Manufacture
Blomman Mr Blue highlights Girard-Perregaux's pivotal role in the resurgence of traditional mechanical watchmaking during the 1970s quartz crisis. The post focuses on the brand's ambitious project to recreate Constant Girard's Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges pocket watch, showcasing the immense skill and forgotten techniques required.
During the 1970βs, with the rise of quartz, Girard-Perregaux was one of the first Manufactures to take up the challenge of a return to traditional mechanical timepieces, and undertook the remaking of twenty pieces of Constant Girardβs masterpiece: the famous Tourbillon with three gold Bridges pocket watch.
After 1500 hours of work, the number 1 is presented. One of the challenges was to relearn forgotten techniques and gestures.
For example, the watchmakers had to hand-finish the parts with files and burnishers as no machinery was capable of working on these smaller parts with tolerances of one hundredth of a millimeter!
The detent mechanism of the Tourbillon features a stone of only 0.04 mm!
The rectangular section of the detent measures, at its thinner end, only 0.2 mm in height and 0.1 mm in width!
GP definitely understands that a timepiece is not just functional but a true work of art! Cheers Robin
That is one of the reasons why I am into GP watches... :) Best Blomman
Tears are coming to my eyes in front of such a beauty ! What a pity that beautiful pocket watches are not anymore sought after so much... Also 3 bridges AND ding dong ! but not GP sorry (unsigned) Best, Mike
Thank you for sharing it also here! :) Yes, a lot of marvels made for pockets are missed if you only look at wrist watches... Best, my friend Blomman
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