Home » The Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie » SIHH 2017 Review – Girard-Perregaux Neo-Bridges Watch
Girard-Perregaux presented the new retro-futuristic timepiece dubbed Neo-Bridges. This novelty picks up the architectural construction design codes cherished by Constant Girard, the creator of Esmeralda pocket watch dating back to 1889, with its three gold bridges that form a basic part of the architecture. The Neo-Bridges also evoke the theatrical nature of the creations by Jean-François Bautte whose workshop (established in 1791) was purchased by the Swiss watchmaking company in 1906. In the late 18th century, Bautte designed horological instruments with a more theatrical approach to displaying the passing hours in order to demystify the flow, as if the watch were a work of kinetic art.
Girard-Perregaux Neo-Bridges is housed in titanium case with alternately polished and satin-brushed finishing. The round case fitted with a box sapphire crystal measures 45mm in diameter and 12.17mm in thickness. It is constructed to provide water resistance up to 30 meters (approximately 100 feet).
The beating heart of the Neo-Bridges is the new GP08400 self-winding movement with micro-rotor. The most of the movement is open to view and, as you can see on these images, the watch boasts an interesting symmetry around the vertical axis, with the micro-rotor and the mainspring barrel at the top, both engraved with lettering. If you look closer, you might also notice the NAC treatment of the main-plate, as well as a PVD coating on the curved bridges. The hour and minute hands are coated with a luminescent material to provide perfect legibility and as you can see there is no seconds hand.
The impeccable movement consists of 208 individual parts and operates at the semi-rapid frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). It is capable to offer about 50 hours of power reserve.
Girard-Perregaux Neo-Bridges will be kept secured to its future owner’s wrist with an elegant, black alligator leather strap, fitted with a titanium triple folding clasp. This exceptional newcomer comes with the retail price of 24,400 Swiss francs which is approximately $24,440.
