Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Aston Martin Edition
Cars & motorsport
A Closer Look At Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon With Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition
The Swiss watch brand and British carmaker reinterpret the iconic Three Bridges with an accent on flowing lines, lightness, and an innovative use of noble and comfort-enhancing materials.
By Steven Rogers
Contributor
Earlier this year, high-end Swiss watch brand Girard-Perregaux and luxury British carmaker Aston Martin announced they would be entering into an exciting new partnership.
Today, the first collaborative timepiece to emerge from that pairing was unveiled: The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition.
As its name suggests, this co-creation sees Girard-Perregaux’s iconic triple-bridge design reinterpreted with a number of Aston Martin-inspired twists that are all about flowing lines, physical lightness, and visual airiness, as well as an innovative blend of noble and comfort-enhancing materials.
Floating Across the Dial
Taking center stage is the GP09400-1683 automatic movement powering the hour, minute, and small second indications.
This caliber has been stripped back like never before so that all that is left are the gears and moving parts supported by the three emblematic bridges – made of light, sleek black PVD-treated titanium – which seemingly float across the dial.
Each beveled and polished bridge features an upper (dial-side) and lower (caseback) structure that sandwiches the openwork barrel with the visible mainspring at 12 o’clock, the 60-second tourbillon with a lyre-shaped bridge at 6 o’clock, and the gear train in between them.
The flowing lines of the bridges recall the aerodynamic scoops and side strakes of Aston Martin’s contemporary models, such as the grand touring DBS Superleggera.
The carmaker’s involvement here is further underlined by the lume-filled engraving of the Aston Martin name on the vertical flank of the patented white gold micro-rotor that sways under the barrel.
Light and Stealthy
A blued hand on the 10mm tourbillon cage indicates the small seconds, while the central hour and minute hands and peripheral indices are solid gold with a “black-or” treatment and filled with lume, emitting a blueish-green glow in the dark.
The 44mm case – onto which the three bridges are essentially fixed – is made of hypoallergenic, black PVD-treated Grade 5 titanium, selected by Aston Martin for its lightweight properties.
The domed sapphire crystals, front and back, form a “box,” which helps draw in light to further emphasize the movement and increase the feeling of airiness.
World Premiere Alloy
The watch comes with two straps, one made of matte alligator leather with a triple folding black PVD-treated titanium buckle.
The second strap is a world premiere presented in black calf leather, featuring “Girard-Perregaux Rubber Alloy” – an innovative rubber insert injected with white gold, which forms the silvery grained band running down the center of the strap. And its design is meant to evoke Aston Martin racing cars of the past.
At a recent online launch, Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman said of the alloy: “This represents both brands’ innovation through materials by combining the preciousness of gold with the comfort of rubber.”
Of the partnership in general, he added, “The beautiful thing is that, with this collaboration, one and one makes three. There is a mutual learning and an obvious synergy and connection through each brand’s quality, build, heritage, and future. When you put icons like the Three Bridges and the DBS together, you get magic.”
Natural Fit
Girard-Perregaux’s Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pruniaux was equally pleased with the outcome of this first collaborative piece.
At the virtual launch, Pruniaux said, “We are so proud to be partnering with the team at Aston Martin. It is such a natural fit. We share the same values, the same vision of the world, and I believe that is illustrated in this timepiece and how we have worked together over the past few months to achieve it.”
Both companies hinted at further exciting co-creations but refrained from revealing quite what is in store. You will just have to watch this space!
Pricing & Availability
The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition is available in a limited edition of just 18 pieces and priced at CHF 129,100.
For more details, please visit the Girard-Perregaux website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)
All Revved Up: The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition
By Steven Rogers
, Contributor
The Swiss watch brand and British carmaker join forces to present a racing-inspired, green-dialed limited edition of the Laureato Chronograph, the first ever...
A Trip Up The Coast With Girard-Perregaux And Aston Martin
By Alexandra Cheney
, Contributor
A beautiful watch, car, and coastline; what could be better?
Girard-Perregaux Builds A Bridge To The Future With The New Three Flying Bridges Tourbillon In Rose Gold
By Ash Longet
, PR & Business Development
Born more than a century ago, Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon with Three Bridges is still a favorite among modern collectors. Today, the brand celebrates...
