Introducing: Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges, Its First In-House Chiming Watch

What We Know

If it has felt like your ears were ringing, it wasn’t someone talking about you. It’s the fact that minute repeaters are apparently the highest of high horology du jour, and Girard-Perregaux is next to follow suit, launching their new, in-house GP9530 minute repeater movement with the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges. Albeit with a design jumpstarted by a previous movement that was made with an outside specialist, this example is the first minute repeater that Girard-Perregaux further developed and produced, an example of their increased focus on manufacture movements.

There are a few notable features in the new release. First, the flying bridge’s design maximizes visual impact. It goes relatively monochromatic, so the rose gold hands match the large 44mm by 17.9mm rose gold case (with slider prominently placed on the 9 o’clock side) but also stand out from the black titanium base plate (with gold edges) and grey allow wheels. Yes, it’s quite large, but the crystal box on both sides adds a lot of thickness. But most of the diameter is filled by the movement and dial, as the box crystal means the watch doesn’t have a large bezel. And as for the size it does have, it’s not for nothing. Notably, the watch features a one-minute 3Hz tourbillon with a free-sprung balance at 6 o’clock that looks to float in mid-air due to the way the bridges are coated and suspended from the main baseplate.

From the back, you’ll also see that this is an automatic caliber, powered by a micro-rotor, and has a very solid 60-hour power reserve. The movement has also been designed with symmetry in mind, so it seems no portion of the design has been skipped (which is important on a watch of this price). The dial side offers a better view of the striking works, with the wire gongs wrapping the case and two hammers at the top center of the dial, on either side of the brand nameplate.

While I haven’t seen the watch in person (and with only about 8 pieces made per year and 440 hours of work for finishing and assembly alone, I don’t expect I ever will), from the pictures, the watch looks incredibly well-finished. This is hard to tell without checking it out myself, of course, and sometimes even harder when the watch looks incredibly modern and complex. Again, I’m loath to count the number of interior angles, but someone at the brand took the time to do so. From the press release, there are “1,340 hand-polished chamfers (including 295 interior angles).”

Hyper limited, hyper complex, but certainly impressive, and the kind of thing that I think Girard-Perregaux could lean into further, the watch is undoubtedly expensive at $599,000. However, for a handful of people per year, this might be one of the more attractive-looking repeaters on the market.

What We Think

Open-worked and skeletonized repeaters seem to be all the rage, as evidenced by this release and last year’s Chopard L.U.C. Grand Strike (which went even further and was a Grande et Petite Sonnerie). While the Chopard is more complex and more expensive (about $400,000 more), the visual on the Girard-Perregaux is, to my eye, a bit more legible and engaging. Apples and oranges, I guess, since you can’t make a more complex watch with fewer parts, but all this to say, I think GP did a great job here from what I can see. The proof is in the metal, however, and until I can hear the watch myself, there’s not too much to add. Except that I hope GP does more complex watches like this and makes it a bigger part of their business model. Between this and the Neo-Constant Escapement, I think it’s where GP shines.

The Basics

Brand: Girard-Perregaux
Model: Minute Repeater Flying Bridges
Reference Number: 99840-52-2013-5CC

Diameter: 44mm
Thickness: 17.9mm
Case Material: Pink gold
Dial Color: No dial, skeletonized
Indexes: Applied hour-markers
Lume: Blue-emission luminescent material
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Black rubber with a fabric effect, with pink gold triple folding clasp

The Movement

Caliber: GP9530
Functions: Hours, minutes, minute repeater, tourbillon
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Jewels: 47
Chronometer Certified: No
Additional Details: Box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal and box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal

Pricing & Availability

Price: $590,000
Availability: At GP retailers and boutiques
Limited Edition: No, fewer than 8 pieces will be made per year

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