BY JOVAN K
Girard-Perregaux has been making striking mechanisms all the way back to its founder, Jean-François Bautte (1772–1837). He was already deep into repeater work before the brand even took the shape we know today, which says a lot. This is not something they picked up along the way; it runs through the brand from the very beginning and has continued for over 200 years.
The new Minute Repeater Flying Bridges takes a deliberate step forward, with the brand’s iconic Three Bridges concept dating back to the 1860s and representing the oldest watch movement design still in series production, pushing its legacy of striking mechanisms into bold, modern territory while staying true to its roots. It turned hidden-movement bridges into a striking design statement, and Girard-Perregaux has now flipped it completely inside out, stretching the entire mechanism across the dial, front and center, daring you to look away.
The case comes in a serious size at 46mm x 17.9mm in 18k pink gold, clearly not something you try to hide under a cuff. The repeater slide is integrated straight into the case band, which makes sense from a reliability standpoint. Minute repeaters are usually delicate and not particularly water-resistant; this one offers 30m, which is typical for high-complication watches.
You won’t find a traditional dial on this thing. Instead, the layout features a pink gold inner bezel that frames the movement, with hour markers that glow blue in the dark. The matching openworked pink gold hands stay out of the way, letting the movement take center stage, while the hammers and gongs sit right on the front for full visual drama.
The Calibre GP9530 in-house movement powers everything and comprises 475 components, with titanium used for the mainplate and bridges to keep it light and rigid, letting sound travel through the watch better than brass ever could. The strike regulator is tucked at the back to keep the noise floor low, while a white gold micro-rotor winds the watch, and the tourbillon rotates for precision and visual impact. It runs at 3Hz with a 60-hour power reserve, and the finishing is insane: 1,340 hand-polished chamfers, 295 of them interior, all done by hand for a movement that still feels industrial.
It comes on a black rubber strap with a fabric-effect texture, secured by a pink-gold triple-folding clasp. The price is set at USD 590,000/EUR 593,000/CHF 564,000 (incl. taxes) and isn’t limited.
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