Inspirational
Girard-Perregaux took inspiration from the La Esmeralda pocket watch that was designed in 1889. A prize winning design the brand developed this La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Watch not only because of the intricate workmanship, but also because they are experts at design excellence. You might ask what is the most intricate feature? Well it is not the engraved enamel and gold case, it is not the horses or the 323 part movement, in fact it might not even be the size which is only 43mm by 15.10mm, it could simply be that it is a comfortable wearing timepiece of exquisite beauty.
Gallantly Gorgeous
The Girard-Perregaux La Esmeralda Toubillon is a wristwatch that combines spectacular beauty with excellent technical brilliance. The watch is entirely hand-engraved in 18k pink gold, and it has a beautiful mix of leaf-pattern engravings that provide a blend of golds that is breathtaking. The case, which is also engraved in gold, has been covered in enamel and specially mixed to provide the most perfect color. The timepiece as an almost vintage appearance and the dial is engraved gold covered with a blue enamel and then allows for the brand layout. The brand places triple bridges featuring the mainspring at the top, a massive golden wheel in the center, and finishes with the tourbillon on the bottom. The tourbillon is crafted with 78 parts and weighs only 0.3 grams. The bases of the three bridges are all hand polished with mirror polishing which is an intricate job that requires utmost skill. Girard-Perregaux says that it takes at least 40 hours to finish each bridge and the additional engraving for the barrel bridge and tourbillon takes an added 50 hours, very labor intensive work to produce these beautiful timepieces. While there was no history of the horses on the original, they have become quite the luxury on this new design.
Secret Story
Why did the brand name this time piece the La Esmeralda Tourbillon ‘A Secret’ Eternity Edition Watch? According to the brand, the name is for the hunter-style case back featuring the hinged outer lid which can be opened by pressing the crown pusher to reveal a sapphire crystal case back that then releals the GPO9600-1506 self winding movement. While there is no massive rotor you can see, the movement is automatic and a white-gold micro-rotor sits beneath the barrel. While out of sight, it provides all the power needed to keep this beautiful timepiece beating. Every element of this watch is finished to the highest of standards and using a finishing that the brand claims is exclusive in the industry. The type of finishing is called concave beveling and involves creating a curved recess between the surface and the flank, transitioning from one shade to another, really exquisite and spectacular for such a watch.
