Simply Abu Dhabi Magazine XXV

A s a founding member of the SIHH and part of every edition until 1999, it must have been a great pleasure for Girard- Perregaux to return in style to this most prestigious of luxury trade fairs. Girard-Perregaux, which is part of the Kering Group, is enjoying a remarkable phase in its extensive 226-year history. In 2016 the brand was a double winner at Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève awards and being back at the SIHH is a positive move for the much admired company. Antonio Calce, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, said of the return, “As a founding member of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, Girard-Perregaux naturally regains its position alongside the most prestigious brands of haute horlogerie.” And it’s a comeback with some exceptional pieces. The Girard- Perregaux Tri-Axial Planetarium is one of the brand’s standout novelties from the event. The three-dimensional Planetarium watch combines a Tri-Axial tourbillon, a globe performing one full turn in 24 hours, and an astronomical moon phase. This is a masterful alliance of technical expertise, iconic design and time-honoured craftsmanship. Most important of all, it evokes the essence of Girard-Perregaux and with the arrow-shaped gold bridges, a lyre-shaped tourbillon carriage, sapphire domes and a side opening enabling light to flood into this superbly refined mechanism, it is unmistakably a GP timepiece. The high-speed tourbillon is equipped with a regulator operating on three rotation axes instead of just one. This featherweight 1.24g,140- part movement comprises an inner lyre-shaped carriage – a signature of the Maison since 1880 – performing one rotation per minute. It is fitted inside a structure spinning on a second axis in 30-second cycles. Both are in turn incorporated within a third structure revolving once every two minutes on yet another axis. The result is a mesmerising choreography entirely dedicated to conquering precision. Girard-Perregaux Tri-Axial Planetarium 9 4 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I