Girard-Perregaux has carried the minute repeater in its DNA since Jean-François Bautte first developed striking mechanisms in the early 19th century. That heritage, however, has never looked quite like this. Introduced today, the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges houses the brand-new GP9530 calibre, the third in-house grand complication movement the manufacture has developed and produced in under six months. That pace alone demands attention.
A Dial That Is the Movement
The Minute Repeater Flying Bridges presents a fully open architecture: the dial is the movement, fully exposed through a 46mm aperture. Three rose gold bridges traverse the watch horizontally, each tipped with the arrow-shaped ends that trace back to the iconic Three Gold Bridges of 1867. The tourbillon occupies the lower portion of the dial, its lyre-shaped cage rotating once per minute, functioning simultaneously as the small seconds indicator.
Higher up, the white gold micro-rotor set with jewels completes the composition and balances it visually. A rose gold inner flange carries applied indices enhanced with blue luminescent material, and the skeletonised rose gold hands receive the same blue lume treatment. The architecture is deliberately symmetrical: every component has a counterpart, and nothing occupies space without a technical justification.
Calibre GP9530: Technical Notes
At 43.55mm in diameter and 10.75mm thick, the GP9530 combines three distinct mechanical systems: a minute repeater, a one-minute flying tourbillon, and a new automatic winding system driven by a white gold micro-rotor. The calibre runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), draws on 475 components and 47 jewels, and delivers a minimum power reserve of 60 hours.
Acoustic performance drives every technical decision in this movement. Girard-Perregaux fabricates the mainplate and bridges in titanium, a material that couples rigidity with low mass, enabling vibrations to travel through the movement efficiently. That mainplate connects directly to the rose gold case, so the acoustic path runs uninterrupted from the striking mechanism to the exterior.
Furthermore, Girard-Perregaux machines the gongs and their supports from a single piece of metal, eliminating the harmonic losses that occur when multiple parts join at mechanical interfaces. The centrifugal speed governor also relocates to the rear of the movement, removing a potential source of interference from the strike path. The box sapphire crystals on both faces of the case then project the resulting sound outward.
In terms of finishing, the GP9530 carries upward of 1,340 hand-polished chamfers, of which 295 are internal angles. Internal angles represent some of the most technically demanding work in high watchmaking, each requiring individual hand tools and exceptional control. The bridges receive alternating anglage and satin-brushing across their surfaces. Additionally, each assembled movement bears a small nameplate engraved with the initials of the watchmaker who built it, a discreet signature acknowledging that nearly 440 hours of work went into each unit.
Case and Wearability
The case is 18k rose gold, measuring 46.00mm across and 17.90mm in height. Those are considerable dimensions, reflecting both the size of the GP9530 and the acoustic requirements of a chiming watch. Girard-Perregaux builds the case in a monoblock construction, which reduces the number of joints and keeps it working as a unified resonating body. Activating the minute repeater requires pushing the arrow-shaped slide at 9 o’clock, a design choice that keeps the visual language of the bridges consistent across the case. Box sapphire crystals with anti-reflective treatment cover both sides, offering full visibility into the movement from above and below. The water resistance reaches 30 metres (3 ATM), achieved through the sliding-piece system integrated into the monoblock case. The watch ships on a black rubber strap with a woven textile texture, fastened with a triple-folding rose gold buckle.
Perspective
The GP9530 (ref. 99840-52-2013-5CC) arrives as part of a broader creative push from Girard-Perregaux that has produced three major in-house calibres in under six months. For a manufacture with 230 years of horological history, that velocity signals a deliberate intent to assert technical leadership rather than simply rest on a long-established reputation. The acoustic engineering, the skeletonised architecture, and the integration of automatic winding into a simultaneous minute repeater and tourbillon all point to a movement designed from first principles. Comparable grand complications from Girard-Perregaux combining a minute repeater and tourbillon have historically positioned above the CHF 400,000 range; given the additional winding architecture, the acoustic optimisations, and the 440-hour assembly figure, the GP9530 does not surprise with its € 615.000 price tag. Is well deserved.
Girard-Perregaux Minute Repeater Flying Bridges Technical Specifications
Reference 99840-52-2013-5CC – € 615.000
Functions
- Minute repeater
- Tourbillon
- Hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon
Movement
- Reference: GP09530-2198
- Mechanical self-winding Manufacture movement with white gold micro-rotor
- Diameter: 43.55 mm (17’’’)
- Height: 10.75 mm
- Frequency: 21 600 vph (3 Hz)
- Number of components: 475
- Number of jewels: 47
- Power reserve: minimum 60 hours
Case
- Material: pink gold
- Diameter: 46.00 mm
- Height: 17.90 mm
- Glass: box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Case-back: box-type glare-proofed sapphire crystal
- Water resistance: 30 meters (3 ATM)
Dial
- Pink gold inner bezel ring.
- Applied hour-markers enhanced with blue-emission luminescent material
- Hands: pink gold openworked hands enhanced with blue-emission luminescent material
Strap
- Material: black rubber with a fabric effect
- Clasp: pink gold triple folding clasp
About Girard-Perregaux
A Manufacture of Design and a Manufacture of Movements since 1791.
With over 30 calibres in its catalogue, 80 patents, and a legacy spanning more than 230 years, Girard-Perregaux is a master of Haute Horlogerie.
From its origins, the brand stood out as a pioneer. In 1791, it introduced the idea of a modern integrated watch manufacture, the first of its kind, which would inspire the industry that followed. The founders and leaders of the brand, each in their time, advanced the prestige of the brand through their visionary and forward-thinking spirit.
This spirit led to key milestones: the Three Bridges Tourbillon in 1867; the first ever high frequency mechanical movement in 1965, with a 36,000 vph; the universal quartz frequency (32,768 Hz) in 1971; and the Constant Escapement in 2013, winner of the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Each breakthrough is the result of an in-house team passionate about pushing boundaries while honoring tradition.
Girard-Perregaux is also deeply design-driven. Every element — form, structure, aesthetics — is conceived, developed, and crafted in-house. The Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, awarded at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition, was revolutionary both technically and visually.
This philosophy found its purest expression in the Laureato. Launched in 1975 and entirely designed in-house, it draws inspiration from bold and symmetrical forms — a signature of Girard-Perregaux’s style — most notably expressed through its octagonal bezel, now a defining element of the Laureato’s visual DNA.
Over the years, the Laureato has embraced new complications and automatic movements, evolving while preserving its distinctive identity.
Today, Girard-Perregaux is internationally respected and admired by watch lovers and collectors for its incomparable approach to Haute Horlogerie. It is a name synonymous with sophisticated luxury and timeless aesthetic… A Manufacture that has always remained true to its long and undeniable heritage.