The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, reference 99285000-BA6A, is a 40 mm pink-gold watch built around a movement normally hidden beneath a dial. Its three parallel bridges frame the mechanism and tourbillon, carrying forward an architecture Girard-Perregaux traces to 1867. The result is not simply a tourbillon with decorative supports: the bridges are the watch’s defining visual structure.
What the Three Bridges design means
In a conventional watch, the movement sits behind a dial and most of its construction is out of view. Reference 99285000-BA6A has no conventional dial, leaving the movement architecture exposed. Three gold bridges cross the visible mechanism, drawing the eye to the tourbillon at the lower part of the display, where small seconds are indicated.
The design’s history begins as a technical arrangement rather than an ornamental motif. Girard-Perregaux says Constant Girard presented the first Tourbillon under Three Parallel Bridges in 1867, using the parallel architecture to organize and reveal the mechanism. The company dates Girard’s US patent for the architecture to 1884. Girard-Perregaux’s history describes the bridges as a defining part of that development.
From the 1867 concept to La Esmeralda
In 1889, Girard unveiled La Esmeralda, a pocket watch with gold bridges shaped like arrows. The maison records that it received a gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris. This watch helped establish the bridge arrangement as a recognizable expression of the brand’s approach to movement design, not just a way to display a complication.
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Girard-Perregaux’s historical timeline gives the key dates: 1867 for the first Three Bridges tourbillon, 1884 for the US patent, and 1889 for La Esmeralda. The story of the 40 mm wristwatch is therefore one of a later interpretation of a long-running architecture, rather than a watch that dates back to the original pocket-watch era.
How the 40 mm watch is put together
The reference 99285000-BA6A pairs a pink-gold case with the self-winding GP09600-0030 calibre. La Cote des Montres lists the case at 40.00 mm in diameter and 11.55 mm thick, with water resistance of 30 m (3 ATM / 3 bar). These are published specifications, not independent measurements.
Rank #2
- Girard Perregaux Caliber GP01800, beats at 21,600 vph, composed out of 191 parts, contains 28 Jewels & has an approximate power reserve of 54 hours.
- Power reserve: Min. 54 hours
- Blue dial with a hobnail guilloche texture
| Specification | Reference 99285000-BA6A |
|---|---|
| Case | Pink gold |
| Diameter | 40.00 mm, listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Thickness | 11.55 mm, listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Water resistance | 30 m (3 ATM / 3 bar), listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Movement | Girard-Perregaux GP09600-0030, self-winding mechanical |
| Components | 257, listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Jewels | 31, listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Frequency | 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz), listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Power reserve | 50 hours, listed by La Cote des Montres |
| Tourbillon cage | 79 parts and 0.278 g, listed for this model by La Cote des Montres and also reported by Time+Tide |
The cage figures are unusually specific: the model’s tourbillon cage is listed as comprising 79 parts and weighing 0.278 g. They describe this cage, not tourbillon cages as a category.
Why it should not be confused with the Three Flying Bridges
Girard-Perregaux’s contemporary Three Flying Bridges watches carry the family resemblance into a different design and movement generation. The modern 44 mm pink-gold version is a separate reference, not a larger size option for 99285000-BA6A. The brand’s description of a contemporary Three Flying Bridges calibre explains that its three bridges support the gear train, barrel and tourbillon while acting as the mainplate; that construction detail applies to the modern movement, not automatically to the GP09600-0030 in this 40 mm watch. The current Bridges collection shows how the architecture continues in a contemporary form.
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- Girard Perregaux Caliber GP08400, beats at 21,600 (3 Hz) vph, composed out of 208 parts, contains 29 Jewels & has an approximate power reserve of 48 hours
- The balance wheel is secured in place by a black PVD coated bridge at 6 o'clock. The generous proportions of the balance wheel (10.15mm in diameter) makes it less subject to disturbances and thus more accurate.
- The micro-rotor is located to the top left of the movement, while the main-spring barrel is located to the right side for a symmetrical design.
For a reader choosing between the two families, the important distinction is not merely 40 mm versus 44 mm. The watches differ in reference, calibre, winding and bridge treatment. They share a design lineage, but the 40 mm Three Gold Bridges is its own model with its own published specifications.
What the historical claim does—and does not—establish
The phrase “150 years of greatness” is best understood as a reference to the longevity of the Three Bridges idea, not as a claim that this particular 40 mm reference has existed for 150 years. The dates documented by Girard-Perregaux place the original architecture in 1867, while the reference page identifies 99285000-BA6A as the specific wristwatch discussed here.
Rank #4
- Girard Perregaux Caliber GP01800-0008, beats at 21,600 vph, composed out of 191 parts, contains 28 Jewels & has an approximate power reserve of 54 hours.
- Power reserve: Min. 54 hours
- Blue dial with a hobnail guilloche texture
A 2018 hands-on article by Time+Tide emphasizes that the bridges’ visual appeal came after their structural purpose. Its account offers an interpretation of the design, but it does not establish a controlled accuracy result for this watch. The published 3 Hz frequency and 50-hour reserve are specifications, not proof of performance in a particular wearer’s conditions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Availability and ownership context
The available source information does not establish whether reference 99285000-BA6A remains in production, is currently in retail stock, or has a current price. The reference is identifiable, but those commercial details need confirmation from Girard-Perregaux or an authorized retailer. As a mechanical watch with a tourbillon, it will require specialist servicing; no model-specific service interval or cost is established here.
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- Girard Perregaux caliber GP03300, beats at 28,800 vph (4Hz), composed out of 419 parts, contains 63 Jewels & has an approximate power reserve of 46 hours.
- Power reserve: Min. 46 hours
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