Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Spectacular Pink Gold Edition of the Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement
GP’s breakthrough constant force technology is now framed in a luxurious pink gold case.
A conundrum shared by watchmakers for centuries concerns the issue of constant force, or how to produce a steady, unwavering stream of power from the mainspring to the regulating organ to prevent rate variations and maintain amplitude consistency. The big question is how? Taking the bull by the horns, Girard-Perregaux tackled the dilemma with the help of Nicolas Déhon’s ingenious idea, which materialised as a prototype in 2008 and went on to become the Constant Escapement L.M., winning the top prize at the 2013 GPHG. Then, in 2023, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Neo Constant Escapement, a technical and aesthetic masterpiece that is now flanked by a luxurious pink gold reference, proving that luxurious materials and high-tech technology can coexist harmoniously.
Constant force is a fascinating concept, and if you’d like to learn more, please consult Xavier’s technical explanation and his in-depth article on GP’s breakthrough solution. As one of the team members involved in its development over 15 years ago, you are literally getting the information straight from the horse’s mouth.
In a nutshell, Nicolas Déhon’s idea, developed by GP, departed from most constant force solutions, such as the fusée or remontoire, which are placed outside the escapement, by integrating the constant force into the escapement itself. Inspired by the phenomenon of buckling, or the way a card can bend and snap back into shape with the same force, GP’s mechanism relies on an ultra-thin silicium buckling blade that releases energy in a perfectly uniform way until the 7-day power reserve of the twin barrels is depleted. A veritable technical triumph that has been twenty years in the making, GP’s manual-winding calibre GP09200 is COSC chronometer-certified and jealously guarded by 15 patents (two pending).
Building on the openworked aesthetic of the 2023 Neo Constant Escapement, the new model marries a luxurious 18k pink gold case to the high-tech mechanical spectacle displayed on both the front and back. The case, with a diameter of 45mm and a thickness of 14.8mm, features two indented areas at noon and 6 o’clock and is decorated with brushed finishes and a barely-there polished bezel that hosts a pronounced box-shaped sapphire crystal, providing views of the fascinating mechanical spectacle from the top and sides.
The symmetrically arranged openworked dial displays the time via two central skeletonised gold-plated hands with golden indices suspended on the peripheral ring, all treated with blue-emitting luminescence. The two sandblasted pink gold Neo bridges in the lower half of the dial reveal the balance wheel, the vivid purple silicium buckling blade (just 14 microns thick), the escapement spring (120 microns thick), the twin star escapement wheels and the fifth gear train. Just below 9 o’clock is the linear power reserve gauge, picked out in golden tones to match the case, counterbalanced at 3 o’clock by the inscription Constant Escapement Chronometer.
The upper half of the dial is dominated by the twin black PVD-coated barrels held under the anthracite NAC bridges with their contemporary Neo shape. The “neo” shape of the bridges is a modern version of the brand’s iconic architectural design element, featured on Constant Girard’s 1889 Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges pocket watch, which won top prize at the Paris Universal Exhibition. No less impressive, the view from the caseback and its symmetrical arrangement reveals the in-line going train and the elegant network of bridges held in place by bright pink jewels (29 total).
Although we photographed the pink gold version, the GP Neo Constant Escapement is also available in a high-tech composite carbon and silicium case, limited to just two pieces. Slightly larger at 45.35mm, the case is incredibly lightweight yet resilient. Another distinguishing feature is its green silicium blade.
Fitted with a black rubber strap with a textile effect and a triple-folding pink gold buckle, the Neo Constant Escapement in pink gold retails for CHF 128,000 (incl. tax), CHF 118,400 (excl. tax). More information at girard-perregaux.com.
