A Trip Up The Coast With Girard-Perregaux And Aston Martin
A beautiful watch, car, and coastline; what could be better?
By Alexandra Cheney
Characterized by foggy mornings and balmy evenings, locals will tell you there's nothing like August along California's coast. Sliding into a 2021 Aston Martin Vantage Roadster, with its warm, bright yellow tang exterior juxtaposed against a cool morning mist, I depart Cannery Row, San Francisco and head south. Girard-Perregaux's Neo Bridges Earth to Sky Edition watch is on my wrist, as I begin to feel the raw power of the Aston Martin's 503-horsepower motor. At 45mm it could easily overwhelm, but its lightweight titanium case and skeleton-esque dial give the illusion of a smaller watch.
A few miles into the drive, I dropped the top of the two-door convertible and careened toward the Pacific Coast Highway. Monterey pine forests quickly changed to rugged stretches of seaside cliffs, as the road narrowed and I crossed through Big Sur, down to Ragged Point, and onto San Simeon.
About the Neo Bridges Earth to Sky Edition
Faithful to the DNA of Girard-Perregaux, the Neo Bridges Earth to Sky Edition is inspired by the brand's Neo-Tourbillon models. It features a self-winding movement powered by a visible micro-rotor located at 10 o'clock. A welcome addition to the drive, the layout of the watch felt thoughtful without over-complication, much like the offset stitching on the accompanying alligator leather strap (paralleled by the interior of the Vantage Roadster).
The color-matched dials caught the midday sun, as I pulled to the side of the road, snapping photos of the cobalt-hued Pacific Ocean. Those shades of blue clearly resonated; I quickly found myself eating a purple and white, rainbow-sprinkled donut in the quaint town of Solvang. Known for its Danish-style architecture, I stretched my legs after passing the midpoint of the journey, wandering down alleyways reminiscent of Europe.
Winding Down the Day
It's a short jaunt through the hills to Santa Barbara, where sprouted sandwiches and kombucha were on the menu. The essence of Golden State freshness, my late lunch hailed from California's central valley, which produces a quarter of America's food; I rightly raised my glass in a toast. Eye-catching in its design, the waiter praised my watch, which beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour and boasts a power reserve of exactly two days.
I chose to bid the day adieu at Butterfly Beach in Montecito, a little over an hour north of Los Angeles. As the name implies, it's fairly common for a pastel sunset to be accompanied by some winged friends, and offset by a row of wind-shaped palm trees.
Girard-Perregaux's Neo Bridges Earth to Sky Edition can be purchased for $28,100. Aston Martin's Vantage Roadster, as tested, can be purchased for $203,886. For more information on the watch, visit Girard-Perregaux's website. To learn more about Aston Martin, visit the automaker's website.
(Photography by Chris Meugniot)
Visit Girard-Perregaux's Partner Page
And receive each week a custom selection of articles.
Enter your email to receive our newsletter*
From Coventry to Geneva: Recreating the Jaguar E-Type's Epic 750-Mile Journey
By Alexandra Cheney , Contributor
In automobiles as gorgeous and desirable as any timepiece, Watchonista retraces a journey that beautifully underlines the impact of the Jaguar E-Type.
On the Road with Aston Martin's 2023 DBX & Girard-Perregaux's Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition
By Mike Espindle , Executive Editor
A segment-redefining luxury crossover, a superb timepiece built for speed, a sunny day on some rural roads…What's not to like about this...
Here Comes the Sun: A SoCal Springtime Drive in the Track-Ready McLaren 765LT Spider
Is there anything lovelier than a clement ramble up the coast with the top down and sunnies on?
Girard-Perregaux Neo Bridges "Earth to Sky" Edition