GP Girard-Perregaux

GP GIRARD-PERREGAOX MANUFACTURE DEPUIS
1791
ew watchmakers can boast the kind of history associated
Franc;ois Bautte launched his first timepieces on an unsuspecting
with Girard-Perregaux, one of the oldest watch companies
public, soon gaining a reputation for his ultra thin models. As his fame
in existence. The Swiss company recently celebrated 213
grew, Bautte established a manufactory that housed each and every
years of expert craftsmanship, precision technology and
craft invol ved in the production of watches under one roof.
flawless design; skills that have been passed down from
When Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux in 1854, it was more
generation to generation. Over the years literally hundreds of
than their souls that were united and two years later their names were
watchmakers
and
joined once more when the Girard-Perregaux manufactory was born.
expanding exact techniques, reinventing the concept of precision to
have
contributed
their expertise,
repeating
Girard spent the next 13 years working on his masterpiece, a tourbillion
reach an unprecedented level of accuracy. They are veritable guardians
with three golden bridges that was awarded the gold medal at the
of the Swiss heritage and have made Girard-Perregaux a world leader
Universal exhibitions of Paris in both 1867 and 1889. Somewhat
in the field of luxury watches.
impressively, the watch was declared ineligible in 1901 because the
The life of Girard-Perregaux began back in Geneva in 1791 when Jean
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judges felt it simply could not be equalled.
Girard accomplis hed more in his illustrious career than
simply baffling panels of judges howeve r, and in 1880 he
came up with a truly innovative concept tha t demonstrated
a remarkable amount of foresight: the wristwatch. Despite
an order from Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany, most people
thought the idea outlandish and production was
discontinued. It was not until the beginning of the
twentieth century that the wristwatch became popular.
The Second World War scarcely affected Girard-Perregaux's
activities and it continued to develop both in Europe and the US. To
The men 's model is available in two complicated versions: a
meet the needs of an internationally renowned company, construction
chronograph and a large date and moon phases indicator.
began in 1948 on building a new manufactory in the long-established
watch making centre, La Chaux-de-Fonds.
its owner. Whether a chronograph or an ultra-thin watch equipped with
Over the next 50 years Girard-Perregaux continued to grow, finding
automatic or hand-wound movements, each timepiece is distinguished
many innovative ways to meet the constant challenge of technology
by refined lines and tim e less dials. Timepieces are every man's
along the way. Perhaps the most important innovation occurred in 1969
jewellery and the Classic Elegance collection is suitable for a n y
when the manufactory designed and produced a quartz movement with
occasion, presenting the wearer w ith a timeless s ty le .
a frequency of 32.768 hertz, which soon became the universally
As the name suggests, the Sport Classique range boasts several
accepted standard for all watches w ith quartz movements . This
technical features that guarantee greater resistance to the pressures of
standard frequency was a hugel y important technical breakthrough.
today's increasingly rigorous ac tivities, such as a screw-down crown
Toda y the manufactory employs more than 200 people, all dedicated
and back that ensures greater water-resistance. These watches are
to producing the finest timep ieces in the world. The company has a
designed to provide excellent legibility even in extreme conditions,
very well balanced reach that spans the world, from Europe to Asia, the
thanks to a special luminescent finish on the numerals and hands.
United States, South America and the Middle East.
Girard-Perregaux has made its name primarily as a manufacturer of
By developing its status as a manufactory, Girard-Perregaux became
men' s wa tches, however, spurred on by the success of the Vintage 1945
one of the very few Swiss watch companies to possess the vast technical
Lady line, the company has combined its creative spirit to develop several
expertise necessary to design and produce movements. This status
quintessentially feminine models. The Lady Collection is designed for
demands a thorough understanding of every aspect of research,
women who love the subtle blend of technology and style and brings the
development and production, and also requires a sophisticated
company firmly into line w ith sexual equality in the 21st Century.
infrastructure and highly qualified personnel to guide the way. As such
Every watch bearing the Girard-Perregaux name has been conceived
the Research and Development department hou ses the world's finest
and manufactured by the comp any's designers, engineers and
wa tchmakers and engineers who control the entire production process
watchmakers. Movements are assembled , engraved and decorated by
from conception to realisation.
hand by experts wi th specialised knowledge carefull y nurtured
This subtle combination of traditional watchmaking skills and cutting
by generations of
edge technology results in unique and stunning watches that possess
watchmakers. The
universal appeal, style and grace. Perhaps the most famous collection is
mo vemen ts undergo
• The reputation of JF Bautte was
sealed when the Grand Duke of
the Haute Horlogerie, which refers to watches whose movements contain
quality test s at
Tuscany, Leopold II, ordered the
grand technological complicati ons sllch as the minute repeater, perpetual
various stages of the
exceptional Montre Lepine. Housed
calendar, moon phase, split-second chronographs and tourbillions.
manufacturing
in an 1826 Florentine double-ducat,
Boasting incredibly intricate trains and gears, fine adjustments and tin y
process, providing a
the watch is only 3.3 mm thick
components of flawless construction, the Haute Horlogerie collection can
guarantee not only of
be matched by only a fe w master watchmakers toda y.
fine workmanship but
Girard-Perregaux's museum exhibits man y of the company's m ost
also total reliability.
renowned I·" atches, one of which is a superb rectangular piece that l"las
A Girard-Perregaux
reproduced in a limited seri es in 1995. Called the Vintage 1945, this
- _-a use the
Every piece in the Classique Elegance range reflects the personality of
watch
stands
model is as alluring as ever with its strong lines, subtle retro appeal and
testament to over 200
curved ergon om ic case. It was so well received that Girard-Perregaux
y ear s of expertise ,
has since created several interpretation s for the Lad y Collection.
making it the only
The Riche \' ille tonneau is an excursion in understated elegance
characte rised by soft lines, harmonious proportions and refined dials.
truly classic timepiece
in the world.
i
n
s
i~
• In 1998 Girard-Perregaux acquired
the Villa Marguerite , an early 20th
9
h
Century building in which to house
the manufactory's new museum.
t
s
Today it displays some of the finest
timepieces in the company's long
and distinguished history
I
• Girard-Perregaux owns the only
surviving watch manufactory in the
world
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