Description

Girard-Perregaux celebrated its 225th anniversary and unveiled the Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda Tourbillon 99275.52.000.BA6E which captured all of the majesty of the original ‘La Esmerald.

The dial area is dominated by three gold bridges. These bridges consist of a barrel bridge below noon, a gear train bridge spanning the centre of the dial and, lastly, a tourbillon bridge in the southern hemisphere of the dial.

Each bridge is crafted in solid gold with a double-headed arrow design and is realised using deft, time-served hands. ‘The surface of each arrow is mirror-polished, the edges are chamfered by hand and the flanks are drawn’. The arms of the bridges are rounded by hand using a burnisher.

At the centre of each bridge are diamond-polished settings which are retained with two screws. Each of these screws perfectly align with similarly presented screws on the neighbouring bridges. The skill necessary to realise this exactitude is incredible.

The tourbillon bridge holds the tourbillon carriage in position. The carriage is composed of 80 parts and is totally hand-finished, requiring much skill on the part of the watchmaker assembling it. The cage is formed in the maison’s ‘lyre’ style and makes one complete revolution every 60 seconds.