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A Closer Look at the Girard Perregaux

Being one of the oldest Swiss watch brands, Girard Perregaux, is not satisfied just sustaining its status, but keeps on striving for breakthroughs and innovations. Just recently in 2021 the brand took its first attempt collaborating with the Aston Martin F1 team and released a few contemporary models. 

This historical brand may not be as high profile as other gigantic names such as Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, but we should have already acknowledged Girard Perregaux‘s history and legacy. Yet we probably are not aware of its recent successes, let’s take a closer look at this esteemed brand’s story and popular models. 

History and Brand Story of Girard Perregaux

The roots of Girard Perregaux can be traced back to the year 1791 when watchmaker Jean-François Bautte signed his first watches in Geneva. Since then the company had proudly been manufacturing watches fully in house from the watch engineering to hand-polishing of every piece. 

GIRARD-PERREGAUX Laureato 81065-21-491-FH6A

This Maison of Jean-François Bautte of Geneva was later acquired by the Girard-Perregaux company, which is how we know it today, in 1906. The original Girard Perregaux was founded by Constant Girard under his own name in 1852, and after he married Marie Perregaux, he changed the company name as of today’s, Girard Perregaux, in 1956. From that time 1906, the Bautte Company merged with Girard-Perregaux onward, the brand had taken the lead in the world of haute horology. 

For over the century, the brand has generated a number of patents and unveiled some of the most complicated masterpieces of that time. Been through the influence of the quartz crisis, Girard Perregaux further reinforced its position in the high end mechanical watch industry. 

GIRARD-PERREGAUX Girard Perregaux 49590-39-612-BB6B

In the late 1980s, Girard-Perregaux was acquired by the Swiss Sowind Group and 30 years later the Sowind Group has become a subsidiary of the French luxury Corporation, the Kering Group. Transferred to the Kering Group’s umbrella, this Swiss watchmaker has continued to grow and expand its influence in the high end watch market. Amongst the global market that have been desiring the watches from Girard Perregaux Singapore market is especially active. 

Popular Girard Perregaux Watches

Compared to other watch brands, Girard Perregaux has been focusing on creating masterpieces with elaborate complications. These Girard Perregaux watches are all made in-house in the brand’s La-Chaux-de-Fonds facilities, including its legendary Tourbillon models. Within the GP watch family, there is a wide range of styles such as elegant dress watch line Girard Perregaux 1966, Vintage 1945 and Haute Horlogerie, the world clock model WW.T.C which refers to worldwide time control, as well as its innovative and sports watches Laureato, the diving watch Sea Hawk, the digital watch Casquette, etc. 

Girard Perregaux Tourbillon with three gold bridges

Being what the brand is well recognised for, its tourbillons with three gold bridges are the flagship model of the brand. The GP tourbillon holds the brand’s core value and legacy and furthermore, has brought incredible fame and honor to the brand by winning numerous international awards. 

Image Source: girard-perregaux.com/

Early in 1884, The design of the “Tourbillon with three gold bridges” movement was already patented by Constant Girard in the United States. With a dedicated design in the form of parallel arrows, the movement performed incredibly while at the same time functioning and decorating the watch. In 1889, the Girard Perregaux Tourbillon with three gold bridge was awarded the gold prize at Paris’ Universal Exposition.

For these decades, its famed tourbillon has already become a versatile collection that houses a number of exceptional luxury mechanical watches that many watch collectors have dreamt for. 

Girard Perregaux 1966

GIRARD-PERREGAUX 1966 49555-11-131-BB60

As suggested by its name, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 consists of watches which have taken inspiration from the design aesthetics of the 1960s. including not only a very elegant three-hand watch, but also the so-called “Fleming-Watch” with full calendar and moon-phase indication.

In 2012, Girard Perregaux released some updated versions, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar version and a 1966 Chronograph model, which has garnered another wave of admiration amongst the Gp watch collectors. These 42 mm GP watches for men have been taken into account as a new grand classic of the brand.

Girard Perregaux Laureato

First launched in 1975, the GP Laureato is always associated with Patek Philippe’s Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak which were both born in the same period of time. They were considered as the three most memorable models while featuring the same integrated bracelet and octagonal bezels. Although it is less famous than the other two in the mass market, the Girard Perregaux Laureato has also collected a considerable group of supporters as a sought-after model in the family. 

girard perregaux
GIRARD-PERREGAUX Laureato 81020-11-631-11A

While most of the Laureato models featured quartz movements in the 1980s, the brand started to place in-house automatic movements in the Laureato watch in 1995 at the collection’s 20th anniversary. Seeing the high popularity of GP Laureato, the brand released a few updated models and expanded the collection with a sportier Laureato Evo3 model In 2005, and a re-designed version in 2016 for the brand’s 225th anniversary. The 2016 Laureato is equipped with the advanced in-house GP 3300 movement that impressed many watch experts. 

At the moment, the current collection is offering a wide range of variations in different case metals including gold, titanium, steel and ceramic, along with dial colors such as blue, black or silver hobnail-pattern (“Clou de Paris”) dial have joined the Laureato collection. There is even a version with a sapphire case, the Laureato Absolute Light, launched in 2020.

Special Girard Perregaux Aston Martin Editions 

In 2021, Girard-Perregaux formed a partnership with Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula 1 Team and became its Official Timekeeper Partner. The watch brand released three special edition models under its most popular collections, to honor this partnership. They are a Aston Martin Edition tourbillon version with Three Flying Bridges, a Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition as well as, another Laureato Absolute Chronograph in Aston Martin F1 Edition.

Girard Perregaux Casquette 2.0

girard perregaux
Image Source: girard-perregaux.com/

The original GP Casquette was first introduced as the brand’s innovative quartz watch in production from 1976 to 1978 in 8200 pieces. Actually the digital-display quartz watch was first invented in 1970 by American watch company Hamilton and in the following years renowned watchmakers from Europe and Asia had also presented their own digital watch. And the Girard Perregaux Casquette reference 9931 was one of the most memorable pieces. 

Early in March 2021, the brand again revived this sci-fi aerodynamic design and relaunched the Casquette 2.0. Coming up with the updated ceramic and Grade 5 titanium cases, this surprising comeback has again made a hot topic among the market. 

Historical yet always strive for innovation, Girard Perregaux is a well esteemed brand that deserve a place in your collection. 

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