Finally! Girard-Perregaux, 230 this year, began its modern permutation under Antonio Calce and continues, just as admirably, under Patrick Pruniaux’s stewardship. Of course, this grande dame of La Chaux-de-Fonds has certain ways that need to be respected, hence change has come in small increments. Before “tackling” the iconic Three Bridges, the brand began by releasing a model with one bridge (Free Bridge) then another with two bridges (Neo Bridges). Then came a Three Bridges in sapphire (the wonderful Quasar Light) that lead to this year’s return to precious metal. The progression from one to the next has been natural, intuitive and perfectly managed.
This, then, is the return of the historic Three Bridges in gold, but certainly not a journey back in time. On the contrary. This is modern Girard-Perregaux bringing back the Three Bridges, the tourbillon and precious metal in a watch that is completely and utterly anchored in the twenty-first century.
Simply complicated
While the brand hasn’t resisted the well-worn marketing angle of “connecting tradition and modernity”, what matters is that the walk matches the talk. And very successfully so. The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges is a powerful and intelligent piece that brings exactly the right amount of newness to make it an original creation without losing any of its fundamentals (or customers).
Contrasts and oppositions
The watch finds its equilibrium in a retelling of its most identifiable feature, namely the three bridges that are the hallmark of the collection but with an entirely new aesthetic. Yes, they are in gold, but they are also coated with black PVD. Yes, they have their original form, but they are also openworked. The same is true of the indices, with a design similar to those on the Free Bridge but vertically positioned as a frame for the dial. Then there is the tourbillon, in its usual spot at 6 o’clock but in a “flying” version, secured only from below, that accentuates the skeletonised geometry of the three bridges. It is through these constant contrasts and oppositions that the watch reinvents itself.
Coherent, intelligent and subtle, it seems the Three Bridges has finally found its footing in the twenty-first century. After the Quasar exercise in style, the Three Flying Bridges once and for all lays the blueprint for the collection in the future.
