Girard-Perregaux's first tourbillon movement featuring three gold bridges was patented in 1884 by one of the firm's founder, Constant Girard; the unique example in the history of watchmaking represents still today a perfect combination of aesthetical, technical and symbolical aspects. At the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, his tourbillon with three gold bridges was awarded a gold medal and then declared out of competition, as it was beyond match.

Nearly 200 years later, in 1986, the firm's Research and Development Department was mandated with the creation of the wristwatch version of the tourbillon with three gold bridges to celebrate Girard-Perregaux's bicentenary in 1991. The challenge of miniaturizing the pocket watch movement and to inverse its construction by positioning the gold bridges on the dial side was perfectly mastered and crowned by the launch of the celebrated "Tourbillon sous trois Ponts d'or" wristwatch.