lot 38

Girard-Perregaux

Tourbillon WWTC

Estimate CHF 30 000 / CHF 40 000
Starting bid CHF 30 000

Hammer price CHF 36 000
Total bids 5
All prices do not include 24% Premium

Specification

CaseRose gold case 750/1000, with a GMT crown at 9 o'clock, sapphire caseback
StrapBrown alligator, with original rose gold folding clasp
DialWhite dial, with applied golden numerals, small seconds at 6 o'clock, 24 hour GMT ring, day and night indication, rotating disc 24 cities indication
MovementHand wound Tourbillon movement with three rose gold bridges
Cal.9804
Ref.99350-52-111-BAEA
Movement No.No 10
Case No.10
AccessoriesBox + Papers
D=43 mm
Year2008

Condition report

Case:Good, small signs of wear
Strap:Good, signs of wear
Dial:Mint condition
Movement:All functions working properly
Amplitude (Dial on top/Lift angle 52):260 degrees
Accuracy (Dial on top):+5 s/day
Box:Yes
Papers:Yes

Details 

An extremely attractive, complicated yet modest and rare complicated mechanical wristwatch of the famous Swiss watch brand Girard-Perregaux, founded in 1791. Estimated production period: 2005–2010. Case in 18k rose gold, diameter 43mm, thickness 13.15mm, light cream dial, hour and minute feuille hands in rose gold, luminous, sapphire caseback. Caliber GP 098G0, hand wound, with three rose gold bridges from the reverse side, power reserve up to 75 hours. Functions – indication of time in hours and minutes, small seconds hand, world time with day/night indication, tourbillon. Screw-down correction crown at 9 o’clock rotates the city disc, the winding crown at 3 o’clock is intended for setting the time and adjusting the night/day 24-hour scale. Dark brown crocodile strap with 18k rose gold Girard-Perregaux double folding clasp. 

Lot essay 

The characteristic feature of the present example and its caliber is its unique design with three gold bridges, opened from the reverse side, compared with the majority of Girard-Perregaux’s three gold bridges tourbillon wristwatches featuring a design with gold bridges on the dial side. We should note in the classic version of the original pocket watch movement, invented in 1867 by Constant Girard, one of the founding fathers of the brand, three gold bridges were installed in accordance with tradition, not on the dial side of the movement but on the reverse side. The design of the movement was patented by Constant Girard in the USA in 1884 (design patent No. 14919), and in 1889 the luxurious Esmeralda pocket watch with a tourbillon and three gold bridges was awarded a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition. In 1981, in honour of the 190th anniversary of the brand, Girard-Perregaux launched a 20-piece series of tourbillon pocket watches with three gold bridges. In 1986, on the eve of its 200th anniversary, the brand started the development of commemorative wristwatches again with a tourbillon and three gold bridges, which was completed with the release of the first Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d’Or wristwatches in 1991. 

Reference 99350 is a very rare variation of a branded design with three signature gold bridges of a baroque shape on the reverse side, together with a laconic dial featuring a world time complication. Production of Ref. 99350 started in 2005 and continued to around 2010 in very limited numbers, most likely no more than a few pieces per year. The Ref. 99350 was offered in 18k rose gold with a light cream dial, as in the present lot, or in 18k white gold with a black or light cream dial. The present lot is only number 10 in the series of rose-gold models. 

Reference 99350 is a very rare variation of a branded design with three signature gold bridges of a baroque shape on the reverse side, together with a laconic dial featuring a world time complication.

The caliber GP 098G0 of the present watch is nicely hand-finished on each of its parts, including the three arrow-shaped pink gold bridges with rounded-off bevels and a hand-polished finish of the flat surfaces. The upper and lower tourbillon cage parts are bevelled and hand-polished, the engravings on the barrel cover are executed by hand and gold-plated, and Perlage is applied in the mainplate recess under the tourbillon cage. 

Please note in the certificate of origin included in this lot, the reference is indicated by the brand as BAEA, however, we could not find any alternative confirmation of the existence of this reference and of noticeable differences from the well-known BACA reference. Therefore, we refer to this lot as BACA here. 

Reasons to bid 

The ww.tc Tourbillon Hours of the World Ref. 99350-52-211-BACA No.10 OR is an extremely attractive purchase for the collector, offering the opportunity to obtain an attractive, very rare and complicated mechanical wristwatch from a world-famous traditional watch brand, one of the undoubted leaders in the haute horlogerie watch market. This watch is an impressive showpiece of Girard-Perregaux craftsmanship, able to create its most famous iconic design in a wristwatch and its movement with a fine tourbillon of traditional haute horlogerie design and three gold bridges – a design which is still without comparison. At the same time, the 43mm size, warm hues of traditional round rose gold case, modest design with signature three bridges and tourbillon opened from the back, useful world time complication and the undoubted retention of the relevance of its design and execution make it a pleasure to wear this watch on a daily basis.