Girard-Perregaux Launches the Calibre GP4800, Its Next-Gen In-House Movement With Silicon Escapement

Girard-Perregaux has an extensive track record in watchmaking and is one of the most enduring integrated manufactures of the Swiss watch industry. In the 1980s, at a time when the quartz crisis had crippled mechanical watchmaking, the brand was among the first to champion the renaissance of traditional movements. Today, Girard-Perregaux announces the launch of a new in-house, automatic 11 ½ lignes calibre (or 25.60mm, the classic size for Swiss automatic movements), something that feels quite surprising at first. Indeed, the manufacture already possesses a large portfolio of base movements in this diameter range. Yet, a closer look at the new Calibre GP4800 reveals it to be a worthy addition, both technically and aesthetically.

A legacy of movement manufacturing

Girard-Perregaux’s expertise in movement design stretches back well over a century. Since the late 19th century, the iconic Tourbillon with Three Bridges has stood as a rare example of a movement so distinctive that it identifies the brand at first glance. GP was also among the elite manufactures of the Neuchâtel mountains to distinguish itself in the Observatory chronometry competitions, alongside Ulysse Nardin and Zenith.

The 1960s marked another era of innovation for the maison. There was the Gyromatic line with its unique winding system, and in 1966, Girard-Perregaux became the first to produce high-frequency movements (5Hz or 36,000 vibrations/hour) on an industrial scale – a major leap in precision, earning the brand the Centenary Prize of the Neuchâtel Observatory. Soon after, the brand also pioneered quartz technology, establishing the now-universal frequency of 32,768Hz (more details here).

Following the quartz crisis, Girard-Perregaux was at the forefront of mechanical watchmaking’s revival. In the early 1980s, it reintroduced the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, first in pocket watches and then in wristwatches in 1991. Also in the early 1990s, it unveiled the GP3000 series of ultra-thin automatic movements. At a time when very few brands manufactured their own calibres, the GP3000/3100 even ended up beating at the heart of watches from brands such as Vacheron Constantin, Gérald Genta, Daniel Roth, Cartier, Harry Winston, MB&F or Urwerk, to name a few…

The New Calibre GP4800

As mentioned above, the debut of a new base calibre was, at first, unexpected to me. With a portfolio already spanning calibres from 8 ¾ to 13 ¼ lignes – with the elegant, tried-and-tested GP3000 families or the larger GP1800 – why introduce a new 11 ½ lignes (25.60mm) movement? The answer lies in the construction of the Calibre GP4800, which offers substantial enhancements over its predecessors. Measuring 25.60mm in diameter and 4.28mm thick, the GP4800 is designed not only as a base calibre for current or future models, but also as a versatile platform for future complications.

Among its technical highlights, the movement incorporates modern materials and solutions to improve performance:

• Escapement: The escape wheel, pallet lever, and roller are crafted in silicon, a lightweight, non-magnetic, and wear-resistant material ideal for precision watchmaking
• Balance: beating at a modern rate of 4Hz (or 28,800 vibrations/hour), the Calibre GP4800 features a variable-inertia balance with an inertia of 8 mg.cm², a higher-grade solution than the annular balances used in the GP3000 family (very few versions of the movement ever featured such a solution). Interestingly, the hairspring remains conventional; a somewhat unexpected option given that Sigatec, partially owned by Ulysse Nardin (a sister company), produces silicon hairsprings… But the silicon hairspring patent war is not over yet. 

• Power Reserve: a robust 55-hour autonomy, compared to 46 hours of power reserve on the GP3000
• Winding: Unidirectional automatic winding with lubricant-free ceramic ball bearings; a technology GP was among the first to adopt in the early 2000s. The winding mechanism also includes a shock-absorbing system that filters the propagation of vibrations generated by the bearing to other components of the watch, thus reducing noise and enhancing durability

Finishing and Aesthetics

The Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP4800 is as visually compelling as it is technically advanced. The aesthetics feel modern with a monochrome look, except for the rotor and golden engravings. But it incorporates visual elements characteristic of the brand’s heritage, starting with its construction that emphasises symmetry, with a skeletonised balance bridge secured by a full bridge. As said, the rhodium-plated bridges bear golden engravings, including the eagle emblem of the manufacture. These are decorated with Côtes de Genève, diamond-bevelled edges, and mirror-polished screw heads. The mainplate is sandblasted on the visible areas, while the openworked oscillating weight features arrow-shaped motifs in tribute to the brand’s legendary tourbillon. 

Stay tuned to discover the first watches powered by the GP4800 soon, and for more details, visit www.girard-perregaux.com.