Girard-Perregaux is a Swiss luxury watch brand that has a long and storied history dating back to the 18th century. The company was founded in 1791 by Jean-François Bautte, who was a talented watchmaker in Geneva, Switzerland.
In the early years, Bautte specialized in creating complex and finely crafted pocket watches, which quickly gained a reputation for their precision and quality. The company was successful, and over time it expanded its operations to include a range of different watches, including chronometers and tourbillon watches.
In 1852, the company was taken over by Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux, who married in 1854 and combined their names to create the Girard-Perregaux brand. The new owners of the company continued to focus on creating high-quality timepieces, and they became known for their innovations in watchmaking.
One of Girard-Perregaux’s most significant achievements came in 1867, when the company won a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris for its innovative three-gold bridge tourbillon watch. This model featured a unique design that used three parallel bridges to hold the movement in place, creating a distinctive and attractive look that is still associated with Girard-Perregaux watches today.
Over the years, Girard-Perregaux continued to innovate and push the boundaries of watchmaking. The company introduced its first wristwatch in 1880 and was an early pioneer of automatic movements in the 1940s.
In the 1970s, Girard-Perregaux was acquired by the Italian watch company Sowind Group, which also owns the watch brand Ulysse Nardin. Under Sowind’s ownership, Girard-Perregaux has continued to produce high-quality and innovative watches, including the groundbreaking Constant Escapement L.M. watch, which won the “Aiguille d’Or” Grand Prix at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix in 2013.
Today, Girard-Perregaux is known for its precision timekeeping, elegant design, and innovative watchmaking. The company continues to create some of the most sought-after luxury watches in the world and is considered a leading name in the Swiss watch industry.
