Girard-Perregaux

An extremely attractive, complicated yet modest and rare complicated mechanical wristwatch of the famous Swiss watch brand Girard-Perregaux, founded in 1791. Estimated production period: 2005–2010. Case in 18k rose gold, diameter 43mm, thickness 13.15mm, light cream dial, hour and minute feuille hands in rose gold, luminous, sapphire caseback. Caliber GP 098G0, hand wound, with three rose gold bridges from the reverse side, power reserve up to 75 hours. Functions – indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand, world time with day/night indication, tourbillon. Screw-down correction crown at 9 o’clock rotates the city disc, the winding crown at 3 o’clock is intended for setting the time and adjusting the night/day 24-hour scale. Dark brown crocodile strap with 18k rose gold Girard-Perregaux double folding clasp. 

The characteristic feature of the present example and its caliber is its unique design with three gold bridges, opened from the reverse side, compared with the majority of Girard-Perregaux’s three gold bridges tourbillon wristwatches featuring a design with gold bridges on the dial side. We should note in the classic version of the original pocket watch movement, invented in 1867 by Constant Girard, one of the founding fathers of the brand, three gold bridges were installed in accordance with tradition, not on the dial side of the movement but on the reverse side. The design of the movement was patented by Constant Girard in the USA in 1884 (design patent No. 14919), and in 1889 the luxurious Esmeralda pocket watch with a tourbillon and three gold bridges was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition. In 1981, in honour of the 190th anniversary of the brand, Girard-Perregaux launched a 20-piece series of tourbillon pocket watches with three gold bridges. In 1986, on the eve of its 200th anniversary, the brand started the development of commemorative wristwatches again with a tourbillon and three gold bridges, which was completed with the release of the first Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d’Or wristwatches in 1991. 

Reference 99350 is a very rare variation of a branded design with three signature gold bridges of a baroque shape on the reverse side, together with a laconic dial featuring a world time complication. Production of Ref. 99350 started in 2005 and continued to around 2010 in very limited numbers, most likely no more than a few pieces per year. The Ref. 99350 was offered in 18k rose gold with a light cream dial, as in the present lot, or in 18k white gold with a black or light cream dial. The present lot is only number 10 in the series of rose-gold models.