Girard-Perregaux marks the Year of the Horse with La Esmeralda Tourbillon “A Secret” Eternity Edition, a measured salute to power held in check and craft held to standard.
Housed in a 43 mm pink gold case, the watch revives the maison’s emblem the Three Gold Bridges in a matching hue, set against a red Grand Feu dial. Case, lugs, bezel and even the buckle are intricately engraved, a direct homage to the historic 1889 La Esmeralda pocket watch. The effect is ornate yet disciplined, like a cavalry parade that still minds its cadence.
The dial pairs sunray and circular guilloché, applied by hand on a rose engine lathe. It catches light in calm waves rather than shouting for it. The red is auspicious, yes, but here it reads as intent more than spectacle.
At the heart sits the Signature Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, Manufacture calibre GP09600. A discreet white gold micro-rotor hides beneath the barrel for automatic winding, leaving the bridges and wheel train unbroken to the eye. Golden engravings reference the 1884 patent for the Tourbillon with Three Bridges, a reminder that this architecture is not a motif but an invention with roots.
Finishing is described as enriched and refined, which fits the purpose of La Esmeralda in the collection – to show technique and taste in equal measure. The horse theme is not tacked on so much as echoed in the watch’s stance: inner force, controlled momentum.
As tributes go, this one feels appropriately restrained. The engraving nods to 1889, the inscriptions to 1884, and the dial work to patient hands at a rose engine. The message is simple enough – progress is best when it looks effortless.
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