CHARLES GIRARDIER WATCHES
Charles Girardier is a Swiss luxury watch company that makes complicated watches with the ancestral techniques of the Métiers d’Art.
Created in 2018 by Geneva-based Patrick A. Ulm, the brand resurrects the work of Charles Girardier L’Aîné (the Elder). In 1809, this Genevan was awarded the title of Master Watchmaker and was already producing elaborate pocket watches with dials featuring finely painted scenes and miniature automatons. It was when Patrick A. Ulm discovered one of his creations in England, in the Agatha Christie Museum, that he began the research that led to the establishment of the Charles Girardier luxury watch brand.
At the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix 2020, the Tourbillon Signature Mystérieuse ‘Fleur de Sel’ (Salt Flower) won the 1st prize in the Ladies’ Complication category – it was Charles Girardier’s first watch and first public appearance.
The brand’s flagship watch collections are the 1809, Magic 8 and Synchronaut® GMT.
The Charles Girardier 1809 watch models are characterised by their Signature Mystérieuse. A direct tribute to the eponymous founder, the stylised initials take on a moveable form, patented by Charles Girardier.
In the medallion located at noon on the dial, two mobile elements turn freely on themselves. They draw an intertwined C and G, which Charles Girardier chose to fashion in gold. As the name does not appear on the dial, they in fact brand the piece. At the client’s request, the Signature Mystérieuse can be crafted entirely bespoke to reflect his or her particular desires.
Charles Girardier watches retail price range is CHF 28,000 to CHF 100,000.
