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Girard-Perregaux is on a roll, following up its recent Laureato FIFTY and Laureato Three Gold Bridges releases with an ambitious new offering: the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges.
The watchmaker has a long history of chiming watches, stretching back to the 1820s, but this complex creation is a decidedly modern proposition. The watch’s 475-part openworked calibre—the third new in-house calibre from Girard-Perregaux in less than six months—combines a minute repeater, a tourbillon, and a new self-winding system. Incredibly, its assembly and decoration require approximately 440 hours of work from one of the firm’s master watchmakers, who proudly apply their initials to the calibre.
Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges Key Specifications
- Reference: 99840-52-2013-5CC
- Movement: GP09530-2198
- Functions: Minute repeater, tourbillon, hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon
- Case Material: Pink gold
- Case Diameter: 46.00 mm
- Case Thickness: 17.90 mm
- Glass: Box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Caseback: Box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Dial: Pink gold inner bezel ring. Applied hour-markers enhanced with blue-emission luminescent material
- Hands: Pink gold openworked hands enhanced with blue-emission luminescent material
- Water Resistance: 30 meters
- Power Reserve: Minimum 60 hours
- Strap Material: Black rubber with a fabric effect
- Strap Clasp: Pink gold triple folding clasp
- Price: US$590,000
Case and Dial
The openworked nature of the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges’ construction means that the dial and movement are essentially one. The watch’s 46 mm case is constructed using pink gold and built around the brand’s signature Three Bridges architecture, which has been a key part of Girard-Perregaux’s DNA since the mid-1800s.
Curiously, the manufacture has reinterpreted its own iconic design here. At first glance, you’d be forgiven for wondering where the third bridge has vanished to, as only two are visible when looking at the watch from the front. In this contemporary take on Girard-Perregaux’s iconic design, the watch has been constructed with the third bridge positioned at the rear of the movement.
Movement
The sonic experience of a watch isn’t something we think about too often, but with this release being a minute repeater, it’s front and centre. According to Girard-Perregaux, the watch was “developed to enhance the acoustic experience through a series of technical and aesthetic choices exalting the purity of sound, its diffusion and resonance.”
That means the watch’s construction is designed to maximise the resonance of its chiming mechanism. It boasts a plate and bridges constructed from titanium, the light and rigid properties of which enhance vibrations throughout the movement. The openworked nature of the design—often merely an aesthetic choice that helps show off a watchmaker’s prowess—here serves the function of allowing sound to better reverberate throughout the case.
Never a brand to do things the easy way, Girard-Perregaux has achieved all of this while simultaneously throwing a tourbillon with a small seconds in the mix, as well as a new self-winding system featuring a micro-rotor.
Availability and Price
Girard-Perregaux’s Minute Repeater Flying Bridges is available now, but this level of artistry doesn’t come cheap. If you want to secure one of these watches for yourself, expect to part with USD$590,000 for the privilege. Discover more at Girard-Perregaux via the link below.
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