Girard Perregaux Watches - A Brief History |
[American
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Piguet
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| Corum
| Ellesse
|Fortis] [Girard Perregaux
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| Oris | Omega
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Phillipe
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Heuer]
The history of this prestigious Swiss manufacturer can be traced back to
Jean-Francois Bautte, the famous Geneva watchmaker. Though orphaned at a very
young age, the young man confronted life with determination. In 1791, by the
time he was nineteen, Jean-Francois Bautte had learnt several trades, acquired
the education which his modest background had denied him, and begun making his
first watches. It would not be long before his name became familiar to the royal
courts of Europe. A master watchmaker of rare talent, Jean-Francois Bautte was
also an astute "industrialist" and businessman with a brilliant, imaginative and
generous character. He is credited with creating the first genuine ultra-thin
watches and the truly visionary concept of the Manufactory as a producer of
high-quality timepieces.
Unfortunately, Jean-Francois Bautte did not
have a successor or heir to take over his company when he retired. The problem
of what to do with the company was quickly solved when a merger was arranged
with another watch manufacturer. In 1854, Constantin Girard married Marie
Perregaux. As both came from watchmaking backgrounds, it seemed perfectly
natural to use both names when they formed their own company. So it was that the
Girard-Perregaux brand was born, in 1856.
More than just a famous
watchmaker, Constantin Girard was also a patriot committed to the republican
cause and always ready to devote time and energy to his beloved town of La
Chaux-de-Fonds. Only a few years were needed to establish a reputation that
spread as far as the New World. His technical and aesthetic masterpiece, the
"Tourbillon Sous Trois Points d'Or" (translation: Tourbillon with Three Gold
Bridges), was unquestionably the greatest achievement of a life largely devoted
to the research and development of the art of watchmaking. This amazing pocket
watch won Girard-Perregaux two gold medals at the Paris Universal Exhibitions in
1867 and 1889, and is considered one of the most desirable mechanical watches
ever made.
The tradition of innovation initiated by Jean Francois Bautte
has been perpetuated to the present day by Girard-Perregaux. Throughout its long
history, the Manufactory has made a number of exciting and innovative
contributions to the world of watchmaking. Foremost among these is the concept
of the wristwatch. Although a few pocket watches had already been modified to be
worn on the wrist, Girard-Perregaux was the first watchmaker to produce this
kind of timepiece in a series, around 1880.
In addition,
Girard-Perregaux has developed several revolutionary movements, the most notable
of which have been the Gyromatic, the high-frequency mechanical movement that
has become collectible in their own right, as well as the quartz movement, whose
frequency of 32,768 Hertz has become the universally accepted standard. In fact,
it was Girard-Perregaux's innovations in the realm of quartz timekeeping that
allowed it to survive the Swiss watch industry's economic crisis during the
1970's and 1980's.
Although Girard-Perregaux did not thrive during the
1970's and early 1980's, unlike other Swiss watch companies, Girard-Perregaux
not only survived fully intact, but emerged even stronger than before and
fiercely determined to continue producing high-quality mechanical timepieces
using in-house movements. At a time when many prestigious Swiss companies were
looking to outside suppliers for their raw movements, Girard-Perregaux simply
would not compromise quality to improve the bottom line.
The company's
massive efforts to upgrade their factory, while training a new generation of
master watchmakers to produce the highest quality wristwatches, was clearly a
gamble but one which paid off handsomely when consumers re-discovered the
pleasures of wearing traditionally hand-finished mechanical timepieces.
Girard-Perregaux's master watchmakers continued their efforts in the
early 1980's. After extensively studying an original model acquired at auction,
the watchmakers revived the expertise, which had originally created the
Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges pocket watch. To make a replica of this
marvel, however, they had to think in modern terms and re-design all the
components. Although computers would prove helpful in the design phase, the
watchmakers nonetheless had to re-learn all the traditional crafts and skills
that had died along with the masters.
In 1991, on the occasion of its
200th anniversary, the company achieved the amazing feat of adapting the
technology of the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges to a wristwatch version.
Several variations have been produced since then. These watches, which are
completely handmade in Girard-Perregaux's workshops, are amazing works of
mechanical art, and the Three Bridges, which are cast in solid gold, are
stunningly beautiful to behold. Some six to eight months of continuous work are
needed to produce such a watch, with the House's most talented senior
watchmakers meticulously crafting each component by hand, assembling the
movement, testing the complicated mechanism and finally casing up the completed
movement in a massive gold or platinum case. As of this writing, only 20 such
Tourbillon wristwatches have been produced to date.
Needless to say,
watch lovers around the world quickly took notice of the company's amazing
comeback, and the company capitalized even further on its newfound success by
obsessively dedicating itself to the production of wristwatches of the highest
quality at extremely competitive prices. Moreover, in 1993, Girard-Perregaux
signed a co-branding arrangement with the celebrated Italian car manufacturer,
Ferrari, which has yielded a remarkable line of sporty chronographs.
Along with the Ferrari chronographs, the company's other popular models
include the Vintage Men's automatic, which features an in-house Girard-Perregaux
3000 self-winding calibre; the Chronograph 9000, featuring a refined
self-winding movement which can be viewed through a sapphire-crystal back; and
the Olympic Chrono 1992, which boasts an in-house Girard-Perregaux chronograph
movement.
In summary, Girard-Perregaux offers one of the highest quality
wristwatches available in the contemporary watch marketplace. Best of all, these
watches can be obtained at very favorable prices for collectors.
Please
remember that this is an unofficial account of the
history of this company, Should you happen to
find any mistakes with our information then please
contact
the webmaster. Back
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[American
Waltham
| Audemars
Piguet
| Blancpain
| Breitling
| Bulova
| Cartier
| Corum
| Ellesse
|Fortis] [Girard Perregaux
| Gucci | IWC
| Jaeger le Coultre | Longines] [Movado
| Oris | Omega
| Patek
Phillipe
| Rolex |
Seiko | Tag
Heuer]
|