Girard-Perregaux

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Girard-Perregaux's Tourbillon sous trois ponts d'or, the quintescance of the tourbillon as a display of mastery in luxury watch-making

Girard-Perregaux (G-P) is a Swiss manufacture of complex timepieces. The company can trace its origins to 1791 making it one of the older manufactures within the industry. The current name, however, would not appear until 1854 when watchmaker Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux and the modern company was born.

G-P is located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. G-P is credited with being the first manufacturer of what has become the wristwatch.

G-P is well known within the world of horology for the “Tourbillon Under Three Gold Bridges” or Tourbillon Sous Trois Ponts d'Or. The Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon, produced initially in the later 19th century, proved so accurate and of such perfect design that, after an unbeaten streak of 12 years, it was banned from competing in Observatory accuracy competitions in 1901. With the resurrection of the Swiss mechanical watch industry in the early 1980's, and with it the demand for haute horlogerie worldwide, the Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon was recently re-introduced to G-P's lineup and modern versions, based on the original design, are available for purchase today.

G-P can claim true manufacture status, meaning that it designs and produces the vast majority of the movements used within their timepieces, rather than relying on stock or ébauche parts made by companies such as ETA SA. In addition, G-P is one of the few manufactures that has maintained its own research and development department.

G-P has a history of designing accurate movements. Beginning with the Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon, G-P is the recipient of more than 1,000 Observatory Bulletins de Marche and prizes. At one time, they were referred to as the manufacture chronometre.

In 1965, as a result of years of extensive research and development, G-P first developed a fast 36,000 beat per hour movement, the calibre 32A, as a regular production wristwatch movement, which G-P then entered into the chronometer accuracy competitions at the Neuchatel Observatory. Of the millions of watches produced in Switzerland each year by all manufacturers in the mid-60's, approximately 250,000 would receive official Chronometer status, and only a few hundred of the very best from the total production would be sent to the observatory for chronometer accuracy competitions. a movement that passed the observatory standards would become known as an Observatory Chronometer. These chronometer accuracy competitions preceded the COSC certifications that began in 1973. The Observatory Chronometer standards, a throwback to marine chronometer days, were many times more difficult than contemporary COSC standards, the observatory tests lasting 45 days and requiring tolerances far higher than COSC. Watch movements that could compete for accuracy certification at the observatory had typically been specifically built for that purpose alone, they were slow beat movements, oscillating at from 18,000 to 21,600 bph, typically with oversized balance wheels, tweaked and prepared by the best watchmakers often for many years to render ultimate accuracy before they were submitted to the observatory. Typical examples of these specialized competition movements were the Peseux cal 260, the Zenith cal 135 and the Longines cal 360. Because of the development time to create and tweak such movements, watch manufacturers tended to enter very few movements at observatory competitions. Such specialized movements designed specifically for observatory competitions were not suitable for actual wristwatch usage. In fact, they were often encased in boxes, not wristwatch cases. Conversely, the G-P calibre 32A movement was taken from regular series wristwatch production meant for public consumption. G-P entered the calibre 32A into the Neuchatel Observatory competitions in 1966 and 1967, the final year of the Observatory Chronometer competitions. The G-P calibre 32A won three prizes in the competitions and obtained observatory status in 1966 and 1967, receiving Bulletins de Marche from the Observatory for slightly more than 600 movements over the two years. For movements taken directly from serial production, this was unheard-of results. It has been likened to winning an F-1 race with a production car. The G-P calibre 32A has been called the most accurate serial production mechanical movement ever made. In 1967, G-P received approximately 70% of all the Bulletins de Marche issued by the Neuchatel Observatory that year. The fast beat movement, calibre 32A, heralded the future of Chronometer wristwatch technology. Other manufacturers soon built fast beat movements. Movements from such noted manufactures as Patek Philippe, Longines, Zenith (el Primero at 36,000 bph), Chopard and such, incorporated fast beat movements. Others followed to the extent that 28,800 bph became an industry standard frequency. The breakthrough to fast beat movements led to more accuracy. In recognition of a momentous achievement, G-P was granted the Centenary Certificate from the Observatory Neuchatel in 1967, the only time any manufacture has ever been awarded such. [[1] [2] [3]

See also

• List of watch manufactures

External links

• Girard-Perregaux
• Girard Perregaux Watch Index An handy reference index of Girard Perregaux watches, listing by case material, bracelet material, dial colour, thickness, diameter, calibre, and model number.
• History of Girard-Perregaux

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