ReviewBridging The Gap: Girard-Perregaux’s Free Bridge and Free Bridge Infinity
Girard-Perregaux’s Free Bridges attempt to bridge a gap to the future. With this edition from their Bridges collection, the brand added to their offerings of contemporary watches aimed at a youthful audience
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Modernising a brand without sacrificing heritage is a tough task. Even the most established brands cannot stand still in today’s disrupted world. Heritage brands must combine innovation and tradition; after all, it is their ability to constantly evolve and adapt that has kept them in business for so long. But how do organisations with such a long history look to the future with their products? How much do you take from the past, and when does it weigh you down rather than elevate your message? These are the questions I imagine must have echoed off the walls of the meeting room at Girard-Perregaux’s headquarters, when the Free Bridge was being dreamt up.
An Illustrious Past
When a company like Girard-Perregaux sets out to create a modern watch, it cannot just wipe the slate clean and start over. There’s a tale there, spanning 230 years, which tells the story of Girard-Perregaux, one of the oldest watchmaking companies still in operation. The legendary Swiss manufacturer’s heritage can be traced back to Jean-Francois Bautte, the famed Geneva watchmaker, whose enterprise goes back to 1791. The company was eventually merged with that of one Constantin Girard and his wife Marie Perregaux and family, in 1854. Because they both came from watchmaking families, it was logical for them to use both names while forming their own company. And in 1856, the Girard-Perregaux brand was founded. After his father’s death in 1903, Constant Girard-Gallet, the son of Constant Girard-Perregaux, took over the company. The takeover of the Bautte House bridged the stories of these families and created watchmaking history.
Girard was a devoted student of horology who was fascinated by various sorts of escapement systems. He was particularly interested in Breguet’s efforts to overcome the forces of gravity with his innovative creation, the tourbillon. Girard-Perregaux developed its own tourbillon pocket chronometer as a result of its passion for precision. This was a technical marvel since it included, in addition to the tourbillon, a dead-seconds display and a detent escapement. The architecture of the entire movement, as well as the revelation of three major arrow-shaped parallel bridges, were equally notable and completely distinct. The Tourbillon Sous Trois Ponts d’Or (Tourbillon Under Three Gold Bridges) became one of the most desirable timepieces of the time, winning a gold medal at the prestigious Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1867. This achievement laid the foundation of the entire Bridges collection, which is the brand’s most emblematic today, quite literally.
Bridging The Gap
Girard-Perregaux’s name in the world of watchmaking is built on bridges, both physically and metaphorically. The Swiss company is famous not just for its Three Bridges movement, which has been a part of its range since 1867, but the bridge also serves as a metaphor for the transport of ideas, linking dissimilar elements across space and time. That makes it even more relevant to its current position as a 230-year-old watchmaker who is fully committed to the future. And the Free Bridge is just that: a bridge to a younger generation, a modern variation inspired by tradition.
Sharp, Sleek, Dark
One look at the Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge and you’re in awe of the sleek, open dial that is dominated by matt black metal work on either side, complete with visible screws. The central hour and minute hands are supported by a faceted black bridge that catches the light nicely. Instead of a single flat piece of metal, the dial is open and made up of multiple components. The hands in the centre are silver and stand above the rest. When not looking at the time, a single distinctive arrow-shaped ‘neo bridge’, completely visible at six o’clock, not only supports the balancing wheel, but also serves as the dial’s main attraction point.
In contrast to a traditional glass, the watch features a uniquely designed sapphire crystal box with a characteristic dome form. Girard-Perregaux says that it takes four to five times more material to make the domed shape and extraordinary talent to polish the crystal to a blemish-free finish. The inverted movement allows for breath-taking dial-side views of different components that are generally hidden from view, such as the balance, escapement, and barrel at the top of the dial. The watch comes in a steel case sized at 44mm.
In-house Mastery
The self-winding GP01800-1170 upholds the company’s superb watchmaking tradition. The calibre beats at 4Hz, measures 36.2mm by 5.94mm, has 185 total components, 23 jewels, and a power reserve of 54 hours. Silicon was used to make the escapement and a piece of the free-sprung balancing wheel. The material is corrosion resistant, anti-magnetic, temperature insensitive, and highly hard-wearing due to its low coefficient of friction. The maison has enthusiastically embraced it, as evidenced by this movement. Along with better performance and accuracy, owners can expect longer intervals between servicing. The capacity to bend silicon into the most complicated shapes is also vital to the brand’s engineers.
The Bridge To Infinity
The Infinity Edition is distinguished by its 18-karat pink gold oscillating weight, 18-karat pink gold hands, an hour bridge made of onyx as opposed to the satin-finished and hand-bevelled version on the Free Bridge, and a DLC-treated 44 mm steel case (as opposed to the Free Bridge’s 44 mm steel casing).
The Final Word
The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge answers a dilemma that confronts legacy watchmakers all the time: how to properly transition an ancient brand’s DNA into the modern era. Given the esteemed status of the company, it is no surprise that the Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge demonstrates first-rate craftsmanship. And the inclusion of high-tech materials such as silicon tells us that the brand isn’t afraid to innovate. As a result, the Free Bridge is a wonderful addition to the Bridges collection as well as an outstanding introductory watch for individuals interested in haute horlogerie.
Shop The Story
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Girard-Perregaux Bridges
82000-11-631-FA6A
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Girard-Perregaux Bridges
82000-11-632-FA6A
8144663030
Hi Satheeshwaran,
Thank you for showing interest in the Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge. For any help related to availability, prices and special offers, as well as queries related to the product’s features, you can call the Ethos luxury watch helpline and speak to one of the consultants. The numbers are +91 8725028882 or 8725016301, and the helpline is open between 11:00am and 6:00pm, Monday to Saturday.
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