Girard-Perregaux has just unveiled the latest iteration of their iconic world-timer – the WW.TC Chronograph – this time presented in an eye-catching White Ceramic case. As with previous models the WW.TC Chronograph features 24 world times, date, small seconds, day/night indicator and of course a fly-back chronograph.
Last week we showed you the new, incredible value-for-money, Worldtimer from Alpina Geneve. Now we head a little more upmarket (at least as far as price is concerned) and turn the spotlight onto the latest special edition of Girard-Perregaux’s enduring classic – the ww.tc – aptly named the Dark Night.
I’ve always thought that the ww.tc collection from Girard-Perreguax offers some of the best world-timers on the market; clean, well-designed and easy to read. Their latest adaptation, the ww.tc John Harrison, has only served to re-enforce this view whilst at the same time allowing the brand to showcase its superb in-house enameling capabilities.
John Harrison – In Brief
For those not in the know (which included myself up until a short time) John Harrison is considered by many to be one of the greatest British watchmakers ever and was the inventor of the H-4 watch (capable of calculating a ship’s longitude to within half a degree). To test the reliability of this historic timepiece his son, William Harrison, embarked on a sea voyage in November 1771 taking him from Portsmouth, England, to Port Royal, Jamaica. The performance of the watch was assessed against a map of the Atlantic Ocean throughout the journey and was found to be quite satisfactory.
The WW.TC John Harrison
To celebrate this achievement GP have created a limited edition ww.tc which features a gorgeous champlevé enamel dial depicting the journey undertaken by the younger Harrison, delicately indicated across the dial by a trace of silvered powder stretching from Europe to America. And whilst the end result may look simplistic enough, the process to achieve this stunning finish is anything but.
Produced in the manufacturer’s own, in-house enameling workshop (which I have been fortunate enough to visit), the contours of the map are engraved on an unprocessed plate of white gold, while the compass rose, showing the eight directions of the wind and measuring no more than 3 mm, is hand-sculpted by a craftsman-engraver. Ensuring even distribution the liquid green and blue enamel is laid into the cavities using a brush, before the dial is put in for the firing process, timed to the minute in a furnace at 800°C, to create the magic of vitrification. After cooling, the excess enamel is removed by vigorous sanding using a hard stone and water. The dial is then manually polished with a diamond file, before a last firing called “Dorure” or gilding which adds shine and reveals the enamel’s full splendor.
And whilst the dial is the obvious visual draw-card it’s the little touches that, in my opinion, really make this a polished piece. For example the two main ports of the journey, Portsmouth and Port Royal, are highlighted in royal blue on the cities ring, whilst the hands are also subtly skeletonized to ensure as uninterrupted a view as possible of the exquisite dial.
Turn the 41mm white gold case over and you discover that GP has one more testament in store; the pink gold oscillating weight has been engraved with a parchment bearing the dates on which the H-4 started and finished its Atlantic crossing. A small touch no doubt but it just adds that little bit extra to the authentic feel of this piece.
Available in a limited series of just 50 pieces so please act quickly if you want one.
The Final Word
Whilst this piece is certainly nothing new from GP in terms of function and overall construction, it still allows the brand to exhibit its mastery of what is fast becoming a lost art and takes this from being just another world-timer to something a little more special.
For more information please visit the official Girard-Perreguax website: www.girard-perregaux.ch/
Often high-horology pieces, whilst exceptionally beautiful, are not always practical to be worn on a regular basis. Fortunately though, this does not necessarily have to be the case. Renowned for their superior skill and craftsmanship the ww.tc Tourbillon from Girard-Perregaux successfully combines two of the watchmaker’s most iconic hallmarks, the world time function and the emblematic Tourbillon with three gold Bridges.
This is, as the brand proudly proclaims, an expression of Girard-Perregaux’s savoir faire in crafting superb Haute Horlogerie timepieces. In our opinion, it is also a timepiece that has been designed to be worn.
Practical In Nature…
The ww.tc from Girard-Perregaux has become a much admired and cherished piece, with several variations of the original being made, including the infamous ww.tc Financial which indicates the global stock market trading times. With its established style and traditional design, the watch displays the practical world time function, which allows the wearer to easily read the time simultaneously in all 24 time zones with just a glance at the stunning dial.
The piece also features a Day and Night indicator so that you know whether its morning or afternoon in London as well as small second indicator at 6 o’clock.
Exceptional In Design
However, it is not just about practical usability. You see, the clean dial of the ww.tc Tourbillion hides a breathtakingly beautiful secret of its own. The unmistakably Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with its iconic gold bridges is only visible through the case back, making it a very personal and understated complication. This is almost a shame given the stunning visual appeal of this movement, but at the same time it makes this exceptional piece of high horology a very real and practical option for everyday wear.
The manual wound movement is simply spectacular, paying homage to its historical roots. In 1884, Constant Girard-Perregaux applied for a patent from the United States Patent Office to provide protection to the movement he had created, which was designed with three parallel arrow-like bridges. At this time this was a completely unheard of concept in the world of watch-making – the movement was considered to represent not simply a technical and functional part of a timepiece – it was also a design feature. In 1889, this Tourbillon with three Gold Bridges received a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition.
As such, the rich heritage of the piece is self-evident. The attention to detail required to construct a Tourbillon of this level of sophistication is almost unfathomable. In total it is assembled from 72 components, all of them required to fit into a diameter of just one centimeter. The trademark three bridges which adorn the movement are hollowed out and painstakingly hand-polished to achieve an incomparable finish. A task which takes Girard-Perregaux’s master watchmakers an astonishing seven days to complete!
The Final Word
The ww.tc Tourbillon from Girard-Perregaux represents the successful marriage of practicality with high-horology. Complex enough to delight even the most seasoned of enthusiast but at the same time sensible enough to be worn everyday this piece guarantees the proud owner illimitable satisfaction. As Girard-Perregaux’s marketing campaign suggests, it has certainly been worth the wait.
See the official Girard-Perregaux website here.
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