ReviewAt Both Ends Of The Haute Horlogerie Bridge: The Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges
To put it plainly, the Classic Bridges is the most emblematic watch from Girard-Perregaux, but without the excess of high-complication features this collection was originally known for—making it more wearable, yet as iconic as the brand’s higher-end flagship pieces. Find out why
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At a quick glance, the Girard-Perregaux Classic Bridges looks quite similar to the iconic Bridges Esmeralda Tourbillon, which is a direct descendant of the watch that put Girard-Perregaux on the map of haute horlogerie—the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. Take a closer look, and the differences will become quite apparent. Aside from the absence of a tourbillon cage, of course, the primary visual distinction is that this watch has only two of the eponymous bridges. However, in no way does it mean that this watch is lesser than the others in the Bridges collection. In fact, even as emblematic as the Bridges are, the Swiss maison have always thought out of the box even with the one element that makes a mark in the brand’s monogram itself. After all, Girard-Perregaux are not one to simply rest on their laurels. As glorious as their past has been, they take forward their legacy, upholding their values of fine watchmaking, but with an eye on innovation, evolution, and staying relevant. The Classic Bridges is perhaps the best example of this. It celebrates the marvellous history and achievements of the Three Gold Bridges, and exemplifies the craftsmanship of the splendid line, but is as wearable as the next gold watch out there.
Building The Bridges
With roots going back to the 18th century—1791 to be precise—Girard-Perregaux are among the oldest watch manufacturers that have had an uninterrupted run in watchmaking. While early success can be attributed to the accomplishments of watchmaker Jean-François Bautte, along with the strong foundation laid by founder Constant Girard and his wife Marie Perregaux’s family, the one achievement that propelled the Girard-Perregaux name into stardom came about in the 1800s. Constant Girard-Perregaux presented an early creation of a tourbillon with three golden bridges at the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1867. After earning acclaim for it, he developed the concept further. He presented the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges at the 1889 edition of the Universal Exposition—incidentally, the one that saw the completion and opening of the Eiffel Tower—for which he won a gold medal. Submitted for a patent at the US Patent Office in 1884, the bridges of the watch were redesigned, each as a parallel two-headed arrow, which is the trademark of the brand that we see in the emblem today.
Click here to read more about Girard-Perregaux’s illustrious history
The Three Gold Bridges were reinterpreted in other creations over the years, eventually going from pocket watch to wristwatch. Subsequently, the Bridges were seen in other collections as well—as an element in the Vintage 1945 watches, or even as a complete crossover with the Laureato collection, as seen in the Laureato Sapphire Bridges. The most contemporary interpretation of the Bridges has been in the form of the Neo Bridges of 2017, where the bridges were redesigned, making them as modern as they could get. The watch also presented a very modest functionality of only the basic hour-and-minute timekeeping—a move that inspired the Classic Bridges. And in 2018, the Classic Bridges watches were unveiled—in 45mm and 40mm avatars.
Bridging The Essentials
Of course, the bridges originated as essential components of the movement but they went on to become integral visual elements of the collection as well. In this timepiece, the lower bridge at six o’clock holds the balance wheel whose movement gives the open-worked dial the dynamism that is the essence of a skeleton watch. The bridge at the centre holds the timekeeping hands, among other components. Above that, the symmetrical upper half is a treat in itself, with the barrel between one and two o’clock, and a very subtle micro-rotor between 10 and 11 o’clock, which helps give this automatic watch a minimum power reserve of two full days.
A View From The Bridges
All of this comes together to offer visual delight through the depth and the movement, and the sheer contrast between the steel hues of the inner parts and the golden elements that match the 18-karat pink gold case. However, the resplendence of the dial isn’t limited to this. It’s the visual interplay of textures that really bring alive the richness of its appearance.
Girard-Perregaux take great pride in perfecting the look of components that one might not even see in a watch, so why would they leave any stone unturned for a skeleton display! The movement that is crafted entirely in-house presents an absolutely glorious medley of finishes that complement each other with their perfect proportions. From the sunray and grained finishing of the movement components to the refined chamfering of their edges, it’s all a treat indeed.
The golden parts are far from ignored. The brushed finishing on the dauphine hands is matched by the same on the chapter ring that seemingly floats above the movement, while the hour markers appear almost as though they’re suspended. The luminescence on these parts is subtle but effective. And finally, the bridges themselves…Girard-Perregaux’s pride and joy have been treated with the finest attention to detail, with bevelled and rounded edges, and an impactful combination of mirror-polished and satin-brushed finishes. The sapphire crystal caseback reveals the other side of the movement, which primarily showcases Côtes de Genève finishing, but with a dial so splendid, the caseback isn’t going to be of much consequence.
Finishing touches include the smooth bezel and the fluting on the crown, which has the GP logo engraved, in contrast to the embossed logo seen at 12 o’clock on the dial. The black leather strap comes complete with a triple-folding clasp in 18-karat pink gold. The elegance of a gold timepiece with superior finishing, along with a luxurious leather strap, makes this perfect as a dress watch. However, the visible machinery with its industrial appeal even gives it a bit of a casual air.
The Classic Bridges maintains basic, accurate timekeeping as its focus, but offers the refinement and iconography of the manufacture and its emblematic collection. This combination certainly does qualify it as one of the most wearable Bridges pieces made by Girard-Perregaux, all the while being just as impressive as any other.
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Girard-Perregaux Bridges
86005-52-001-BB6A
All watch’s very good
i am interested
Hello Satish,
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