{"id":18811,"date":"2016-08-18T09:10:48","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T07:10:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/?p=18811&lang=en"},"modified":"2016-10-26T14:24:32","modified_gmt":"2016-10-26T12:24:32","slug":"girard-perregaux-modernite-horlogere-la-manufacture-qui-ne-vieillissait-jamais","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/nouveaute-en-n-en\/xxl-2\/girard-perregaux-modernite-horlogere-la-manufacture-qui-ne-vieillissait-jamais.html","title":{"rendered":"Girard-Perregaux : Horological modernity – the ageless manufacture"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

La Esmeralda Tourbillon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Case :\u00a0 <\/strong>Rose gold polished case, Sapphire crystal case-back<\/p>\n

Diameter :<\/strong> 44 mm<\/p>\n

Movement : <\/strong>Automatic movement GP09400-0004 with 60 hours of power reserve, Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon “lyre” configuration<\/em><\/p>\n

Frequency :<\/strong> 21,600 Vib\/h \u2013 (4 Hz)<\/p>\n

Functions : <\/strong>Hour, minutes, seconds via the tourbillon cage<\/p>\n

Dial: <\/strong>Polished red gold Dauphine hands<\/p>\n

Strap & buckle :\u00a0 <\/strong>Black alligator strap, Rose gold folding buckle<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1957<\/strong><\/p>\n

Case : <\/strong>Brushed and polished Steel case, polished steel bezel, Sapphire crystal case-back<\/p>\n

Water resistance :<\/strong> 30 metres (3 ATM)<\/p>\n

Diameter :<\/strong> 40 mm<\/p>\n

Height :<\/strong> 9.45 mm<\/p>\n

Movement : <\/strong>Automatic movement GP03300-0130 with 46 hours of power reserve<\/p>\n

Frequency :<\/strong> 28,800 Vib\/h \u2013 (4 Hz)<\/p>\n

Functions : <\/strong>Ho<\/strong>urs, minutes, central seconds and date<\/p>\n

Dial : <\/strong>Champagne toned sunburst dial with polished steel hour markers and Dauphine hands with luminescent material<\/p>\n

Strap & buckle : <\/strong>Black alligator strap, Steel folding buckle<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Laureato<\/strong><\/p>\n

Case : <\/strong>Brushed and polished Steel case, polished steel bezel, Sapphire crystal case-back<\/p>\n

Water resistance :<\/strong> 30 metres (3 ATM)<\/p>\n

Diameter :<\/strong> 41 mm<\/p>\n

Height :<\/strong> 10.10 mm<\/p>\n

Movement : <\/strong>Automatic movement GP03300-0030 with 46 hours of power reserve<\/p>\n

Frequency :<\/strong> 28,800 Vib\/h \u2013 (4 Hz)<\/p>\n

Functions : <\/strong>Hours, minutes, central seconds and date<\/p>\n

Dial : <\/strong>Silvered or blue with \u201cclous de Paris\u201d pattern and baton-shaped luminescent hands<\/p>\n

Strap & buckle :\u00a0 <\/strong>Brushed steel strap with polished interlinks, Steel folding buckle<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Girard-Perregaux Place Girardet\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Case: <\/strong>Polished red gold case, polished steel bezel, Sapphire crystal case-back<\/p>\n

Water resistance :<\/strong> 30 metres (3 ATM)<\/p>\n

Diameter :<\/strong> 41.00 mm<\/p>\n

Height :<\/strong> 10.89 mm<\/p>\n

Movement : <\/strong>Automatic movement GP01800-0005 with 54 hours of power reserve<\/p>\n

Frequency :<\/strong> 28,800 Vib\/h \u2013 (4 Hz)<\/p>\n

Functions : <\/strong>Hours, minutes, central seconds<\/p>\n

Dial : <\/strong>225 dials patterns with different types of guilloch\u00e9 or lacquers.<\/p>\n

Dial colors :<\/strong> white, silver, dark grey, blue<\/p>\n

Minutes scale :<\/strong> outside or inside ring, color, bar or dot.<\/p>\n

Hour markers :<\/strong> painted or applied, shape, Polished rose gold leaf hands<\/p>\n

Strap & buckle : <\/strong>Black alligator strap, Rose gold folding buckle<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Modernity ? The term is somewhat slippery and elusive. Often opposed\u00a0to Tradition, it may sometimes appear destructive, yet the Swiss watchmaking\u00a0spirit has a special capacity to combine these two aspects. Such is\u00a0the recurrent trait characterizing the history of Girard-Perregaux which\u00a0is celebrating its 225th anniversary this year.<\/p>\n

A godlen era<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Tourbillon with three bridges and the Esmeralda<\/strong> are doubtless the\u00a0most striking examples. From 1860 onwards, Constant Girard \u2013 who had\u00a0acquired perfect mastery of this famous complication invented by Breguet\u00a0\u2013 laid the foundations of this sense of modernism by creating a movement\u00a0structure that was unique in its kind at the time. It featured three\u00a0bridges symbolically stretching towards a future in which technical and\u00a0aesthetic innovation were to forge this spirit of contemporary mechanics.\u00a0The resulting timepiece was awarded First Prize in the 1867 Neuch\u00e2tel
\nObservatory Competition and retained this title for many years thereafter.<\/p>\n

\"GMT_XXL_CH_2016_ipad-161\"The precious metal that replaced nickel silver on the first bridges heralded\u00a0the brilliant destiny of its developer. Slender, round-polished and\u00a0elongated like a horological \u2018Eiffel Tower\u2019, they lightly yet firmly supported\u00a0a daring, almost minimalist architecture creating a stunning stage\u00a0for horological mechanics. The technical and aesthetic modernity of this\u00a0exceptional movement has become truly timeless, since it is the world\u2019s\u00a0oldest caliber still produced in its original overall structure. The stunning\u00a0pocket watch that won the Gold Medal at the 1889 Paris World\u2019s Fair was\u00a0given the legendary name of Esmeralda. This piece of watchmaking history is now reborn in a worthy heir bearing the\u00a0name of its illustrious predecessor. The Esmeralda\u00a0Tourbillon picks up the fabulous assets of\u00a0the original, while fitting them in a wristwatch.\u00a0A monument designed to be admired in all its\u00a0majesty and splendor through the clever \u201cchimney-\u00a0style\u201d watch glass, but above all to be worn\u00a0and experienced\u2026<\/p>\n

Sunny side up<\/strong><\/p>\n

After multiple prizes worn for its tourbillon\u00a0with three bridges, the Maison once again distinguished\u00a0itself in 1965 by presenting the first\u00a0high-frequency caliber in large-scale production,\u00a0operating at the frequency of 36,000 vibrations\u00a0per hour (5 Hz) : the Gyromatic HF. First\u00a0patented in 1957, this gem of ingenuity was to\u00a0equip a number of models with pure, rounded\u00a0shapes. In 2016, the 1957, a new 225-piece edition\u00a0inspired by the initial models, pays tribute\u00a0both to the innovative technique of its beating\u00a0heart and to the aesthetic trends of the 1960s.\u00a0The oval shape of the case, the lightly domed\u00a0dial rim, the polished steel hour-markers : all\u00a0the undeniable charm of the 1960s is there, yet the spirit governing it is unmistakably modern and adds a contemporary\u00a0vintage style to the mix. The lugs are subtly beveled and the hour-markers\u00a0elegantly punctuate the sunburst champagne-toned dial. Concealed\u00a0beneath this golden mask lies the beauty of precision, the reason for being\u00a0of this mechanical art that is never visible but nonetheless audible to the\u00a0discerning ear. Watchmakers hear it and look for it like a hidden treasure.\u00a0Girard-Perregaux has made this quest for precision its greatest obsession.<\/p>\n

\"GMT_XXL_CH_2016_ipad-162\"Serial Laureat
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is indeed this obsession that has earned Girard-Perregaux a string of\u00a0rewards. The quest for precision continued in 1971 and led to a radical\u00a0turning point involving a field in which the resolutely modern Maison\u00a0would play a pioneering role. Crystal quartz vibrations sparked the dawn\u00a0of a new era in watchmaking, resonating with the promise of peerless\u00a0precision. The Manufacture duly\"GMT_XXL_CH_2016_ipad-163\" forged this magical and mineral \u2018grail\u2019\u00a0in its own image, universally establishing its frequency at 32,768 Hz\u00a0thanks to its Caliber GP350.<\/p>\n

This undeniably technical avant-gardism was matched by its aesthetic\u00a0counterpart and in 1975, steel ennobled the industrial-inspired shapes to\u00a0create a model with a predestined Italian name inspired by the Dustin\u00a0Hoffman film The Graduate. The Laureato was typical of its era with a tonneau\u00a0or barrel-type case, an integrated bracelet and a high-tech bezel featuring\u00a0half-round, half-octagonal shapes. It nonetheless retained the precious\u00a0nature of its origins, with gold still present in subtly accents framing\u00a0a modern display of time that was more accurate than ever thanks to its\u00a0new 705 quartz caliber.<\/p>\n

1981. The Maison sensed the trend reversal\u00a0with the renewal of mechanical horology. The\u00a0shapes of the Laureato evolved and matured,\u00a0and in 1995 Girard-Perregaux equipped it with\u00a0the ultra-thin self-winding GP3100 caliber. To\u00a0mark the 225th anniversary of the company\u00a0founding, it was thus entirely natural to present\u00a0a \u2018greatest hits\u2019 version of this legend.\u00a0While conveying the essence of the 1975 and\u00a01995 models, Girard-Perregaux expresses the\u00a0inherently modern nature of this creation by\u00a0playing on subtle details. The delightful alternating\u00a0polished and brushed surfaces of the\u00a01995 bracelet are combined with the dainty\u00a0original bezel and the initial Clous de Paris hobnail\u00a0motif of the initial 1975 version. The new\u00a0model is powered by the GP01800-0005 caliber\u00a0specially developed for this anniversary edition,\u00a0a contemporary icon with a blue or silver-toned\u00a0dial, issued, as you will by now have guessed, in\u00a0225-piece limited series of each color.\"PlaceThe enduring strength of constancy
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Does Constant Girard\u2019s first name have magical powers ; is it an enduring\u00a0source of strength or a mantra ? Whatever the case, the innovative\u00a0constancy demonstrated by the Maison is truly impressive. It is this\u00a0same determination to make an indelible imprint on time that continues\u00a0to drive the men and women of the Manufacture on the Place Girardet<\/strong>\u00a0in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The quest for precision is endless, as Girard-\u00a0Perregaux tirelessly demonstrates. From the Neo Tourbillon with three\u00a0gold bridges to the fascinating constant-force silicon escapement, it has\u00a0never ceased to surprise its contemporaries. Finding its way through the\u00a0centuries and passing eras, it can proudly exhibit its past without ever\u00a0falling into the trap of overly simplistic nostalgia. The Place Girardet\u00a0collection is an exceptional, unprecedented and emblematic collection of\u00a0225 unique pieces. Each dial features a small golden plate engraved with\u00a0a year between 1791 and 2016. At the center of the timepiece, a quote\u00a0recalls a remarkable event of the year, be it in Girard-Perregaux\u2019s history\u00a0or in horology, as well as cultural, scientific or politically significant\u00a0milestones starting with the founding date of Girard-Perregaux, in 1791.<\/p>\n

In 1965, for example the Maison presented\u00a0the Gyromatic HF, the first high-frequency\u00a0movement beating at 36,000 vibrations per\u00a0hour. In 2008, the Manufacture unveiled yet\u00a0another revolutionary innovation, the \u201cConstant\u00a0Escapement\u201d. The Manufacture further\u00a0refines the personalization of each watch in\u00a0this series by means of various decorations as\u00a0well as differentiated hour-markers and minutes\u00a0scales. In addition, a concept of 225 unique\u00a0presentation boxes has been developed to mark\u00a0the anniversary concept.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Modernit\u00e9 ? Le terme est glissant, insaisissable. Souvent oppos\u00e9e \u00e0 la Tradition, elle semble parfois destructrice. Et pourtant. Il y a dans l\u2019esprit horloger helv\u00e9tique une fa\u00e7on toute particuli\u00e8re de les faire s\u2019\u00e9pouser. C\u2019est ce trait, persistant, qui revient en filigrane dans l\u2019histoire de la manufacture Girard-Perregaux qui f\u00eate, cette ann\u00e9e, ses 225 ans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":18713,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1663,48],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18811"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18937,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18811\/revisions\/18937"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18811"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18811"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gmtmag.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18811"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}