Girard-Perregaux has created three hand-painted watch faces as part of its 1966 collection where every enamel dial is a unique work of art created by master craftsmen.
The watch maker uses two techniques. For the Pur Sang watch face with a horse, a base plate is enamelled in white. Coloured enamels are then used to decorate the surface of the dial using a microscope for precision. The dial is fired after every colour application, starting from the most resilient colours to the most
delicate ones.
The piece is then finished with one last transparent layer of enamel.
For The Map and The World, a cloisonné technique is used where the shape of continents are created within a fine gold wire design, into which the enamel is applied. The liquid enamel is
laid into the cavities using a brush. Next comes the firing, timed to the minute in a furnace at 800°C.
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 adds shine and finishes the artwork.
Each of the new watches comes in a 40mm pink gold case housing the GP03300-0060 mechanical self-winding movement, which offers a power reserve of 46 hours.
Only 50 pieces will be made of each style.
