watch now also come with a satin-finish to go with additional Super-LumiNova coating for greater legibility. To pair with its new and improved gold case, the watch comes with two straps: a new fabric effect strap (first seen on last year’s groundbreaking Neo Constant Escapement) and an additional black alligator strap enhanced with a gold effect.

While subtle improvements were made to the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges, some things have remained unchanged. This includes the three gold bridges, which remain dressed in black. However, Girard-Perregaux have introduced a nuanced format to the design by including a black PVD coating to the upper and lower bridges of the watch. Its chamfered edges also feature a black coating while also revealing a sliver of gleaming pink gold. Its flawless execution is down to the time-served hands that utilised a small piece of boxwood to achieve the perfect polish.

Want to discover more from Girard-Perregaux and its Bridges collection? Check out our catalogue to learn more about the Manufacture or drop us a message to enquire further.