Girard-Perregaux Tourbillons With Three Gold Bridges

The fame of Girard-Perregaux as one of Switzerland's greatest watch manufacturers is due in no small part to their legendary tourbillon with three bridges of gold. First constructed in the 19th century by the great watchmaker Constant Girard, the Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges claimed medal after medal at world exhibitions, eventually being declared ineligible in 1900, at the Paris World Exhibition--its technical and aesthetic prowess were deemed too perfect to compete fairly.

In the modern age, the skilled craftsmen at Girard-Perregaux again revealed their ingenuity and sense of pride, when the classical pocket watch mechanism was reduced to be fitted to a wristwatch. Since 1991, the various Girard-Perregaux Tourbillons With Three Gold Bridges have been amongst the most sought after timepieces pursued by collectors, and have engendered a cult following. Like the original, each variant displays the unmistakable signature of three gold bridges, which support the tourbillon escapement, the gear train, and the mainspring barrel.

For Fall 2008, Lussori is proud to present several of these exceedingly rare masterpieces for its valued customers: The first is a stunning skeleton version in a round 39mm white gold case, whose manually-wound GP9900S movement has been delicately reduced to its most minimal structure, and beautifully engraved to bring out the full wonder of its mechanism, especially the continually-revolving one minute tourbillon, with its 72 hand-finished components. This timepiece, which is engraved with the serial number 4, has a 75-hour power reserve, and is fitted with sapphire crystals on both sides.

The second Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is crafted from a lovely shade of 18K pink gold, and is engraved with the individual number 27. Beautifully engraved like its white gold stablemate, this 39mm watch utilizes a self-winding mechanism, whose platinum micro-rotor is cleverly concealed under the mainspring barrel cover, at the 12 o'clock position. The other technical elements are shared, and the watch also utilizes a sapphire back, to expose the delightful engravings that festoon each finely finished component.

Lovers of rectangular cases will be awed by the Vintage 1945 Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges, whose horological delights are showcased in a dashing platinum case with a dimension of 32 X 32mm. A silvered plate adorned with a vertical line pattern is an elegant and pleasingly contrasted canvas for the famous pink gold bridges and their supported mechanical structures. The Girard-Perregaux 9600CS caliber incorporates the ingenious platinum micro-rotor, which winds the timepiece efficiently in accord with its wearer's arm movements. Power reserve is 75 hours. A timepiece of truly exceptional provenance, this Girard-Perregaux timepiece is engraved with the number 75.