Girard Perregaux

(GP news) Vintage 1945 Tourbillon for Pininfarina ("Hyperion"....)

Aug 19, 2008,21:55 PM

Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with gold Bridge for Pininfarina

In collaboration with Pininfarina, the Swiss Haute Horlogerie Manufacture Girard-Perregaux has combined the excellence of a timepiece with an extraordinary motor car, personalising one of its complication watches – the Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with gold Bridge - and incorporating it in a unique Rolls Royce. This detachable timepiece can not only fit in the dashboard of the vehicle, but can also adorn the wrist of its owner, thanks to a clever fastening system.

The association between two prestigious brands, combining traditional craftsmanship and advanced technology, has given rise to a sophisticated mechanism. For a sumptuous car designed by Pininfarina, Girard-Perregaux has created a timepiece which symbolises its expertise and style: the Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with gold Bridge.

Its pink gold case, with its pure lines inspired by a watch from 1945, houses a Tourbillon with gold Bridge. This delicate mechanism, faithful to the design invented by Constant Girard-Perregaux in the 19th Century, is a distinctively complex model: only a master watchmaker can assemble the cage, which comprises 72 components and weighs under 0.3 grams. The automatic winding mechanism has been carefully crafted by the Manufacture.

This Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with gold Bridge is perfectly tailored to Hyperion, the Rolls Royce for which it was especially created, with the colours of the dial matching the bodywork. Thanks to a sophisticated system of spring balls, it can be extracted from its alligator strap and clipped onto the dashboard. It is held in a support shaped like the Tourbillon cage, which is also the signature of the Girard-Perregaux brand.

This unique piece seals the links between the worlds of prestige motor cars and Haute Horlogerie. As cult objects which manage to transcend their function, with a constantly renewed sense of excitement, fine watches and exceptional cars share a number of common denominators: the concept of time, a fundamental factor in motor sports; technology, and its constant perfection; and an omnipresent passion. In both these worlds, admiration for historic models goes hand in hand with the fascination for the most recent performance levels; classic designs share star status with bold concepts; cutting-edge technologies and precious materials are key words in any successful innovation. High standards of quality, aesthetics, power and perfection to the finest detail are everyday constituents.

Girard-Perregaux is therefore building its special relationship with Pininfarina around a joint conceptual approach, based on a quest for excellence, excitement and beauty. And when passion meets technical mastery, the dream becomes reality in the most refined mechanism.