At Baselworld 2016, Girard-Perregaux presented a trio of numbered pieces that add themselves to the Girard-Perregaux 1966 pink gold collection. We introduced you last week to the first model of The Chamber of Wonders trio, today we present you “Center of the Universe Earth”.
This model draws its inspiration from the work of Greco-Roman astronomer Ptolemy, one of the founding fathers of geography, which was fascinated by the interactions of the Earth and Sun, and the Earth and Moon, as well as their influence on climates. Although incomplete, his representation of the Earth was already seemingly spherical, inventing the geometry still in use today of a grid of latitudes and longitudes. His treatise of geography and the maps represented in it, translated into Latin by d’Angelo, inspired Christopher Columbus, who carefully studied these outlines, finding further motivation to carry out his sailing plans.
The creation of this timepiece highlights the technique of stone marquetry, embellished by the talent of miniature painters. The result is a depth that can only be rendered by stone, cut into thin disks, which are then polished and positioned like a jewel. This sets the scene for materials capable of representing different shades of blue, such as lapis lazuli or aventurine, or reflecting warm white tones, such as extra-white mother-of-pearl. The stretches of sea and boundaries of unknown territories are formed in this manner, before brushes dipped in gold powder delicately caress the colored surfaces. Updated in this manner, the motifs symbolize the land and its outlines.
