Girard-Perregaux's new Minute Repeater Flying Bridges is a rose gold watch that manages to combine an open-worked automatic tourbillon movement with a chiming minute timer function.
Unsurprisingly, at over $500,000, it's as expensive as it is rare.
We’re only in March and I might have already found the most impressive watch of the year. From the large, rose gold case to the open-worked tourbillon movement to chiming minute repeater, this piece has it all.
It comes from Girard-Perregaux and it’s called the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges. The piece is driven by the GP9530 movement, which was designed, developed and assembled entirely in-house – and is the third new calibre to come from Girard-Perregaux in just six months.
The imposing 46 mm case is crafted from pink gold and features domed, glare-proofed sapphire crystal on both the front and back. Pink gold is also used for the inner bezel ring, the crown, lugs and hands.
Inside, the automatic movement measures 43.55mm – making it bigger than the entire case of many watches – and features a white gold micro-rotor. The tourbillon movement comprises 475 components, 47 jewels, and has a minimum power reserve of 60 hours. Water resistance is 30 metres.
Then there’s the minute repeater – a rarity among automatic watches – which uses hammers and gongs to audibly chime the current time on command. Girard-Perregaux explains how other components are also used to enhance the sound: “A domed sapphire crystal on either side of the case amplifies the crystal-clear melody produced by the hammers striking the gongs on the dial side.
“To avoid any noise or interference that might be detrimental to sound purity, the gongs and the gong stud are made from a single piece of metal and the centrifugal strikework regulator has been moved to the back of the movement. Finally, the jewel-fitted white gold micro-rotor of the new self-winding system oscillates in complete silence.”
It’s a remarkable movement, made even more so by 1,340 hand-polished chamfers (including 295 interior angles) that make light “an essential component” of the movement, the watchmaker says. Lastly, the tourbillon cage acts as a small seconds dial, complete with its own small hand – a design used by Girard-Perregaux since the 19th century.
The Minute Repeater Flying Bridges is fitted to a black rubber strap with a fabric effect and a pink gold triple folding clasp.
Only a handful of these watches are expected to be produced each year, with each costing US$590,000 (approx. £445,000 / €514,000 / AU$835,000).
