In watchmaking, designing a watch that feels both contemporary and timeless is no easy feat, and in the 19th century, it was hardly considered. You see, back then, movement architecture was judged almost exclusively on reliability and precision, with little to no attention to visual expression. Against this backdrop, Girard‑Perregaux founder Constant Girard introduced something entirely unexpected. In 1867, he created a tourbillon pocket chronometer featuring three nickel bridges, arranging the movement in a clear, linear structure that was both visually intentional and mechanically precise. This functional solution quickly proved its merit, earning a First Class Bulletin from the Neuchâtel Observatory—an endorsement reserved for movements demonstrating exceptional precision under rigorous trials.
Buoyed by this acclaim, Girard pushed the concept further in 1884, patenting the first tourbillon movement with three gold bridges, a design that would become inseparable from the brand’s identity. Rather than a single bridge spanning the movement, he introduced three substantial, decorated bridges arranged in parallel, combining structural integrity with visual intent. The design attained international recognition in 1889, when it was presented at the Paris Universal Exhibition and awarded a gold medal. Its most celebrated expression, the 1889 La Esmeralda pocket watch, once owned by the President of Mexico, is now preserved in the Girard‑Perregaux museum.
Beyond its historical importance, the Three Bridges configuration was mechanically coherent. The linear arrangement of the barrel, gear train, and tourbillon follows the natural flow of energy from mainspring to escapement and balance, with each component efficiently supported along the bridges. Crucially, these bridges were designed to be admired, elevating structural necessity into a defining visual language. Mind you, achieving this level of clarity is far from straightforward: some components had to be concealed on the reverse to keep the dial clean, while the solid-gold bridges required meticulous hand-polishing and precise anglage.
Over the years, Girard-Perregaux continued to refine the concept, though the Three Bridges design gradually fell into obscurity through much of the early to mid-20th century as tastes shifted and production priorities changed. After this long period of dormancy, it was revived in 1981 with the modern Three Gold Bridges pocket watch. A decade later, the architecture was then successfully miniaturised into a wristwatch tourbillon with the introduction of the Tourbillon Sous Trois Ponts d’Or around 1991, marking the brand’s bicentenary.
What we have today is a compelling continuation of that evolution: the limited edition 99095 in platinum, produced in 2006 in a series of just 17 numbered pieces for Sincere Haute Horlogerie (SHH), the high-end independent watchmaking division of Singapore-based luxury retailer Sincere Fine Watches. True to the Three Bridges ethos, the dial side showcases exceptional overall finishing. The bridges are held in place by black-polished screws and are treated in ruthenium, which is a dark, corrosion-resistant finish that enhances contrast while preserving traditional hand-finishing, including extensive polishing and chamfering. Beneath this sits a richly detailed dial with a multitude of engraved surfaces, accompanied by a satin-brushed peripheral chapter ring with Roman numerals, and a set of blued hands at the centre. The one-minute tourbillon is positioned at 6:00, beating at 21,600 vph and maintaining consistent performance regardless of orientation. Altogether, this historic architecture is brought to the wrist in a highly wearable 42mm x 11mm case format, balancing engineering, craftsmanship, and artistic mastery all within a single cohesive package.
At its heart lies Girard‑Perregaux’s in-house Cal. 9600, a highly decorated, hand-wound tourbillon movement developed specifically to support the Three Bridges architecture. Its linear construction aligns the barrel, gear train, and tourbillon on a single axis, allowing the bridges to serve both structural and visual roles. Even with a solid caseback fitted, the caliber is finished to a high standard and delivers 48 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
Given its highly limited production numbers, this variation of the Three Bridges is an exceptionally rare one. It’s interesting to think that a concept conceived over a century ago still feels relevant and timeless today, perfectly illustrating how Girard‑Perregaux has transformed a historic innovation into a living design language, where engineering, aesthetics, and heritage coexist seamlessly.
