Today, Girard-Perregaux is unveiling its brand new Neo Constant Escapement, an evolution of its Constant Escapement L.M. that was introduced over a decade ago. The Constant Escapement L.M. won the 2013 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève’s (GPHG) most prestigious award – the Aiguille d’Or (Golden hand) – for a revolutionary concept that was considered a breakthrough in terms of chronometry as it completely reinvented the escapement as we knew it.
An ongoing quest
Girard-Perregaux’s quest to advance chronometry is nothing new; it dates back to the 19th century and Constant Girard, who worked on a number of extremely precise pocket watches featuring tourbillons escapements, winning a host of awards and prizes, including the first prize at the famed Neuchâtel Observatory and the gold medal at the Universal Exhibition of Paris.
What’s the big deal about constant force?
In a nutshell, when you wind a watch up, all the force is stored in the mainspring inside the barrel. Think of it like one of those wind-up mechanical toy mice, where you turn the key several times and then let it whizz across the floor. The same thing happens inside a watch, but instead of letting the energy out in one go, it is slowed down by a gear train. This energy then arrives at the escapement that serves an impulse to the balance wheel, thus moving the hands second by second.
It is an ingenious system. The only hiccup is that when the spring gets to the end of its coil, it tends to be weaker, impacting the precision of the watch. Likewise, when it is fully wound, the high tension can make it run a little fast. The Constant Escapement L.M., and now the new Neo Constant Escapement, however, ensure that the energy reaching the balance wheel is always the same.
How does the Girard-Perregaux Constant Escapement work?
The idea for the constant escapement came from a watchmaker by the name of Nicolas Dehon, who was once taking a Swiss train when he started playing with his train ticket. Holding it between his thumb and forefinger, he bent it into a C-shape and then let it snap over to the other side, mirroring the C position on the other side and providing the force to do so along the way. Working on this idea for a number of years, Girard-Perregaux finally made it work thanks to the arrival of silicon that allowed them to make a blade that would push the balance wheel forward, eliminating the varying energy seen with traditional lever escapements.
The new Neo Constant Escapement
The new Neo Constant Escapement timepiece is quite different from its predecessor. Firstly, it is considerably smaller at 45mm (the previous one was 46mm) and it comes in Grade 5 titanium. It has the hours and minutes in the centre, instead of in an off-centred dial, and the hands are Dauphine shaped, rhodium treated and enhanced with luminescence.
Other details include two barrels on the top half of the dial, a black and anthracite NAC-treated movement, a linear seven-day power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and a sapphire crystal box. The escape wheels are supported by two independent bridges, which were inspired by the famous bridges on the brand’s 19th-century movements, and are now executed in a “Neo” modern style.
It is not just the aesthetic that has been updated, however, the mechanism incorporates several new technologies with 30% of the patents (there are 13 in total) being totally new, and even more patents are pending. The new movement also features fewer components than the 2013 model (266 compared to 280), a clear example of the impressive optimizations that have been brought to this model.
The Neo Constant Force is no easy feat to produce and its complexity means there won’t be a huge production of them. “We didn’t want to leave it on the shelf gathering dust,” shares Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, “On the contrary, we wanted to build on our know-how, push the performance envelope and make an up-to-the-minute evolution of the original concept. The Neo Constant Escapement is superior in every way. It stands testament to the dedication of our talented team and represents a new era in watchmaking.”
The model will go on sale in January 2024 and will be available in all authorized Girard-Perregaux retailers.
