Some maisons spend a lifetime working to infuse romance into their brand’s image. If you are Girard-Perregaux, romance isn’t so much a formula additive as it is the underlying quotient. Born from the love between vaunted watchmaker Constant Girard and his wife Marie Perregaux, Girard-Perregaux has spent over two centuries perfecting its take on the architectural je ne sais quoi of the wristwatch. Today, we take a look at one of Switzerland’s most understated manufactures.

A Brief History

Jean-François Bautte - (Image by Girard-Perregaux)

Girard-Perregaux may derive its name from Constant and Marie, but the company owes much to watchmaker Jean-François Bautte. Jean-François, who was born in Geneva and began crafting watches in 1791, was a pioneer in ultra-thin design. He was also an astute businessman whose decision to bring all the necessary watchmaking artisans in-house positioned his company as a holistic industrial operation from its earliest days.

Constant Girard & Marie Perregaux - (Image by Girard-Perregaux)

The second critical figure in our story, Constant Girard, was born in La-Chaux-de-Fonds in 1825. After founding Girard & Compagnie in 1852, Constant met and fell in love with Marie Perregaux, herself born of watchmakers in nearby Le Locle. Their honeymoon years set the stage for a corporate family gathering: the newly minted Girard-Perregaux commenced operations in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1856.

The original Chronometer Tourbillon under Three Bridges, dated 1867 - (Image by Girard-Perregaux)

Constant racked up accolades both domestically and abroad. In 1880, he is said to have created a wristwatch for German naval officers that incorporated an impact-resistant cage to protect the crystal. While Constant was ahead of the curve in terms of adoption, the sale of 2,000 units to the Kaiser’s navy was possibly the first major commercial sale of wristwatches. Constant’s greatest claim to fame is “La Esmeralda,” his Tourbillon under Three Gold Bridges. A gifted engineer, he took functional movement architecture and transformed it into a key aesthetic. Constant’s efforts would win him a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1889.

Constant passed away in 1903, and control of the company transitioned to his son Constant Girard-Gallet. In 1906, Girard-Gallet formed his own critical union: by acquiring the Bautte company, he merged his father’s artistry with Bautte’s manufacturing nucleus.

The Gyromatic movement, which would reach its apex in the late 60s. - (Image by Girard-Perregaux)

In 1928, Girard-Perregaux was acquired by German entrepreneur Otto Graef. Under his family’s stewardship, the Sea Hawk and Gyromatic movement families were respectively developed in the ‘40s and ‘50s, while a new headquarters was built at Place Girardet 1. In 1966, Girard-Perregaux developed its first high-frequency movement. Beating at 36,000 vibrations per hour, the Gyromatic HF dominated the observatory tests at Neuchâtel and made Girard-Perregaux one of just a few brands to sell publicly available observatory-tested chronometers. In 1971, as the Quartz Crisis was blooming, the company acted quickly, utilizing a quartz crystal’s precise, high-frequency beat rate of 32,768 hertz as a haute horlogerie selling point, and helping to establish it as an industry-wide standard.

The original Laureato sport watch was distinct from competitors as a more conservative yet elegantly fluid design. - (Image - Girard-Perregaux)

These advancements set the stage for the launch of the now-iconic Laureato luxury sports watch in 1975. Similar to Gerald Genta’s classic 1970s designs, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and the Patek Philippe Nautilus, it featured an integrated bracelet and an octagonal bezel. Unlike these two models, however, the Laureato was born not with a mechanical movement, but with a quartz-powered engine as its power plant—a point that underscores the maison’s embrace of the ever-changing technological landscape. With these advancements, Girard-Perregaux persevered through the Crisis. 

Later, a sale to Luigi Macaluso’s SoWind Group in 1992 reinvigorated the company. Then, in 1994, Girard-Perregaux launched its ultra-thin GP 3000 movement family. That same year, the company kicked off a collaborative partnership with Ferrari. Macaluso’s ownership tenure lasted until his passing in 2010, after which SoWind was sold to Kering Group. Today, following a management buyout in 2022, Girard-Perregaux is once again an independent maison.

Girard-Perregaux’s modern high watermark is the Constant Force Escapement from 2013. By using an intermediate silicon blade to release instantaneous incremental energy, the brand ensured its escapement would deliver consistent power to the balance wheel regardless of the main spring’s capacity. A technical wonder of limited scalability, it is an appropriate counterpart to the classical bellwether that is Constant’s Tourbillon. Together, they neatly sum up Girard-Perregaux’s throughline: quiet, groundbreaking innovation throughout the company’s existence.

In The Shop: 

Girard-Perregaux Vintage '1945' ($6,500)

Girard-Perregaux Vintage '1945' - IN THE SHOP

The Vintage 1945 name is layered; ‘90s dating puts it cleanly in ‘Neo-Vintage Land,’ but the design takes a heavy dose of Art-Deco inspiration from a midcentury watch hearkening back to the days of Otto Graef. Housed in a rose gold case measuring 28mm x 44mm, this ref. 2595 features a black dial with applied numerals, sub-seconds, and a domed sapphire crystal. There is tasteful oxidation on the case — the perfect amount to convey honesty — and the manual-winding calibre within reinforces the feeling that you’re wearing something more venerable than the factory documentation would suggest. Those in search of a tuxedo-cuff companion — or a watch to slide into their Eames chair with — need not look further. The Vintage 1945 has character in spades.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph 42 ($10,000)

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph 42 - IN THE SHOP

If Genta’s integrated-bracelet progeny — the Royal Oak and Nautilus — are design-analogous to an ocean liner’s porthole, then Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato feels like a picturesque embrasure from a Monegasque yacht. A comparatively more refined blueprint, it placed the octagonal bezel atop a polished base while eschewing exposed screws. The original Laureato had a quartz heartbeat; its modern successors, like this Laureato Chronograph, carry the same panache but with in-house automatic calibers instead. Beneath the glass, the dial features a lovely Clous de Paris finish with concentric subdials and applied indices. Its striking ocean blue hue is the perfect reminder that this 42mm chronograph features 100 meters of water resistance and a screw-down crown — traits that make transitioning from top deck to the waves effortless.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm 'Aston Martin' Edition ($19,500)

Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm 'Aston Martin' Edition - IN THE SHOP

Girard-Perregaux refers to the color of this ‘Aston Martin’ Edition Laureato as ‘British Racing Green.’ Spiritually above suspicion, but perhaps arguably closer in shade to Viridian or Satin Am Green, it would still be equally at home on a Vantage or F1 chassis. Girard-Perregaux inked its role as Aston Martin F1’s watch partner in 2021; this 42mm limited edition arrived in 2023, and its fully ceramic construction makes for a superbly modern interpretation of Girard-Perregaux’s famous sport watch. There’s an art to watch-automotive crossovers, as too much branding can feel contrived. This particular Laureato is locked in: a cross-hatch sunburst dial, skeletonized hands, and a display caseback with the Aston Martin logo deliver just the right quantum of styling.