One of the most distinctive tourbillon movements ever, the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges derives its signature aesthetic from the linear layout of the movement and the trio of horizontal bridges. Last year Girard-Perregaux unveiled the first Neo Tourbillon, replacing the traditional gold bridges with arched titanium bridges. Now the titanium bridges are matched with a titanium case coated in diamond-like carbon (DLC).

The concept of Girard-Perregaux’s tourbillon is brilliantly simple: the mechanism is laid out in a linear manner, starting with the gear train (or power source) at the very top, sitting under the first bridge. Transmission of power and time display is done by the gear rain, which is under the second bridge. And the bottommost bridge is for the tourbillon regulator.

Mechanically the Neo Tourbillon is identical to the classic GP tourbillon, with the modifications being aesthetic, but they give the watch a completely different look. The titanium bridges are three-dimensional, produced via a milling machine, instead of being cut from a thin sheet of gold as is necessary for the traditional style of bridge.

Because the bridges are made of titanium, and finished with a simple frosted surface, they are much less expensive to produce than the traditional gold bridge. This is why the Neo Tourbillon costs significantly less than the tourbillons with gold bridges.

DLC coating is applied to the bridges, and also the base plate. The matte black finish causes them to recede into the background, bringing the gold wheels, hands and tourbillon to the fore.

The view of the tourbillon is enhanced via the box-shaped sapphire crystal that sits directly on the case, with no bezel to obscure the view from the side.

With most of the mechanics on the front, the back presents a less complex view, though several features are noteworthy.

The grand sonnerie style winding ratchet is positioned at 11 o’clock is an elaborate and appealing detail, as is the the winding wheel with spokes that echo the shape of the tourbillon carriage. Up close the finishing on this wheel is exceptional, with the sharp points on the spokes demonstrating Girard-Perregaux is still capable of brilliant movement decoration.

The Neo Tourbillon in DLC titanium is priced at 133,000 Swiss francs or 210,300 Singapore dollars (including 7% tax).

Certain woods can be nearly as hard as metal, making them exceptionally hard to machine. Historically Urwerk‘s prowess has been in machining exceptionally complex case forms (the 103, 201 and Opus V were groundbreaking in their day) in metal, a skill that has now been applied to wood for the first time.

Instead of the conventional steel or platinum, the front plate of the UR-110 Eastwood is made of hard wood, either Macassar ebony or red ebony.

Ebony is amongst the hardest wood species in the world, nearly three times harder than teak. Machining the front plates of the UR-110 Eastwood wore out the drill bits as rapidly as machining steel, according to Urwerk co-founder Felix Baumgartner.

Particularly challenging were the finer details of the front plates, to ensure a perfect fit with the metal frame below, leaving absolutely no gaps between the metal borders and the ebony. The ebony is so precisely machined that no only is it seamless with the metal frame, it curves to fit the front plate perfectly.

The UR-110 Eastwood is available in Macassar ebony, a dark brown wood with black striations.

And also in red ebony, which has a brighter tone that is slightly orange.

Also a first for Urwerk is the strap attachment. Essentially a pair of metal loops, one on each side of the case, the lugs allow for a canvas band to be used and easily swapped out. The UR-110 Eastwood is supplied with a pair of wool tweed strap made by Timothy Everest, a bespoke tailor based in London who brought fashion to Savile Row tradition, who is also an Urwerk client.

The rest of the watch is identical to the typical UR-110, with a case in titanium that measures 47 mm in diameter and 51 mm long. Two winding turbines are visible on the rear of the case. And the time is displayed is displayed with rotating cubes for the hours, with the minutes on a scale on the right edge of the case.

The Urwerk UR-110 Eastwood is limited to five pieces in each wood with a price of 105,000 Swiss francs before taxes.