Hands-On With The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — Could We Catch The Purple “Butterfly” Inside?
Why use a traditional, coiled balance spring when you can use a 14-micron-wide and 120-micron-“thick” silicon blade instead? With the latter, Girard-Perregaux set out to overcome the inherent challenge of fluctuating power delivery in mechanical watches. The goal for the 235-year-old Swiss watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds was to achieve consistently superior precision. The quest involves an out-of-the-box balance spring in the shape of a flexible silicon blade — six times thinner than a human hair — to store energy and release it in a steady, controlled impulse to the balance wheel, compensating for variations in the mainspring’s tension. We went hands-on with the latest 45mm Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement in pink gold and got hypnotized by the pulsating purple “butterfly” that is the escapement spring. Did we catch it? Read on to find out.
The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement (ref. 93510-52-3552-5CX) is an impressive watch in many ways. Its pink gold case, for instance, features a royal 45mm diameter and 14.8mm thickness. The watch’s openworked design, with its symmetric elements prominently present, is quite eye-catching. The wheels on the top half of the dial create a somewhat industrial look, and on the bottom half, the two golden bridges, an easy-to-recognize GP trademark, are impossible to miss. Beneath those two bridges is where you can discover the purple “butterfly,” the extremely thin, innovative, flexible silicon blade that acts as an escapement spring. Once you’ve seen the butterfly flapping its wafer-thin wings and regulating the movement, you can never unsee it and will be forever fascinated.
The Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — From train ticket to movement component
Girard-Perregaux first introduced its Constant Escapement technology in 2008. Creating a silicon blade integrated directly into the escapement itself was made possible by working with Sigatec during the 1990s, notably with the emergence of Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE). When the Constant Escapement L.M. watch debuted in 2013, it earned the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève). You probably know the anecdote behind the idea of a blade. It was a GP watchmaker who was playing with his train ticket. While observing the ticket, he noted how it curved into a C shape before abruptly snapping into the opposite arc — a phenomenon known as buckling. That observation led to a spring in the regulating organ of a movement.
Developing a working escapement using a flexible blade must have been frustrating at times, but ultimately, the hard work paid off, resulting in a functioning movement. Apart from the blade, a Neo Constant Escapement incorporates a “fifth wheel” linked to the gear train. This wheel channels energy to two escape wheels, each equipped with three teeth, in harmony with the movement’s 3Hz frequency. These escape wheels deliver energy alternately rather than simultaneously through a rocking lever to the buckling silicon blade. The purple silicon blade inside the pink gold Neo Constant Escapement is six times thinner than a human hair and interacts with a lever that delivers a precise, consistent impulse to the balance wheel.
A butterfly flapping its wings
A crucial feature of the system is the deliberate interruption in power flow between the barrel and the escapement. The silicon blade spring is wound with each oscillation of the balance. This means that at 3 Hz, this process occurs six times per second. The result is a pulsating movement of the purple blade, creating a microspectacle comparable to a butterfly flapping its wings — or, rather, a very delicate, thin monowing. And even if you don’t see the butterfly, you can observe the blade, pulsing the balance wheel with a precise dose of energy.
The idea of creating a movement with constant force worked. Irrespective of the energy stored in the twin barrels, which allows for an impressive seven-day power reserve, the force serving the balance wheel remains uniform until exhaustion. This ensures a consistent amplitude and a constant rate.
The crazy, creative, and technically innovative idea works. The chronometer-precise GP09200 is an in-house movement resulting from 20 years of research and development. It holds 15 patents, two of which are pending. Before a movement is fully done and ready for its COSC certification, dozens of silicon escapement springs are tested to find the right one with the perfect geometry. This is the key to chronometric success.
More than silicon
GP made sure that its vast expertise in haute horlogerie shines through in the design of the Neo Constant Escapement. The movement’s symmetric layout catches the eye and contains many attractive highlights. The characteristic golden bridges at 6 o’clock, for instance, are enticing symbols of high horology. Another very cool, semi-industrial component highlighting the movement’s technicality is the linear power reserve at 9 o’clock.
And there’s more to lust after. The new pink gold version of the Neo Constant Escapement, showing different types of finishing, has newly designed skeletonized hour and minute hands. They’re crafted in pink gold and enhanced with blue-glowing black luminescent material for optimal readability.
Also, Girard-Perregaux slightly reworked the flange and indexes. The contrasting anthracite and pink gold tones create a vibe of technical luxury. The golden GP logo certainly stands out, ensuring credit goes where it is due. You won’t see a watch like the Neo Constant Escapement from any other brand but GP.
Final words on the Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement — Did you catch the “butterfly?”
Wearing the pink gold Girard-Perregaux Neo Constant Escapement, priced at €140,000 / US$134,000 / £114,000, is an event in itself. There’s no denying this is a large watch, and the precious alloy also makes it quite heavy. But that’s okay for a watch that is also a showcase of horological innovation. You don’t wear this timepiece to go unnoticed, either by your peers or yourself. This is a watch you study and admire. You want to see the spectacular purple “butterfly” flap its wings and marvel at it. You spotted it too, right?
