Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Gets Meteorite Dial

Girard-Perregaux’s historic Bridge concept takes on a new look this week, welcoming bits of the Gibeon meteorite to the dial. The new watches takes an old concept, and even older materials, and brings them together in a thoroughly modern way within the Free Bridge platform, which was introduced to the Bridges collection in 2021, showcasing the GP01800 movement in typical symmetrical fashion. The most contemporary of the Bridge watches is also the first to welcome meteorite to the dial, but this isn’t exactly a traditional dial, so the way it’s been implemented also stands unique. 

The Free Bridge is a modern interpretation of a concept that Girard-Perregaux has been tinkering with since the late 19th century. The current collection ranges from traditional and ornate, to cutting edge technical, housing the brand’s novel constant force escapement within the Neo Constant Escapement. The Free Bridge puts forth a more contemporary take on the concept, with a single arched bridge at the center hosting the hand stack, and a small more traditional bridge over the balance at 6 o’clock. The mainspring gets a V shaped bridge at the top of the dial, retaining its spiritual connection to the tri-bridge concept. 

While the central channel of the dial is open to the baseplate bridges underneath, there are two plates on either side providing a more traditional backdrop for the hour markers. With the Free Bridge Meteorite, those two plates have been rendered in sections of the Gibeon meteorite, complete with unique Widmanstätten pattern. Because of the setting in which they find themselves, they serve as accent pieces more than anything, providing an interesting context setting for the hands and the actual focal point of the watch at the bottom of the dial.

The stage is cleared from the 4 and 8 o’clock hour markers for the bottom bridge to which the variable-inertia balance is mounted. The design of the balance wheel is unique here. And it hosts a silicon balance spring being regulated by a silicon palette fork and escape wheel, all of which join the going train right to the hand stack on the front of the dial. It’s a dramatic presentation that tells the story of the movement in plain sight, from the top (where the mainspring barrel is visible) to the bottom (where the escapement is housed). It looks complex, but in reality it presents its mechanical processes quite simply. 

As a whole, this watch looks to be aiming for a high-end sporty vibe, which is an odd place to be from a practical standpoint. There is an interesting design and architecture here, as well as a strong horological backbone, but the manner in which it’s packaged leans a bit more heavily toward ‘wear this as a statement’ than I’d like. But if you’re looking to make a statement, this watch is certainly capable of doing just that. 

The Girard-Perregaux Free Bridge Meteorite is priced from $25,700 and is available from retailers now. More from Girard-Perregaux.