Girard & Company, London, Case No. 29458, 50 mm, 98 g, circa 1870

Swiss hunting case pocket chronometer with pivoted detent escapement
Case: 18k gold. Dial: enamel. Movm.: three-bridge movement, keywind, blued gold screw compensation balance.

What we see here is the forerunner of a construction destined to become world-famous – the three bridge movement by Girard-Perregaux that reached its culmination in the three bridge tourbillon, highly sought-after by collectors and only obtainable at premium prices. This early design has a rare pivoted detent escapement and an unusual balance where the steel part of the bimetal wheel has been blued.

Girard & Cie.
The Swiss watchmaker Constantin Othenin Girard founded the company Girard & Cie. in 1852 in La Chaux-de Fonds. In 1956 he married Marie, the sister of renowned chronometer maker Henri Perregaux; in the same year Girard and his brother-in-law established the company Girard-Perregaux which evolved from Girard & Cie.
Around 1860 Constant Girard had a small department store in London, where he exported watches marked "Girard, London" to Peru and Chile from; the movement of these watches had been specially gilded.