Girard-Perregaux: An Overview of an Underrated Watch Brand

I’ll admit that I’ve used the word “underrated” to describe a fair amount of luxury watches in my day, but Girard-Perregaux watches legitimately might be some of the most underrated of all. Maybe they go overlooked because of the hard-to-pronounce brand name (“G-Raw Pair Ago”), or because Girard-Perregaux hasn’t established an identifiably distinct design language (aside from the Three Bridges design, which I’ll get into). But GP has an enviable history of making high-quality, well-finished watches with innovative movements. Here’s our guide to the Girard-Perregaux brand, including their history as well as their most relevant modern releases.

Girard-Perregaux Watchmaking Contributions

Although Girard-Perregaux watches have failed to establish a strong position in the average luxury watch buyer’s mind in recent years, the brand has some serious bona fides to its name. Here are six reasons why I think GP is historically noteworthy:

• One of the First to Present the Movement as Decoration – The Tourbillon with Three Bridges design that GP presented in 1867 was revolutionary at the time, not only because of its exceptional timekeeping but for presenting a functional part of the movement (bridges in this case) as an aesthetic element. The “Three Bridges” thing has pretty much been their calling card ever since.
• Broke the Balance Spring Cartel – In response to the formation of the Société des Fabriques de Spiraux Réunies (FSR) in 1895, which monopolized balance spring production and doubled prices, watchmakers united to establish their own balance spring factory. This effort culminated in the creation of the Société Suisse des Spiraux (SSS) in 1898, with Louis-Constant Girard-Gallet, son of Girard-Perregaux’s founder, serving as its first chairman. The SSS’s initial headquarters was listed as Girard-Perregaux’s address. Most watch brands, even some who claim to make in-house movements, outsource their balance springs. But not GP.
• First High-Beat Mechanical Watch – Girard-Perregaux introduced the Calibre 32A, the first mechanical watch movement with a rate of 10 beats per second, in 1965.
• Created the 32,768 Hz Quartz Standard – Almost all quartz watches now operate at 32,768 Hz, which is 2¹⁵. By using a power of 2, the rate can be divided down to 1 Hz with a relatively simple series of binary dividers. Girard-Perregaux created the first watch with a 32,768 Hz quartz movement in the early 1970s.
• Constant-Force Escapement – In 2013, Girard-Perregaux introduced the first watch with a true constant-force escapement. Unlike traditional constant-force mechanisms such as the remontoire d’égalité, which deliver a consistent flow of energy to the escapement, GP integrated the constant-force function into the escapement itself. The escapement is a silicon blade that buckles and snaps back, providing consistent impulses to the balance wheel. Having a steady supply of energy throughout the power reserve (theoretically) improves timekeeping. The CF Escapement is a legit horological achievement and one of the few highlights of the 11-year span when GP was owned by luxury conglomerate Kering.
• Part of the Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon Club – Minute repeaters are one of the most difficult watch complications to make, and I can think of only a handful of watch brands that have ever combined a tourbillon and a perpetual calendar with a minute repeater watch. Girard-Perregaux is one of them. All of the other brands in the minute repeater perpetual calendar tourbillon club are among the most expensive watch brands in the world, while exotic GP’s often sell for about 1/4th of MSRP.

Now that I’ve laid out some of the highlights, here’s a more thorough timeline of how the Girard-Perregaux watch brand got to where it is today. Note that ownership has changed hands six times:

Timeline

1791	Jean-François Bautte establishes a watchmaking company in Geneva.
1847	Constant Girard founds Girard & Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. He would soon marry Marie Perregaux.
1856	The Girard-Perregaux Manufacture is formed.
1867	Constant Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges wins a prize for chronometry at the Neuchâtel Observatory.
1880	Girard-Perregaux supposedly begins the first major commercial production of wristwatches with an order of 2,000 pieces for German naval officers. Some find this claim dubious, as no known photos exist of these watches.
1884	The United States Patent Office grants patent no. 14,919 for the three-bridge watch movement design. By this time, the bridges have their recognizable “arrow” shape.
1889	The Esmeralda pocket watch wins a gold medal at the Universal Exposition in Paris. In addition to having a Tourbillon with Three Bridges movement, its case is beautifully engraved by renowned artist Fritz Kundert. In fact, the engraving techniques used on the original Esmeralda have been lost to time.
1903	Constant Girard dies and his son, Louis-Constant Girard-Gallet, takes over.
1906	Louis-Constant Girard-Gallet acquires the Bautte House and merges it with Girard-Perregaux & Cie.
1928	Girard-Perregaux struggles and ceases production. Otto Graef, founder of MIMO (Manufacture Internationale de Montres Or), acquires the remains of the Girard-Perregaux brand along with his three sons (Willy, Paul, and Jean). MIMO released some notable watches over the years, like the Mimo-Meter (possibly the first watch with a date window) and although that brand is long gone, their influence on GP was huge.
1945	A rectangular Art Deco-inspired model is released, later revived as the “Vintage 1945” collection.
1965	The Gyromatic High Frequency becomes the first production watch with a beat rate of 5 Hz (10 beats per second). It receives the Centenary Prize from the Neuchâtel Observatory for achievements in chronometry.
1975	The Laureato model is introduced, featuring a relatively slim quartz movement and an iconic design that becomes a cornerstone of the brand.
1976	GP continues to embrace the quartz era with some very “1970’s” designs like the Casquette, featuring a digital LED display and an interesting hooded shape.
1979	Desco von Schulthess AG acquires Girard-Perregaux from the Graef family.
1980	Girard-Perregaux creates 20 pocket watch tourbillons based on the classic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges design.
1988	Businessman Francis Besson acquires the company.
1991	To celebrate its bicentenary, the company creates a miniaturized version of the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges appropriate for wristwatches.
1992	The Sowind Group, founded by Italian rally navigator and entrepreneur Luigi Macaluso just a few years earlier, buys Girard-Perregaux. Sowind was already the Italian distributor of GP, and a few other brands.
1994-2004	Girard-Perregaux collaborates with Ferrari to produce a series of limited-edition watches inspired by Ferrari aesthetics. The F50 Perpetual Calendar is arguably the highlight. (Panerai Ferrari watches came next.)
1995	The modern Vintage 1945 line is launched, closely modeled after the historic museum piece.
1999	The Girard-Perregaux Museum opens in La Chaux-de-Fonds.
2011	The Sowind Group (which includes Girard-Perregaux, Ulysse Nardin, and the now-defunct Jean Richard) is acquired by the French luxury group Kering.
2013	Girard-Perregaux wins the GPHG “Aiguille d’Or” award for the Constant Escapement L.M.
2014	Release of the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges, adapting the iconic design for a modern audience.
2017	The Neo-Bridges line is released, similar to the Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges models but often with only two bridges and no tourbillon.
2019	Introduction of the Laureato Absolute and Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges “Quasar” which is Girard-Perregaux’s first foray into sapphire-case watches. The Cosmos, with two three-dimensional spinning orbs to indicate 24-hour time as well as astronomical time, is an impressive release with a $364,000 price tag.
2021	Girard-Perregaux partners with Aston Martin.
2022	Kering sells Sowind Group SA to the management team led by CEO Patrick Pruniaux. A limited run of Casquette 2.0 quartz models is produced, invoking the original Casquette aesthetic.

Current Lineup

Girard-Perregaux currently offers five watch collections:

• Laureato – A sporty-elegant collection featuring an octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet. Launched in 1975, it inevitably draws comparisons to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
• Bridges – This line includes the Classic Bridges collection as well as more avant-garde models like the Neo Bridges and Free Bridges. Anything with “Quasar” in the name has a sapphire case.
• 1966 – A classic line of round, thin mechanical dress watches akin to the Patek Philippe Calatrava.
• Cat’s Eye – A women’s collection introduced in 2004, characterized by oval-shaped cases and lots of diamonds.
• Vintage 1945 – Rectangular art deco-inspired cases that curve to fit the wrist.

The Bridges and Laureato watches get the most attention in the Girard-Perregaux lineup. The 1945 is interesting, but rather old-mannish. The 1966 is classy but gets largely overlooked like so many circular dress watch collections. And the Cat’s Eye doesn’t seem to capture any interest from collectors at all, so let’s drill down a bit more on their two “flagship” collections.

Girard-Perregaux Three Bridges

Rather than just having one line of watches called “Three Bridges,” Girard-Perregaux has put together a whole “Bridges” collection. The Classic Bridges models are fairly traditional-looking openworked and skeleton watches. Most are non-tourbillon models with only two bridges, although there are some Tourbillon with Three Bridges models in the Classic Bridges collection, like the Esmeralda.

The Free Bridge is the avant-garde entry-level watch in Girard-Perregaux’s current Bridges lineup, featuring just one arrow-shaped bridge rather than three. Neo Bridges models mostly have two bridges, along with visible micro-rotors. There are some offerings with “Neo-Tourbillon with Three Bridges” movements, however, including some “Quasar” models with sapphire cases and list prices well over a quarter-million dollars.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato

While the Laureato started out as a fairly simple, slim, quartz-powered wannabe Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, it has grown into a full lineup that includes various models for men and women, ranging from time-only pieces to complications like chronographs and tourbillons. The Laureato is available in materials such as steel, gold, green ceramic, and even sapphire. The first-generation Laureato is a classic, but some of the later ones look less inspired. I think Girard-Perregaux really nailed the proportions of the fifth-generation Laureato, which debuted in 2017.

The Laureato Absolute even seems to be Girard-Perregaux’s equivalent of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore line. But if you can get over the fact that the Laureato collection was clearly inspired by the Royal Oak, there’s a lot of value to be had, particularly on the secondhand market. For roughly the price of a beat-up 25-year-old Rolex Submariner, you can get a modern Laureato. Submariners are great watches but they don’t have the same level of visual detail. Most Laureatos have attractive hobnail dials (a texture also known as “Clous de Paris”) but some are even decorated with Grand Feu enamel.

Girard-Perregaux Vintage Watches

Some nice Girard-Perregaux dress watches can be found from the 1940’s-1960’s, although they’re not particularly distinctive. In my opinion, the Girard-Perregaux lineup actually got pretty interesting during the quartz era.

Look for vintage Girard-Perregaux quartz watches and you’ll find all kinds of fun stuff. Some have angular cushion cases reminiscent of a Rolex Oysterquartz, among other very “1970’s” designs. But if I had to choose one model, I’d say the Gyromatic gets the most attention in the vintage GP world.

Girard-Perregaux Gyromatic

The original Gyromatic was notable for its exceptionally thin automatic movement, which had a groundbreaking bidirectional rotor. Here’s a note on the Gyromatic from Vintage-Watches-Collection.com:

Launching its first automatic watch in 1956, Girard-Perregaux was a late adopter of self-winding, but came up with a brilliantly ingenious switching system that enabled motion of the rotor in both directions to be converted into mainspring tension. This switching was achieved by two so-called ‘Gyrotrones’ and from a technical perspective, these movements are so different, and so beautifully executed, that they are an essential inclusion in any collection that aims to chart the progress of the automatic watch.

David Boettcher

For many collectors, Gyromatic HF models (the world’s first high-beat mechanical watches) from the late 1960’s are a particular highlight among vintage Girard-Perregaux watches.

GP vs. AP vs. JLC

If someone asked me if Girard-Perregaux was on par with Audemars Piguet, personally, I’d say “not quite.” Audemars Piguet is considered a member of the “Holy Trinity” for a reason and their finishing is spectacular. I would, however, put GP on par with Jaeger-LeCoultre. All three brands make excellent watches.

Let’s face it, GP just doesn’t get the same amount of love as those ‘other’ brands. Certainly not for a lack of quality, innovation and beautiful design.

Watchuseek user 2W0Heaven

Indeed, the Girard-Perregaux watch brand, for whatever reason, just doesn’t get much hype these days. In 2004, Google users were consistently searching for Audemars Piguet twice as often as they were searching for Girard-Perregaux. But search traffic for GP has since dropped by 50%, while AP’s has tripled.

The Way Forward

I’m not sure what the solution is to Girard-Perregaux’s marketing woes. Their difficult and forgettable name is, in my opinion, definitely holding them back–yet I realize it would feel like a crime to throw such a historic brand in the trash can. They could try and go by “GP” but honestly the world is already overrun with acronyms, and for many people that already means “grand prix.”

Girard-Perregaux’s complications are world-class, their finishing is excellent, and their watches look nice. It feels like they just need something new–the Three Bridges thing isn’t enough. They need a hit. Maybe their new ownership, led by Patrick Pruniaux, will be the ones to deliver it. A lot of watch nerds are rooting for them.