The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite Adds a Cosmic Dimension to the Cutting-Edge Series

With the addition of the Free Bridge models to the Bridges family in 2020, Girard-Perregaux articulated its vision, stating that “with these models, our master watchmakers have reimagined the company’s famous Bridges, first seen in the 1860s“. The goal was to create a seamless connection between tradition and modernity, tradition being the prominent movement bridges first seen back in 1860 when Constant Girard developed a tourbillon pocket watch featuring three nickel bridges. The Free Bridge references and Neo Bridges series represent modernity in this collection, offering somewhat more uncomplicated and accessible watches (comparatively) with signature movement bridges to honour the brand’s heritage.

This new addition to the Free Bridge series differs from the earlier models in presentation only and maintains the contemporary and technical aesthetic currently popular within the brand.

The new Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite retains the 44mm diameter and 12.2mm thickness stainless steel case of its predecessors, adorned with mostly brushed and some polished finishes. The notable thickness is attributed to the highly domed box-style sapphire crystal, which creates delightful distortions when viewed from different angles and offers a clear view of the extra-large balance wheel and the Neo arrow-shaped bridge on the front, along with the escapement and barrel at the top of the dial. While the watch is large, the curved lugs ensure ergonomic comfort for the wearer.

For timekeeping, the black flange hosts the minutes track and faceted metallic hour indices with luminescent material, missing the 6 o’clock mark to accommodate the variable inertia balance and the GP logo replacing the 12. The flange hovers above the main surface, seemingly to avoid interfering with the mechanism. The central hour and minute hands, featuring lume inserts, provide a striking contrast against the predominantly grey and dark grey colour palette of the unconventional dial.

Flanking each side of the barrel are meteorite plates, each secured by two screws, lending the watch its name. With their unique Widmanstätten patterns, these plates originate from the Gibeon meteorite found in Namibia. Composed primarily of an iron-nickel alloy, this meteorite has a storied history, having orbited the Sun between Jupiter and Mars as an asteroid core, and is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old – an awe-inspiring testament to the passage of time and the marvels of the universe.

Turning our attention back to the Meteorite watch and its remarkable features, it’s worth highlighting the ingenuity behind the movement in the Free Bridge series. Girard-Perregaux employed silicon to craft the escapement and parts of the balance wheel with its blades and adjustable inertia blocks. According to GP, the silicon blade’s flexible movement backward and forward ensures a consistent supply of energy to the escapement, thereby elevating precision. The brand also emphasises that silicon’s low coefficient of friction reduces wear and minimises energy consumption, adding to the overall efficiency of the timepiece. And silicon is anti-magnetic, which is also a plus.

Like earlier Free Bridge references, the Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite is powered by the re-engineered in-house automatic calibre GP01800, operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour and boasting a power reserve of up to 54 hours. Through the sapphire crystal caseback, one can admire the movement’s decoration with Côtes de Genève, and there’s also bevelling, sandblasting, and snailing. The rotor, made, according to GP, from heavy metal (gotta love the sound of it) and is decorated with the gold GP lettering.

The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite is presented on a black calfskin strap with a fabric effect, accented by two white stitches on each side near the lugs and secured with a steel triple-folding clasp. Priced at EUR 27,100, for further details, please visit www.girard-perregaux.com.