GIRARD-PERREGAUX WATCHES
Girard-Perregaux is a Swiss high-end watch manufacturer with a rich horological history dating back to 1791. The history of the brand is marked by legendary watches that combine sharp design with innovative technology such as the renowned Tourbillon with three gold bridges presented by Constant Girard in 1889 at the Paris Universal exhibition where he was awarded a gold medal.
Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 1856, Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest Swiss watch manufactures still in operation. It is one of the very few watchmakers to unite all the skills of design and manufacture under the same roof including the manufacturing of movements.
Now a part of Sowind Group SA, Girard-Perregaux follows an integrated, value-added approach which is fundamental in producing an authentic product stamped with its own genuine identity, rather than a simple assembly of components. The Manufacture allows it to offer one of the most comprehensive movement portfolios in the Haute Horlogerie industry, ranging from self-winding mechanical movements for all types of watches to quartz movements.
History of Girard-Perregaux Watches
The origins of Girard-Perregaux are inextricably linked with two iconic figures in Swiss watchmaking: Jean-François Bautte and Constant Girard.
Jean-François Bautte
Jean-François Bautte was born in 1772 in Geneva to a modest working-class family. Orphaned very young, he was apprenticed at the age of twelve and trained variously as a case fitter, guillocheur, watchmaker, jeweller and goldsmith.
He signed his first watches in 1791 and, with his talents as a craftsman reinforced by a head for business, soon developed his own manufacture, bringing together under the same roof all the watchmaking professions of the period. Here he produced timepieces, jewels, machines, music boxes and other objets de vertu.
Counting European royalty among his clients, this shrewd businessman and industrialist established commercial dealings not only with the courts of Europe, but also with Turkey, India and China. Upon his death in 1837, he left an extraordinarily rich industrial and cultural heritage to his successors Jacques Bautte and Jean-Samuel Rossel.
Constant Girard
Constant Girard was a native of La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Born in 1825 in the city nestled in the Neuchâtel Mountains, Constant Girard founded the Girard & Cie firm in 1852. Two years later he married Marie Perregaux (1831-1912), born to a family of important watch merchants from Le Locle. The Girard-Perregaux Manufacture was born from the marriage of their two names in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1856.
Constant Girard was particularly acclaimed for his research into escapement systems, notably the tourbillon escapement. The quality and beauty of his creations were rewarded by a number of prizes and distinctions at national and international competitions, and also at Universal Exhibitions.
In 1867, he presented a tourbillon which was a prize winner at the Paris Universal Exhibition. The culmination came in 1889, when his famous Tourbillon with three gold Bridges, established as the icon of the Girard-Perregaux firm, won a gold medal at The Paris Universal Exhibition.
The watchmaker was a true visionary. In 1880, he developed a wristwatch concept aimed at German naval officers, which was ordered by the German Kaiser Wilhelm I. The glass was shielded by a grille to protect it from shocks. Two thousand watches were produced, making this model the first major commercial wrist watch ever developed. However, the idea, which was revolutionary at the time, failed to catch on immediately. Indeed, it would not be until the beginning of the following century that the wrist watch would achieve its familiar popular success.
Nurtured and developed by the Girard Perregaux family, the Manufacture gained recognition well beyond Europe. It was among the first to introduce the Swiss watch in America, where Constant Girard-Perregaux, along with his brothers-in-law Henri (1828-1893) and Jules Perregaux (1838-1903), set up offices.
In 1865, Henri set off for Argentina, accompanied by his wife. He set up in Buenos Aires as the special agent for Girard-Perregaux in various North and South American States. From 1872, his remit extended to the West Indies. He spent sixteen years of his life helping the Brand prosper and flourish in all the American markets.
Girard-Perregaux expanded its global presence to Asia, a remarkable achievement made possible by one of Marie’s brothers, François Perregaux (1834-1877), who was among the pioneers of Swiss watchmaking in Japan. In 1859 he left for Asia with a mandate from the Watchmaking Union to establish an export business. In 1860 he settled in Yokohama, thus becoming the first Swiss watch merchant to establish himself in the Land of the Rising Sun.
In 1865 he founded F. Perregaux & Co. One of the leading figures in the French-speaking community in Japan and one of its longest-established residents, he was the official agent for Girard-Perregaux until his death in 1877.
At the dawn of the 20th century, Girard-Perregaux enjoyed unparalleled renown. Its predominance at international exhibitions was such that the firm was judged ineligible for awards, then appointed a permanent jury member of the international watch exhibitions in recognition for its constant quest for precision. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin himself measured his flight tests using Girard-Perregaux timepieces.
When Constant Girard-Perregaux died in 1903, his son Constant Girard-Gallet (1856-1945) took over control of the Manufacture. In 1906, he took over the famous Bautte firm, merging it with Girard-Perregaux and Cie.
Otto Graef
In 1928, Otto Graef (1862-1948), a watchmaker of German origin established in La Chaux-de-Fonds since the age of 20 and owner of the MIMO Brand (Manufacture Internationale de Montres Or), took over the capital stock of Girard-Perregaux.
His company took on a global dimension. In 1930, sales of wrist watches exceeded those of pocket watches for the first time, fifty years after Constant Girard-Perregaux had conceived this method of wearing a timepiece.
In the 1940s, the Girard-Perregaux Brand pursued its development both in Europe and the Americas, especially with the Sea Hawk water-resistant model, while the MIMO Brand was primarily distributed on European markets. The year 1945 saw the creation of a rectangular Art deco inspired model, which would be revived fifty years later and dubbed the Vintage 1945.
In the late 1960s, Girard-Perregaux was one of the very few manufactures to have its own internal R&D team. This research department would enable the Brand to develop several revolutionary movements. In 1966, it presented the first high frequency movement, with a 36,000 vibrations/hour balance: the Gyromatic HF.
This discovery fundamentally changed the world of chronometry. Watches equipped with this movement naturally achieved excellent rate performances. Girard-Perregaux was awarded certificates from the Observatories for its series-produced watches, in competitions where only watches which had been specially prepared would pass the tests. That same year, the Neuchâtel State Council decided to recognise the work and developments of Girard-Perregaux by awarding the Brand the Observatory Centenary Prize.
Numerous innovations followed: in 1970, the first commercial presentations of Swiss quartz watches, including the Girard-Perregaux Elcron model, took place at the Basel Watchmaking Fair. In 1971, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the world’s first watch to be equipped with a quartz movement vibrating at 32,768 Hertz, now the frequency universally adopted by all manufacturers. In 1975, to celebrate its technological discoveries, the brand created a sport model equipped with an octagonal polished bezel and an integrated satin-finished bracelet, known as the Laureato.
In the late 1970s, faced with the rise of quartz, the Swiss watchmaking industry was in deep crisis. Girard-Perregaux was one of the first prestigious watch companies to take up the challenge of a return to traditional mechanical timepieces. Girard Perregaux’s master-watchmakers set about remaking twenty of the famous Tourbillon with three gold Bridges pocket watches: Number one was unveiled in 1981.
Luigi Macaluso
The Italian entrepreneur, architect and former racing driver Luigi Macaluso took over the reins of Girard-Perregaux in 1992. Had been the Brand’s official importer in Italy for many years and joined the Board of Directors in 1989.
Under his guidance, Girard-Perregaux became one of the major players in the Haute Horlogerie industry. His co-branding agreement with Ferrari led to a remarkable collection of sport and grande complication models between 1994 and 2004, all stamped with the legendary “Prancing Horse”.
At a time when many Swiss watchmaking companies were using external suppliers for their finished or semi-finished movements, Girard-Perregaux undertook a massive effort to develop its manufacturing strategy. Major investments followed, particularly in the area of research and development.
In 1994, a new family of ultrathin calibres known as the GP3000 and GP3100 was launched. In 1999, for its entry to the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), Girard-Perregaux presented a self-winding version of its famous Tourbillon with three gold Bridges, thanks to an ingenious patented platinum microrotor system positioned under the barrel.
In the same year, it developed a new column wheel chronograph movement 23.30 mm in diameter, fitted in a Small Chronograph model designed for women. The firm’s heritage was also given the limelight. In 1997, the Villa Marguerite, an early 20th century building in La Chaux-de-Fonds, was purchased and refurbished to house the new Girard-Perregaux Museum.
Developments and innovations continued into the 21st century. The Brand expanded its portfolio of movements: in 2001, it unveiled a movement with a new patented date display system, with a large window and a moon phase indicator. Renewing its key role in the history of the quartz watch, the Brand unveiled a new family of movements employing this technology. In 2006, it added the calibre GP2700 (19.40 mm) and GP4500 (30.60 mm) to its portfolio of self-winding mechanical movements.
In 2000 the ww.tc model was presented, featuring the ingenious and elegant combination of a chronograph with a world time indicator. A new design for Sea Hawk diving watches was introduced in 2002.
In 2004, the brand launched the Cat’s Eye in 2004, a line of ultra-feminine watches fitted with mechanical complication movements.
Girard-Perregaux indulged the art of Haute Horlogerie, unveiling new interpretations of some of its flagship models: the innovative Laureato Evo3 Tourbillon with three sapphire Bridges in 2006, and the Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon in 2007 were two examples.
The brand was also responsible for two world firsts: a perpetual calendar combined with world times (2006) and the Split Second Foudroyante Chronograph Tourbillon (2008). More than ever focused on innovation, it unveiled a spectacular development in 2008: a movement fitted with a constant force escapement dubbed “Echappement Constant “.
In 2010, to celebrate its bicentenary, Girard-Perregaux introduced a version of the Tourbillon with three gold Bridges miniaturised to wristwatch size (45 mm).
In addition to this dynamism in the area of technical innovation, Girard-Perregaux increased its international renown with the opening of its first exclusive boutique in Gstaad. In 2010, with the opening of « Girard-Perregaux on Madison » the Manufacture continues its development with an exclusive boutique in New York located at 701 Madison Avenue.
Takeover by Kering group
In 2011, French luxury group Kering acquired majority stake (51%) in Girard-Perregaux. In 2013, Girard-Perregaux launched their first Haute Horlogerie collection integrated with Constant Escapement.
In 2015, the remaining shares of Girard-Perregaux (49%) were acquired by Kering. In 2016, to celebrate the brand’s 225th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux launched the La Esmeralda Tourbillon inspired by the original 19th century pocket chronometer.
In 2021, Girard-Perregaux became the official watch partner of British watch maker Aston martin. The Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Aston Martin Edition was launched in the same year.
Under independent management
In May 2022, Kering group sold its entire stake in Sowind Group SA (parent company of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin) to its management.
The Sowind Manufacture Building
The Sowind Manufacture’s building was originally designed by the La Chaux-de-Fonds architect Léon Boillot. His signature on the corner of the marquise at the entrance – 136, rue Numa-Droz – shows that the main part of the building was constructed in 1904-1905.
The building was extended on the west side in 1918, to n°138. The building has undergone careful restoration since it was acquired by the Sowind Group in December 2001, with particular attention paid to the architectural features of the period while allowing for the specific demands made by a modern manufactory. The work took fifteen months.
The building has always been connected with the watch industry. At the outset, it housed the Tavannes Watch Co, owned by the Schwob family. This became Cyma but, following serious problems in the 1960’s, it changed hands and moved to Le Locle.
The premises remained empty and were eventually purchased by the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, which rented them until 1980 to a certain Girard-Perregaux. They were then bought by Ebel, which used them to house its watch-case and bracelet factory, Cristalor, until the end of the 1990’s.
Girard Perregaux Museum
Since 1999, the Villa Marguerite shelters the collections of the Museum Girard Perregaux. This proud stone building of Bourgogne dominates a vast park, just above the Girard-Perregaux’s headquarters. It was built in 1918, by the entrepreneur from La Chaux de Fonds Charles Nuding.
Girard-Perregaux acquired it in 1997. After a meticulous restoration of two years, it was opened to a public of amateurs and collectors, by appointment. About 400 rooms, collections tell the story of the brand since his its distant Geneva origin.
