Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon Chronograph with Rattrapante and Foudroyante

The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon Chronographwith Rattrapante and Foudroyante is a magnificent watch that unites some of the most virtuoso complications in the realm of haute horlogerie.

Along with the one-minute tourbillon on a gold bridge, this Girard-Perregaux timepiece also shows off an extremely sophisticated split-seconds chronograph function with a foudroyante; this rare and demanding complication--sometimes referred to as "thundering seconds"-- divides time into fractions of a second. In this watch, each time the chronograph is triggered, the foudroyante hand encircles its subdial once each second, stopping in six precise increments that are not distinguishable to the eye. When the chronograph is stopped, one may thus determine the particulars of an elapsed sequence with admirable precision. Girard-Perregaux's GP9973 caliber epitomizes the definition of haute horlogerie. Manufactured by Girard-Perregaux, this manually wound movement unites 507 hand-finished pieces; the tourbillon and its cage alone are made up of 69 pieces, and weigh just 0.4 grams. The balance wheel alternates 21,600 times each hour, and the power reserve of the movement when fully wound is 96 hours. Due to the great amount of energy demanded by the foudroyante feature, Girard-Perregaux has incorporated an isolating device which assures that balance amplitude remains constant, regardless of whether the foudroyante is switched on or off.

The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon Chronograph with Rattrapante and Foudroyante is offered in an 18K pink gold case distinguished by its sophisticated interplay between brushed and polished elements; it measures 44mm across, and is 17.10mm in height. The elegant silvered dial is contrasted by applied Arabic figures and dauphine hands in pink gold; the chronograph hour and minute counters, as well as the split-seconds hands are richly blued for contrast and a beautiful impression.

This exceptional Girard-Perregaux timepiece is completed by an alligator strap, and a pink gold folding buckle. Underscoring the complexity of this masterpiece, just 33 pieces will be produced.