Girard-Perregaux was founded in 1791 by 19-year-old Jean-François Bautte. With a history that spans over 200 years, Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world. However, it wasn’t until 1854, when Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux, that the current name of the company was officially born. By the end of the 1800s, the brand had grown and strengthened its reputation, evidenced by the opening several sales outlets in South America, the United States, and Japan.
The Girard-Perregaux Legacy
In 1965, Girard-Perregaux developed the Gyromatic watch, which featured the world’s first high-frequency mechanical movement – 36,000 vibrations per hour. Less than 5 years later, the company designed an innovative quartz movement with a 32,768 hertz frequency. This has since become the universal standard for all quartz movement watches. In 1991, the famed architect and former racing driver, Luigi Macaluso, took over the company, which ultimately led to a partnership with Ferrari the following year. In honor of the partnership, Girard Perregaux introduced a series of split-seconds chronographs featuring the famous Ferrari horse logo. The company has continued to thrive, making Girard-Perregaux watches among the most elite in the world. In 1999, the company celebrated the opening of the Girard-Perregaux private museum. Just three years later, in 2002, their new manufacturing facility opened in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Today, Girard Perregaux is one of the few existing Swiss watch companies to develop and manufacture its own movements. With each design, the brand strives for the highest level of quality and innovation.
The Girard-Perregaux Collections
Girard-Perregaux offers a wide variety of luxury watches. Many of their timepieces are vintage models that have only increased in popularity over the years. Though these models have been modified slightly over the years, their defining characteristics remain the same. The most notable example of an iconic Girard-Perregaux watch is the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. This unique timepiece is the most famous of the Girard-Perregaux watch line. The Vintage 1945 Collection is another series that has remained popular throughout the years. The current collection was inspired by a 1945 model that featured an artistic, curved rectangular case. The Vintage 1945 watch model was re-released in 1995 and is offered for both men and women. The Laureato Collection is the continuation of a Girard-Perregaux watch model that was originally introduced in 1975 and features an octagon face.
Even though Girard-Perregaux has continued to revamp and build upon its quality vintage models, it has also been developing new watch lines each year. The most recent of these contemporary watches include the Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, the Laureato Regatta Flying Tourbillon, and the Richeville Chronograph.
Girard-Perregaux at Wingate’s
Wingate’s is proud to offer a selection of luxury Girard Perregaux watches for men and women including: Ferrari, Tourbillon, Cat Eyes, LeMans, Richeville and Sea Hawk.
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