I do like the retro period font on this one – reminds me of old maps (another interest!).
This is a 42mm piece in 18kt rose gold.
It has an AR-coated sapphire crystal, a sapphire display back and water resistance to 30 meters.
Movement is the automatic in-house caliber 3300-0057. This has 57 jewels, a 28,800 vph heartbeat and a power reserve of 46 hours.
The strap is alligator with rose gold ardillon buckle.
[Press Release] At the same time classic and cutting-edge, the Vintage 1945 collection is a symbol of contemporary watchmaking that Girard-Perregaux has been careful to perfect. Taking its strong lines from the Art Deco movement, the new Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases incorporates an emblematic design. Its case, with its skilfully rounded shapes in both directions, houses a Girard-Perregaux mechanical movement with automatic winding that displays a large date and moon-phases on an equally curved dial. This contemporary piece is a resounding success in both aesthetic and technical terms.
Girard-Perregaux has made its mark on the history of timeless watches. For over 50 years, the Vintage 1945 collection has represented an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the Manufacture. Its strong design, alternation of lines and curves, and personality blending classicism with modernity have paved the way for unique creations. These include the legendary limited-edition Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with three gold Bridges featuring rhodium-plated skeletonised bridges. Remaining faithful to the spirit of the collection, Girard-Perregaux presents a new Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases that is in all respects tied to the essence of its predecessors. Its roots: a pure style, perfect symmetry and a Manufacture mechanical movement.
With its perfect circle and open case-back that displays the movement, the Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases perfectly embodies the spirit of the collection. All the time displays are harmoniously arranged and readable at a glance. At 12 o’clock, the instant large date displays the date on a pair of discs – one of which is transparent – in a patented system. It beats the tempo with a railway minute track that runs around the dial. The hands and applied Arabic numerals display the time with simplicity. The meticulously crafted curved hour markers are particularly delicate. Traditionally positioned at 6 o’clock, the raised moon-phases indicator is presented beneath a sky of perfect clarity.
Combining aesthetics with a beautiful mechanism is a golden rule at Girard-Perregaux. With its 282 components, the calibre Girard-Perregaux 03300-0062 features precision characteristics that are the Manufacture’s own. Exceptionally reliable, it beats to a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The list of finishes resembles an anthology of ornamental High Watchmaking traditions: the rhodium-plated mainplate boasts circular diamond-polishing and circular-graining of the visible and non-functional areas. These preciously decorated bridges create a gentle harmony: circular diamond-polishing, circular-graining on the trottoir and Côtes de Genève decoration. The wheels are gilded, the pivots burnished and the drum of the barrel embellished with a sunray finish.
The Manufacture has turned to its expert craftsmanship in order to place its Art-Deco-spirited collection in the limelight once again. The Vintage 1945 Large Date Moon-Phases presents perfect classicism and unity between form, function and the nuances of the materials. It remains a true artistic icon, a worthy heir to Girard-Perregaux’s unique history.
Pink gold or steel case with anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Case-back closed with 4 screws with sapphire crystal
Dimensions: 36.10 mm x 35.25 mm
Water resistance: 30 metres
Crown: pink gold or steel with engraved GP logo
Girard-Perregaux 03300-0062 movement
Mechanical with automatic winding
Display: hours, minutes, small seconds, large date, moon-phases indicator
Dimensions: 11½”’ x 12¾”’ – 25.60 mm x 28.80 mm
Total height: 4.90 mm
Number of components: 282
Jewels: 32
Power reserve: minimum 46 hours
Winding: automatic, 5N18 gold oscillating weight on the pink gold model and bi-metallic on the steel model
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations / hour (4 Hz)
Black alligator strap
Folding clasp in pink gold or steel
References
Pink gold: 25882-52-121-BB6B
Steel: 25882-11-121-BB6B
[Press Release] Despite its complexity, the tourbillon successfully returns to the origins of watchmaking complications, which have been created by Girard-Perregaux for over 220 years. During the first half of the 19th century, the watchmaker Constant Girard-Perregaux carried out research in order to produce a high-quality tourbillon escapement.
In 1860 its first incarnation won first prize at the Neuchâtel Observatory. It was fitted with a tourbillon movement and a barrel positioned under three parallel bridges. The three bridges then took the form of arrows and were made from gold. In 1889, Girard-Perregaux presented its Tourbillon with three gold Bridges at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, and was rewarded with a gold medal.
Girard-Perregaux revisits this heritage with the Laureato Tourbillon, an alliance of innovation and tradition. Although it looks to the future, it still carries within it the essence of the Girard-Perregaux tradition and is a successful example of the Manufacture’s continuing efforts in favour of respect for the highest technical demands and the most beautiful interpretations of time.
Steeped in history, the Laureato Tourbillon with three Bridges also draws its aesthetic origins from the style of the 1970s. Its strong, bold, contemporary design sets it apart from its peers. Its octagonal platinum bezel alternates satin-brushed and polished finishes to powerful effect. Its case-back, closed with six screws with a sapphire crystal, offers an extraordinary view of the movement. On the front, the guilloché circular mainplate is topped with sporty luminescent baton-shaped hands that impose their assertive character in this area entirely dedicated to transparency.
Designed to eliminate imprecisions caused by the negative attraction of the earth’s gravitational pull, the tourbillon, which performs one rotation per minute around its axis, has become a Girard-Perregaux speciality over the last 150 years. The Manufacture has taken the liberty of creating a unique spectacle, showcasing its creativity and passion in an eminently architectural interpretation. The nobility of such a feat is displayed in the three blue spinel bridges whose translucent, airy personality perfectly accompanies the ethereal ballet of the tourbillon mechanism. The tribute to Constant Girard-Perregaux who introduced the first structure is vibrant.
Mystery and transparency, technical and artistic genius: the three bridges adopt a classic design that highlights the beauty of the tourbillon: at 12 o’clock for the barrel bridge, in the centre for the central bridge and at 6 o’clock for the tourbillon bridge. They offer an unobstructed view of the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture mechanical movement with automatic winding.
With its 72 components weighing approximately 0.3 grammes, 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.
The tiniest details of the 241 components of the movement are eye-catchingly beautiful. The balance spring is equipped with a Philips terminal curve; the rhodium-plated mainplate has a circular guilloché top, a circular-grained and circular guilloché underside as well as hand-polished angles; the barrel has a hand-engraved circular-grained openwork cover, circular-grained underside and hand-polished angles; the gear-train bridge is ennobled with hand-polished re-entrant angles, circular guilloché, hand-polished recesses and an eagle crest, the Girard-Perregaux signature.
This work of art obeys only the laws of boldness, perfection and mechanical challenge. Limited edition of 10 copies, delivered with an integrated metal bracelet with H-shaped links, water-resistant to 30 metres, the Laureato Tourbillon with three Bridges transcends the qualities of the tourbillon. It symbolises all the expertise of a brand that for over 220 years has been combining tradition and craftsmanship with excellence.
Fans of Girard-Perragaux’s ww.tc models – and who wouldn’t be, they’re great pieces – may enjoy this new book by Osvaldo Patrizzi (founder and chairman of Antiquorum).
It’s available online for 30 Swiss Francs (roughly the same in US$ terms).
Here’s the press release:
[Press Release] Passion. The sentiment expressed by Osvaldo Patrizzi when he talks of his watchmaking collection, the timepieces that he appraises or the works that he publishes, including the famous Patrizzi Pocket Expert series.
This pocket-sized collection aims to offer collectors a summary and an exhaustive overview of the most important pieces in watchmaking.
After the Tourbillon with Gold Bridges, Osvaldo Patrizzi and his team of experts turned to another Girard-Perregaux icon, the ww.tc (world-wide time control), which has made its name as an essential reference among watches that display world times.
The book also recounts the invention of universal time from Copernicus’ ingenious heliocentric system to the universal standardisation of time.
Patrizzi Pocket Expert ww.tc is available in English/French and may be ordered online at http://www.opatrizzi.com.
Girard-Perregaux have issued an 8 piece limited steel edition of their rather nice WW.TC Chronograph, called the ‘Mondo Exploris’.
It’s been designed in conjunction with with luxury magazine ‘CAESAR’ (nope, me either).
A 43mm piece, the case is entirely satin-finished.
The matt black multi-level dial has also been reworked in the same style – in contrasting red and black.
The 24-hour ring has been redesigned with two arrows showing its direction of rotation while baton-style hands indicate the hours and minutes.
I wonder where the 8 models will end up?
REF: 49805-11-777SBA6A / Exclusive limited edition, 8 pieces only.
Case: Stainless steel, satin-finished
Three-body case, rounded bezel, concave lugs, screw-down crowns, sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment
Diameter: 43.00 mm
Height: 13.40 mm
Case-back: Steel, engraved with AE & Mondo Exploris logos and fitted with transparent sapphire crystal, secured by 6 screws.
Water resistance: 5 ATM
Dial/Hands: Matt black with luminous “12” numeral, 8 round indexes, and transferred Girard-Perregaux, Mondo Exploris and AE logos, Black and red 24-hour revolving ring, Outermost 24-city disc printed with CAESAR for GMT +2 timezone, Luminous white baton hour and minute hands
Movement
Girard-Perregaux GP033C0
Mechanical manufactured movement, self-winding
Caliber: 13”’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 63
Power reserve: minimum 46 hours
Functions: hour, minute, small second, world time with day/night indicator, chronograph, date
Finishing: circular graining on the main plate, Côtes de Genève on the bridges and oscillating weight, and blued steel screws
Strap/Buckle
Black alligator leather strap. Stainless steel folding buckle
Extra rubber strap
[Press Release] The elegant ww.tc (world wide time control) Lady Shopping, dedicated to ladies is being unveiled in a new unique limited edition consisting in only 4 pieces named “Mondo Exploris” and designed in collaboration with the luxury magazine ‘CAESAR’.
Synonym of glamour, the ww.tc 24-Hour Shopping re-enchants time all around the world, asserting a highly feminine reality: sophistication can set its own rules.
The mechanism allows for a subtlety in the world time display: Paris, New York and Tokyo have disappeared from the city ring, yielding pride of place to avenues and squares world-renowned as main shopping places.
The ww.tc Lady Shopping ‘Mondo Exploris’ features the “shopping spot” CAESAR for the time zone of Romania. On the dial, the hours are also punctuated by eight diamonds alternating with soft arabesques.
To round off the work to perfection, a bezel set with fifty-four diamonds (c. 1.95 carats) gleams against the steel case.
Exclusive limited edition, 4 pieces only.
REF: 49860D11A778SBA6A
Case: Stainless steel
Bezel set with 54 round diamonds (1.95 cts)
Diameter: 41.00 mm
Height: 11.00 mm
Case-back: Steel, engraved with AE & Mondo Exploris logos and fitted with transparent sapphire crystal, secured by 6 screws.
Water resistance: 5 ATM
Dial/Hands
White mother-of-pearl with applied numerals and 9 round diamonds (0.12 cts)
White and grey 24-hour revolving ring
Outermost 24-city disc printed with CAESAR for GMT +2 timezone, and set with 15 round diamonds (0.18 cts)
Leaf-shaped skeleton hour and minute hands
Movement
Girard-Perregaux GP033G0
Mechanical manufactured movement, self-winding
Calibre: 11 ½ ”’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 27
Power reserve: minimum 46 hours
Functions: hour, minute, small second, “shopping” world time with day/night indicator, power reserve indicator
Finishing: circular graining on the main plate, Côtes de Genève on the bridges and oscillating weight, and blued steel screws
Strap/Buckle
Black alligator leather strap. Stainless steel folding buckle
It seems like only yesterday that we were dealing with the flood of news that came with the 2011 SIHH event, and yet here we are starting the cycle again with a 2012 preview!
Wow.
Girard-Perragaux have released details of their 1966 Small Second – a limited edition of 100 pieces.
It’s a 38mm pink gold watch with an automatic mechanical GP Caliber 3300 movement.
The piece is shod with an alligator strap replete with pink gold pin buckle.
Round the back you’ll find engravings commemorating the years 1889 – when Girard-Perregaux won the Gold Medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris for its ‘La Esmeralda’ pocket watch – and 1900 when Girard-Perregaux was nominated as member of the jury at the same exhibition (‘La Esmeralda’ being, in fact, too good to actually enter the contest!).
Very nice :-)
As the title suggests, Girard-Perregaux are preparing to celebrate their 220th birthday with a roadshow.
Unfortunately for us folks in Australia this is another interesting show that won’t be making its way down under (‘Only Watch’ tour – we’re looking at you!).
Nevertheless, plenty of others will no doubt enjoy the event as it winds its way around parts of the rest of the World.
Read on for more or see the Roadshow Document [PDF]
[Press Release] To celebrate its 220th anniversary, the Swiss Haute Horlogerie manufacture Girard-Perregaux is setting up a worldwide travelling exhibition of exceptional timepieces from its museum collection and of rare contemporary watches. It will be the most important set of Girard-Perregaux timepieces ever showcased outside Switzerland.
Conceived as a learning voyage into the spirit and values of the Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacture, this exhibition – “A tale of inspiration – Unveiling 220 years of watchmaking Art” – will take the visitor through two centuries of evolution in the art of measuring time while establishing an interesting link with major events, public figures or works of art which have marked world history.
Among the rare timepieces, documents and watchmaking tools presented, one of the highlights of the exhibition will surely be the “Esmeralda”. This masterpiece by Constant Girard-Perregaux is the most famous edition of the Tourbillon with three gold Bridges and was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889.
The public will also meet with some of the Manufacture’s master watchmakers and craftsmen presenting their art and know-how.
This travelling exhibition will stop in:
Singapore – Art and Science Museum – from 16th to 18th September 2011
· Shanghai – Sinan Mansions – from 20th to 23rd October 2011
· New York – Boutique Girard-Perregaux on Madison – from 18th to 26th November 2011
Other exceptional timepieces from the Girard-Perregaux Museum and of the contemporary collections will be presented this autumn in:
· Paris – Printemps Hausmann – from 25th August au 8th October 2011
And in partnership with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie:
· Mexico – Salón Internacional Alta Relojería – from 4th to 6th October 2011
· Moscow – Kremlin Museum – from 21st October to 10th November 2011
· London – SalonQP – from 11th to 12th November 2011
· Paris – Salon Belles Montres – from 25th to 27th November 2011
Girard-Perregaux, 220 years of watchmaking art
Since 1791, Girard-Perregaux has been reinventing the long tradition of Swiss watchmaking. In its 220 years, the Swiss Manufacture has registered more than 80 patents in the field of watchmaking and has brought legendary creations to life. Today, the Brand is one of the very few to bring together all of the skills and expertise required to produce Haute Horlogerie watches under one roof.
La Esmeralda, watchmaking masterpiece
Several reports of the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889 referred to the outstanding display cases of Girard-Perregaux particularly mentioning an extraordinarily beautiful, high-precision chronometer that impressed all who saw it. Its movement was a technical masterpiece with an original structure, and the sumptuous decoration of its case was an exceptional demonstration of engraving that involved most of the techniques of the art.
This pocket-watch with its fascinating tourbillon movement was later named “La Esmeralda”. Over the months before the International Exhibition, it had achieved some remarkable test results at the Neuchâtel Observatory in Switzerland, attested by the institution’s issue of its rating certificate. Then, at the exhibition, it was awarded a gold medal by the jury who recognised the perfection, both technical and aesthetic, of this extraordinary timepiece.
The watch bears the name of the luxury Mexican boutique of the agents Hauser and Zivy, to whom it was entrusted for a while. Then “La Esmeralda” is thought to have passed into the ownership of the President of Mexico, Porfirio Diaz (1830-1915) who led the country from 1876 to 1911. Finally, at the end of the 1960s, the pocket-chronometer was acquired from the President’s great grandson and it now crowns the collections of the Girard-Perregaux Museum.
We’re not done with the Only Watch beauties just yet!
I love this one-off titanium oxide special from Girard-Perregaux’s ww.tc range.
[Press Release] Clad in black and white, and underlining with a hint of red its attachment to the charitable initiatives from the Principality of Monaco, the ww.tc Only Watch 2011 is the expression of unique elegance.
This model combines ultimate style with the Girard-Perregaux tradition of innovation, which for this special piece proposes a rare combination of materials and a high-tech structure. The House’s engineers have for the first time used ultra-light titanium oxide to produce the white single-piece watch-case middle of the ww.tc Only Watch 2011. This first-ever feat was then combined with the forty parts making up the case itself, including a ceramic bezel and a titanium internal protective container.
This innovative frame houses the precious Girard-Perregaux GP03387 self-winding movement consisting of over 450 parts. This calibre combines the simultaneous display of the date, small seconds, world times and a “fly-back” chronograph.
Finally, to confirm the uniqueness of the ww.tc Only Watch 2011, the Manufacture has chosen a case-back in smoked sapphire crystal, thus revealing its savoir-faire put to use in favour of this great cause.
Case
Material: case-middle in titanium oxide, bezel in ceramic, internal protective container and case-back in titanium. Push-pieces and crowns in vulcanised rubber.
Diameter: 43 mm
Height: 13.40 mm
Case-back: tinted sapphire crystal, secured by 6 screws Water resistance: 100 metres
Girard-Perregaux GP03387 Movement
Mechanical with automatic winding
Calibre: 13’’’
Frequency: 28,800 Vib/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 63
Power reserve: minimum 46 hours
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, world time with day/night indicator, fly-back chronograph, date
Black rubber strap
Buckle: folding, in black DLC titanium
I have to say that I’m really drawn to this watch: not just because it’s a gorgeous piece, but because I was born in Portsmouth which, given the nautical provenance here, features squarely at the top of the dial.
V. nice :-)
Read on for the full press release and a bit of a history lesson …
[Press Release] As part of its ww.tc collection, which indicates the time around the world, Girard-Perregaux introduces an exceptional limited series of 50 pieces dedicated to John Harrison, one of the greatest British watchmakers.
In October 1707, the English admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell made an error when estimating the longitude of his squadron of warships. As a result, the squadron ran aground on the Scilly Isles off the south-west coast of England and was wrecked, causing the deaths of some 2,000 men including the admiral himself.
This disaster, which occurred when the expansion of the British Empire across the world’s seas represented a major political and economic issue at the time, led the government to rally the entire scientific community around a single common project: calculating longitude at sea. In 1714, the British Parliament passed the Longitude Act, offering a reward of 20,000 pounds (the equivalent of several million dollars today!) to anyone who could find a method of calculating a ship’s longitude to within half a degree (approximately 30 km).
Leading scientific minds of the era studied the subject closely, as did the watchmaker John Harrison, whose approach promised the great advantage of simplicity. His idea was to use a clock to measure the time difference between the journey’s starting point and the ship’s current position. Because the Earth completes one full revolution in approximately 24 hours, each hour thus represents 15 degrees of rotation, or 15 degrees’ difference in longitude. By measuring the difference between the exact local time at the ship’s position (determined using a sextant) and the exact reference time (at the point of departure, indicated by the clock) the longitude of the ship can be calculated. The challenge was therefore to create a clock that would maintain its accuracy even when pitching and rolling on the world’s roughest seas.
Making this timepiece became John Harrison’s eternal quest. This self-taught watchmaker, who was born on 24 March 1693 and had been trained as a carpenter, devoted his entire life to developing reliable and accurate timepieces. He built new types of mechanisms based on the work that Christian Huygens and Robert Hooke had carried out on the spiral spring, and used brass and steel alloys to reduce the effect of expansion and contraction.
In 1773, after many successes and failures, the spectacular performance of his H-4 watch was recognised and earned him part of the reward promised in the Longitude Act. The bitter rivalries surrounding the prize and the ambiguous conditions imposed to obtain it meant that the total amount was never awarded in full.
With its long history of continuous research into precision, the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture pays tribute to this remarkable 18th-century watchmaker by adding an exclusive creation to its ww.tc (world wide time control) collection
The dial of this exceptional timepiece depicts the journey undertaken by John Harrison’s son William from Portsmouth, England, to Port Royal, Jamaica, against a map of the Atlantic Ocean. The trip lasted from November 1761 to March 1762 and was intended to test the reliability of the H-4 timepiece, which was much smaller than the first prototypes developed to calculate longitude. The H-1, for example, weighed 32.5 kg.
The dial of the ww.tc John Harrison offers a superb example of delicate champlevé enamel, produced in the enamelling workshop of the Girard-Perregaux Manufacture. The contours of the map are engraved on an unprocessed plate of white gold, while the compass rose, showing the eight directions of the wind and measuring no more than 3 mm, is hand-sculpted by a craftsman-engraver. The liquid green and blue enamel is laid into the cavities using a brush. Next comes the firing, timed to the minute in a furnace at 800°C, to create the magic of vitrification. After cooling, the excess enamel is removed by vigorous sanding using a hard stone and water. The dial is then manually polished with a diamond file, before a last firing called “Dorure” or gilding adds shine and reveals the enamel’s full splendour. William Harrison’s journey is delicately indicated by a trace of silvered powder stretching from Europe to America.
Echoing the dial, Portsmouth and Port Royal are highlighted in royal blue on the cities ring, which is activated by the white-gold crown and delicately engraved with the GP logo at 9 o’clock. Universal time, as distinct from local time, can be instantly read off from the blue/white hours ring using the rhodium-plated leaf-shaped minutes hand.
Case in 18kt white gold measuring 41mm x 11mm. AR coated sapphire crystal, sapphire display back secured with six screws and water resistance to 50 meters.
Dial in champlevé enamel. The hands are skeletonised.
Movement is the Swiss made automatic Girard-Perregaux in-house caliber GP033G0 with 26 jewels, 28,800 vph and a power reserve of 46 hours. Functions are hours, minutes, display of world times with day/night indicator. It is fitted with an ingenious coupling mechanism that activates the bicoloured ring indicating the time in 24 time zones.
As an ultimate tribute to this fabulous journey in watchmaking history, the rose gold rotor is engraved with a parchment bearing the dates on which the H-4 started and finished its Atlantic crossing.
The black alligator strap has an 18kt white gold folding clasp.
