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 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 visually striking dial. Pure eye candy.
The baton hour and minute hands are diamond-polished with a luminescent treatment. The power barrel cover is open-worked, hand-engraved and circular-grained. Its underside is circular-grained with hand-polished angles. The gear-train bridge features hand-polished re-entrant angles, circular guilloché, hand-polished recess, and GP eagle decoration.
“With its 72 components weighing approximately 0.3 grams, the tourbillon represents technical and aesthetic perfection. Meticulously decorated, all the parts respect the sophistication of the piece. The upper and lower frames are chamfered and polished by hand, the frame is balanced with gold regulating screws, the escapement and lever bridges are chamfered and polished by hand.”
Discreet, especially for a tourbillon, the titanium case is 42.6 mm in diameter and has a vertical satin-brushed finish, with a circular satin-brushed octagonal platinum bezel. An anti-reflective crystal protects the dial and case back. The back is secured with 6 screws and has a hand-engraved individual number. Rhodium-plated white gold crown with engraved GP logo. Water-resistance 30 meters.
Powering the hours, minutes and tourbillon (60-second rotation) is caliber GP 9600-0004, an in-house self-winding movement with 31 jewels, 241 parts, a frequency of 21,600 vph (3Hz) and a 48-hour power reserve. Variable inertia balance wheel with gold regulating screws. Balance spring with Philips terminal curve. The platinum micro-rotor is co-axial to the barrel. Rhodium-plated mainplate with circular guilloché top, circular-grained and circular guilloché underside, and hand-polished angles.
Titanium bracelet, central links with a horizontal satin-brushed finish and H-shaped external links with a vertical satin-brushed finish. Folding titanium clasp with GP logo engraved. Numbered, limited edition of 10 pieces.
The Laureato Tourbillon 3 Bridges is contemporary, with the typical sophistication and elegance of classical Girard-Perregaux timepiece. (Ref. 99071-27-001-21A) The retail price is $195,000
