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Bridges-The Start of Something Beautiful
Girard-Perregaux has a special place for the Bridges collection. Apart from being one of the oldest watchmaking brands, Girard-Perregaux is also known for creating the iconic and historically significant Tourbillon with three gold bridges. For this timepiece, Girard-Perregaux was awarded a gold medal in 1889 at International Exposition, Paris. Before the advent of the golden bridges, Constant Girard-Perregaux was working on a tourbillon regulator with three bridges in the 1850s. In 1884, the Bridges design was patented at the US Patent Office with the redesigned two-headed arrow bridges. These patented Bridges became a symbol of the brand’s historic legacy and image. Now, the Girard-Perregaux Bridges collection comes equipped with the iconic Bridge on the dial. Apart from the Bridge, the collection also features complex iterations such as the Cosmos, the Planetarium Tri-Axial, and the Minute Repeater.
La Esmeralda
The Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda series has a little bit of history to itself. It is a homage or a sublime tribute to the original Bridges that won a Gold Medal in 1889 at International Exposition, Paris. The original watch belonged to the former President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz and was named after a boutique that purchased the pocket watch. The original La Esmeralda was tempting with a gold case, a tourbillon and the iconic three gold Bridges. Now, the beauty of La Esmeralda was taken out from its hibernation and was given a revival in 2016. The modern La Esmeralda is a representation of the original watch with its three golden Bridges and a tourbillon. The ‘A Secret’ iteration comes with a hand-engraved case that adds to the exuberance of the Bridges collection.
Cosmos
Girard-Perregaux decided to visually emphasize the value of the Cosmos on the wrist. This representation on the wrist is called the Girard-Perregaux Cosmos. A timepiece that tells the story of the brand’s true Haute Horlogerie legacy. With two realistic globes placed symmetrically at the dial at the 3 and the 9 o’clock marker, the Cosmos is a marvel in the horological world. The globe at the 3 o’clock marker indicates day and night with the ring covering it displaying the GMT reading, making it a dual-timer. Whereas, the globe at the 9 o’clock marker displays the twelve zodiac signs. Apart from the globes, the Cosmos is also equipped with a tourbillon over the 6 o’clock marker covered with the iconic Bridge.
Planetarium Tri-Axial
Girard-Perregaux is one of the few watchmakers that has perfected the art of crafting a triple-axis tourbillon. The 3D representation of a tourbillon fixed over a dial that also features a terrestrial globe makes the Planetarium Tri-Axial a perfectly mastered timepiece. The terrestrial globe is fixed at the 5 o’clock marker and the ultra-complicated triple-axis tourbillon is fixed at the 9 o’clock marker. The Planetarium Tri-Axial is also equipped with a moon phase indicator at the 12 o’clock marker and the dial depicting time is placed between the 1 and 2 o’clock marker.
The Minute Repeater
Girard-Perregaux became the first watch manufacturer to install the mechanism of a minute repeater at the main plate and not on the case back. The Girard Perregaux Bridges Minute Repeater offers a visual representation of the minute repeater mechanism. The hammers of the mechanism are shaped according to the Arrow-shaped Bridge at the 12 o’clock marker. The Minute Repeater also features a tourbillon at the 6 o’clock marker covered with a Bridge.