Girard-Perregaux partnered with Kobe Bryant to support the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. On Sunday, April 22nd the foundation hosted a fundraising event in Los Angeles to support the organization, which is dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families in need.

"I am very happy Girard-Perregaux supports the work we are doing to address youth homelessness in Los Angeles", said Kobe Bryant. "Their contributions are helping us make a real impact on this critical issue."

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1 Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 40th Anniversary (entire collection)

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The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Tourbillon 3 Bridges was a favorite among the attendees during the Girard-Perregaux (SIHH) US press conference last month.

While the movement of the tourbillon cage, balance wheel and escapement will definitely catch your attention - surprisingly - the tourbillon is not what everyone was talking about. Instead, it seemed everyone's attention was focused on the beautiful see-through blue spinel bridges ("spinels" are gemstones). On the dial there are three bridges: one for the power barrel, one for the center pinion and one for the tourbillon mechanism. All three with a gold setting in the center and 2-flat-head screws securing them to the dial. Each mechanism exposed through a cut-out on the dial and perfectly visible through each translucent bridge. The exposed parts are polished and the surfaces are hand circular-grained. The result: a dial that is visually striking. Pure eye candy.

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Originally introduced in 2009, Girard-Perregaux will announce a new rose gold and ruthenium version of the 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time at SIHH 2012.

The Annual Calendar and Equation of Time comes in a 40 mm diameter by 10.72 mm thick rose gold case. Functions inlcude hours, minutes, small seconds, annual calendar and equation of time. The annual calendar complication displays the date (at 2 o'clock) and month (at 7 o'clock), and must be corrected only once per year (February). The equation of time complication calculates the difference between apparent solar time and solar mean time, indicated by a retrograde display between 4 and 5 o'clock.

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Michele Sofisti pictured on far left

PPR (Gucci Group) who owns a majority stake in the Sowind Group, has appointed Michele Sofisti as the CEO of the Sowind Group. He will be seconded by Stefano Macaluso, Managing Director for Girard-Perregaux, and Massimo Macaluso, Managing Director for JeanRichard and the Manufacture, who stay in their current position. He will also continue to serve as CEO of Gucci Group Watches and Jewellery, and Member of the Board of Directors of Gucci Timepieces Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Japan.

An expert of the Haute Horlogerie industry, Michele Sofisti joined Gucci Group Watches as Strategic Advisor in 2009. He was promoted to CEO in 2010 after helping successfully reposition Gucci's product offering within the watchmaking market.

Girard-Perregaux, originally founded in 1791, is a haute horology manufacture located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland and is part of the Sowind Group. Created in 2000, the ww.tc (World Wide Time Control) collection quickly became one of the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture's iconic lines (and a personal favorite of mine aside from the awkward name "ww.tc"). The "World Time" function provides a simultaneous display of all time zones on its dial. The secret of its exclusive system is a coupling mechanism used for driving a ring displaying the time for 24 time zones, represented by the same number of cities. The hour ring has a day/night contrast function which makes it easier to read.

Girard-Perregaux is a true manufacture (meaning they produce at least one caliber in-house). This particular movement is the GP033C0 calibre, a robust self-winding mechanical movement with 63 jewels. It runs at 28,800 vph (or 4 Hz, which is the most common rate for an automatic mechanical movement) and features a 46 hour power reserve.

Its finishes, which can be seen through the sapphire caseback, are examples of the finest watchmaking tradition: circular graining on the main plate, Côtes de Genève on the bridges and oscillating weight, and blued steel screws.

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Girard-Perregaux is offering a one-of-a-kind ww.tc luxury watch for the Only Watch '09 charity auction. The third edition of this charity timepiece auction will support the development of research on therapeutic treatments for children afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. For the first time, this watch features a combination of a fly-back chronograph and the hours of the world, with a ceramic case and a new dial. For the dial, GP has chosen Monaco to represent Europe on the ring displaying 24 world time cities. The high tech case is composed of two parts; a black ceramic case and an inner titanium container. Black ceramic gives the watch a sporty look while being extremely light and resistant.

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This is a cool video of a foudroyante in action. A foudroyante uses a small dial that is marked 0-8. The hand on the dial completes a sweep every second which is an elapsed time of 1/8th of second for each number.

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