girard perregaux richeville chronograph manual

The invention of the Tourbillon can be traced back to the beginning of the 19th century. It was invented with the aim of improving the precision of timepieces, which until then the accuracy had been limited by the irregularities caused by the effects of Earth's gravity. Girard-Perregaux produced its first Tourbillon watch in 1867 which was first shown at the Paris Universal Exhibition. But when I think of Girard-Perregaux and Tourbillons all that comes to mind is the one-of-a-kind three bridge tourbillon whose patent dates all the way back to the year 1883, an invention that in many respects has yet to be outdone. This year bring a new Tourbillon watch from Girard-Perregaux, the Bi-axial Tourbillon. This unique creation unites two concentric cages, which then allows the regulating part to perform multi-dimensional rotations. Perhaps most notably, this tourbillon compensates for the negative effects at multiple positions rather than just the vertical position.The Girard-Perregaux Bi-axial Tourbillon is comprised of 130 individual components. The tourbillon alone features 113 parts which weigh only 0.80 grams, it completes one full revolution in 3 minutes and 45 seconds. The mechanical with manual winding movement has a power reserve of 72 hours. It is beautifully displayed through both the dial and the case-back of the watch. The 18 carat pink gold case is 45 mm in diameter and 18.5 mm thick and has sapphire crystal protecting the the face and the back of the watch. The satin-finished silver dial is adorned with two beveled gold bridges, a window displaying the bi-axial tourbillon, and both hour and minute hands. An alligator strap and an 18 carat pink gold folding clasp complete the limited edition watch, which will number only 33 pieces. The Bi-axial Tourbillon is water resistant to 30 meters.

The Girard-Perregaux marque presented their latest interpretations of the 1966 series at the SIHH exhibition, held recently in Geneva.The 1966 collection first appeared in 2006 and since it’s arrival has become an ever-more important element of the Girard-Perregaux portfolio, with it’s popularity growing in this ultra-competitive sector.Complimenting the new column-wheel Chronograph and the Full Calendar models, I particularly like the 1966 Small Seconds piece.The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small SecondsHoused in a slim and elegant 38mm palladium case, the Small Seconds is an unfussy and understated work, but that classic minimalism is central to it’s appeal to me. A rarer member of the platinum group of metals, palladium is a naturally lustrous metal. More resistant to scratching than gold, it gives the watch a wonderfully bright and shining finish.The brushed metal dial is a demonstration of simplistic design and is beautifully legible. There are no features such as minutes markers, highlighted subdial or magnified date, no luminous hands or marks. The G-P branding, the hour markers along with the small seconds markers are imprinted onto the dial. Only the slender baton markers applied at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 and the square date window interupt the otherwise pebble-smooth su***ce.At the 9 o’clock position is the small seconds itself. Set onto the dial, the oxidised blue steel hand sweeps around it’s miniature kingdom.The watch features an in-house GP03300-0039 automatic movement, which can be observed through the sapphire crystal caseback. It is mounted on an alligator strap with tang buckle, emphasising it’s classic no-frills zeitgeist.Released in a very limited 199 pieces, this is one which is not going to be gathering dust in Girard-Perregaux’s dealers windows for long.Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Seconds Technical specifications:CASEMaterial: palladiumDiameter: 38.00 mmHeight: 8.62 mmCrystal: antireflective sapphireCase-back: sapphire crystal, press-inWater resistance: 3 ATMMOVEMENTMovement: Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0039, automaticCalibre: 11?'''Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)Power reserve: min. 46 hoursJewels: 28Functions: hour, minute, small second, dateSTRAPMaterial: alligatorStrap size: 20.00/16.00 mmStrap reference: BC2016-BK60-3BF-FBuckle: white gold pin buckleBuckle reference: B/A.1653A-A53A1Limited edition of 199 piecesPopularity: 10% [?]