Girard-Perregaux
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DETAILS
The Tourbillon sous Trois Ponts d’Or (Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges) is a unique design from the traditional Swiss watch brand Girard-Perregaux, whose roots can be traced back to 1791. A characteristic feature of these watches and their caliber is the unique design with three parallel gold bridges, which are usually open on the dial side or on the movement side. The classic version of the original pocket watch movement, invented in 1867 by Constant Girard, one of the brand's founding fathers, has three gold bridges traditionally placed on the back of the movement. The design of the caliber was patented by Constant Girard in the USA in 1884 (patent No. 14919), and in 1889 the luxurious Esmeralda pocket watch with tourbillon and three gold bridges was awarded a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1981, Girard-Perregaux launched a limited series of 20 pocket watches with tourbillon and three bridges in honor of the brand's 190th anniversary. In 1986, in preparation for its 200th anniversary, the brand once again began developing a caliber with a tourbillon and three gold bridges, this time for a wristwatch, which was finally presented to the public in 1991. It was one of the first tourbillon wristwatches to be produced in series.
REASONS TO BUY
The Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges Skeleton Ref. 99050 is an extremely attractive opportunity for collectors to acquire a magnificent platinum timepiece with a tourbillon. It is a spectacular, very rare and important mechanical watch from a world-renowned traditional brand that is one of the undisputed leaders in Haute Horlogerie. This watch is a precious and impressive reminder of the time when the traditional Swiss watch brand began to overcome the consequences of the so-called quartz crisis. At that time, Girard-Perregaux turned with renewed vigor to mechanical watches equipped with traditional complications and created its most famous iconic design: the wristwatch with tourbillon movement and three gold bridges, which is still unparalleled today. The special skeletonized design and the hand-engraved decoration of the movement bridges, the blued hands in the old style of the Poires Anglaises underline the historical significance of this watch and clearly distinguish it from the tourbillon wristwatches with three gold bridges of modern production. The early serial number certainly enhances the appeal of this watch for the knowledgeable collector.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
Girard-Perregaux has modified the hand-wound GP9900 caliber, which was developed for the original Tourbillon sous Trois Ponts d’Or wristwatch, many times. The first time was in 1995, when a skeletonized version (the present example) was introduced and the new caliber was given the designation GP9900S. This attractive, historically significant and rare modification caliber became the basis for the Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d'Or Squelette (Tourbillon with Three Golden Bridges Skeleton) Ref. 99050, which is offered in 18k yellow, white and rose gold or platinum, like this watch, which is marked 1998 and numbered 4. The skeletonization was done in an unusual way by removing metal from the space between the characteristic golden bridges while leaving the shape of the bridges unchanged.
The three signature bridges of the GP9900S caliber are made of solid rose gold and placed on the dial side, giving the watch a striking appearance thanks to the contrast between the rose gold of the bridges and the platinum from which the case is made. Such an arrangement of the caliber required a reversed hand setting, so that in the GP9900 and most of its clones, including this GP9900S, the hour hand is above the minute hand, whereas in a traditional movement design the minute hand should be on top. Blued steel hands in the Poires Anglaises style are a feature of the original design; later Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d’Or watches were fitted with hands of other styles, notably Dauphine.
The GP9900S caliber is manufactured to a high standard. All parts are finished by hand, with equal care and craftsmanship on both sides of the open skeletonized caliber. The high standard is evident in the finishing of all bridges, including the three gold bridges, which are engraved by hand with the rare dragon scale motif. Particular attention was paid to the impeccable hand finishing of the sharp inner corners. Only a few Haute Horlogerie brands carry out this extremely time-consuming work. Most do their best to avoid the additional cost of this work, which is nevertheless highly prized by connoisseurs and discerning collectors. The chamfers of the bridges and the holes for screws and pins are beveled and polished, as is the steel tourbillon cage, the upper part of which is polished black. The original winding crown is made of white gold, which is common in the manufacture of platinum wristwatches.
Specifications
| Case | Platinum case 950/1000 with alligator strap and original buckle, Limited Edition Number 4 |
| Dial | Engraved rhodium-plated movement backplate with three golden bridges, gold-plated chapter ring, blued hands, Tourbillon at 6 o'clock |
| Movement | Rhodium-plated manually wound movement with engraved backplate, perlage and Geneva stripes on the front, Tourbillon |
| Cal. | T3P |
| Ref. | 99050.0.71.000 |
| Movement No. | No 4 |
| Case No. | No 4 |
| Year | 1998 |
Condition report
| Case: | Mint, only small signs of use |
| Dial: | Mint |
| Movement: | Very good, works properly |
| Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52): | ca. 280 degrees |
| Accuracy (Dial on top): | +9 sec. / day |
| Box: | Yes |
| Papers: | Yes |
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
