Charles Girardier is proud to participate to the charitable Only Watch 2021 to be held November 6, 2021. The proceeds of this auction go towards the research on therapies against the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. This initiative is being managed by the “Association Monégasque contre les Myopathies AMM”. Charles Girardier will contribute to this auction by donating a timepiece of Art made on purpose for this noble cause: 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock “Fusion Enamel” Timepiece of Art Flying Tourbillon & Rotating Mysterious Signature Unique Piece for ONLY WATCH.
Just Imagine ! You are in 1780, in Geneva…
Charles Girardier is 21 years old and starts his own pocket watch workshop, during the “golden years” of watchmaking, the beginning of a very unusual watchmaking course.
In 1809, Charles Girardier becomes Master Watchmaker.
Now we jump into time.
239 years later to be precise.
You are in 2019. Patrick A. Ulm, a Swiss entrepreneur, discovers in the Agatha Christie’s Museum in London, a pocket watch signed “Girardier the Elder”, which inspired the famous character of Hercule Poirot.
This is the first spark in Patrick’s mind.
Then, Patrick avidly connects the dots, visits other Museums in Paris and Geneva with superb “Girardier the Elder” pocket watches, incredible handcrafted dials, some of them with animations. Patrick buys back other Charles Girardier’s pocket watches (still ticking!) from private collectors.
The sparkle becomes an inner fire.
And a crazy idea too: Give birth again in 2019 to Charles Girardier 1780 and to his inner spirit, yet as a creative actor of contemporary watchmaking.
• One foot in the 18th century with an immense talent: the art of Geneva enamelling with hand-painted miniatures on the dials.
• Another foot in the 21st century, with contemporary Fine Watchmaking, Grand feu Enamelling with delicately pinched paillons and Mechanical
Art like a unique peripheral rotor: single ball bearing therefore extremely silent.
And already in November 2020. Great surprise! For its very first participation, Charles Girardier wins the Geneva Watchmaking “Oscar”: The Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix / GPHG 2020 for its 37 mm complication, the model “1809” in 37 mm, in front of :
• Van Cleef & Arpels
• Bulgari
• Piaget
• Louis Vuitton
• and Jacob & Co.
Well done for a come-back!
As the CEO of the brand formulates it:
“I wanted to revive a sleeping beauty that had fallen asleep in the beginning of the 19th century. The next chapters of the House Charles Girardier will be guided by the same incarnated passion, values and DNA that the Master Watchmaker Charles Girardier instilled more than two centuries ago.”
The “1809” Charles Girardier Tribute to Jackson Pollock”- Only Watch 41 mm is the perfect opportunity for Charles Girardier 1780 to also demonstrate the strong and deep belief that in life, it is also important to help others and give.
And this strong value is truly part of Charles Girardier DNA.
* Grand Prix Horloger de Genève 2020 : GPHG 2020 37 mm Complication: Charles Girardier Prize Winner
Only Watch 2021: watch name
“1809” Tribute to Jackson Pollock by Charles Girardier 1780 “Fusion Enamel Grand Feu” Timepiece of Art Flying Tourbillon & Rotating Mysterious Signature Unique Piece for ONLY WATCH 41 mm
Why 1809? because in 1809 Charles Girardier became a Master Watchmaker. And because a 8 shape, symbol for eternity, infinity and wealth, is recognizable on the dial, which assembles the various complication of the watch: eternal Grand feu enamel dial, Rotating Mysterious Signature, Flying tourbillon/Reference: CG.OR5.01.BOW
Only Watch 2021: Short Description
The « 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock by Charles Girardier 1780 – Only Watch » in 41 mm: A double mechanical ballet with a flying tourbillon and the patented “Rotating Mysterious Signature” at 12 o’clock featuring the Charles Girardier Monogram with an interlaced C and G moving each time one reads the time, following the movement of the wrist : a Charles Girardier 1780 patent.
With a handcrafted dial inspired by the Art of Jackson Pollock ! From Fine watchmaking to Art Craftmanship to Art: The best of many worlds.
By the Prize Winner of the « Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix » GPHG 2020 37 mm complication the 100% Geneva watchmaking House Charles Girardier 1780.
Only watch 2021: Long Description
Inspired by Charles Girardier’s legacy of playful mechanical complications, the « 1809 » Tribute to Jackson Pollock, features a triple innovation: • Flying Tourbillon with a unique Peripheral Rotor : single ball bearing ultra-silent ! • Rotating Mysterious Signature : a Charles Girardier 1780 playful unique patent • Fusion Enamel : a patented secret !
This mechanical triple ballet is enhanced by an impactful hand-made “Fusion Enamel”, dial a unique craftsmanship literally merging into pure contemporary Art. Almost 6 days only to create this “Only Watch” dial…
• At 6 o’clock, a one-minute flying tourbillon enhanced by a set tourbillon cage, with a unique Peripheral Rotor with an ultra-silent single ball bearing!
• At 12 o’clock, the playful, poetic and animated “Rotating Mysterious Signature” features the Charles Girardier Monogram with an interlaced C and G moving when you read the time, following the movement of your wrist. The energy required for this ballet is provided by an oscillating weight dedicated to this complication and hidden under the dial: a Charles Girardier Patent.
Our exclusive one-of-kind automatic Flying Tourbillon movement captures the energy with up to 46 hours power reserve.
The movements of life and creativity encapsulated in a unique zero-gravity timekeeper…
Last but not least, Charles Girardier offers to the highest bidder the personalization of the “Rotating Mysterious Signature” with his own Initials or lucky number! A unique watch for Only Watch and fully personalized!
To underline :
For this Charles Girardier “1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock – Only Watch” unique piece, we chose to create a singular dial with a very rare technique by hand called “Fusion enamel”, a « high fire enamel » craftsmanship, and a “tribute” to the famous artist Jackson Pollock legacy.
A dial inspired by contemporary “action painting”
For this Only Watch unique piece, we chose to create a dial with a very unique technique called “Fusion Enamel” which results to a quite similar appearance with the action painting in contemporary art. We wanted to express creativity and enlarge our vision of Enamel with an artistic approach which makes this dial colourful, eternal and unique.
Using traditional craftsmanship, we are reinterpreting it by creating an explosion of colours and shapes on a gold plate just as Jackson Pollock did using oil and enamel on canvas.
A secret patent covers our “Fusion Enamel”: it is all about various temperature techniques around 800 Celsius degrees and art craftmanship. Secret remains secret…
Charles Girardier 1809 Tribute to Jackson Pollock « Fusion Enamel » Technical Specifications
Reference CG.OR5.01.BOW
Movement
- Exclusive calibre CG 1809
- Flying tourbillon with automatic winding by bidirectional peripheral rotor: single ball bearing ultra-silent!
- 28’800 A/h; 4 Hz
- 46 hours power reserve
- Diam. 13 ½”’, 30.6mm
- Grained bridges traditional frost gilt method with brushed silver powder
- Engaging angles on barrel and tourbillon bridges
Case
- 41mm
- Rose Gold case engraved with
- “Pièce Unique” and “Only Watch 2021”
- Case in18K
- 5N rose gold
- Gold: 103 grams
- Dimensions: Diameter 41 mm / Thickness 12,20 mm
Dial
- Grand Feu enamel magnified with “Fusion Enamelling secret technique”: a secret patent
- Applied 18K rose gold indexes
- “Dauphine” shaped hands
- “Rotating Mysterious Signature – Proprietary mechanical complication “trademark (registered for patent)
Strap
- Traditional Woven Ribbon :
- Woven by hand on ancient Jacquard loom.
- 18K Red Gold 5N 2- blade folding clasp with 4-position adjustment system
Estimation / Estimate
- CHF 75 000 to 90 000
- EUROS 82 000 to 99 000
- USD 67 000 to 81 000
