Girard Perregaux

Girard-Perregaux is more steeped in tradition than almost any other Swiss watch manufacturer. The company can trace its roots back to 1791 and has always fostered an innovative spirit. Historically, their watchmakers have dedicated themselves first and foremost to constantly improving the tourbillon.

One of Girard-Perregaux's most famous creations is the "Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges," a pocket chronometer that earned the company the gold medal for outstanding precision at the 1889 World's Fair. Elements of its design appear throughout the modern Bridges collection, which boasts models with a tri-axial tourbillon, minute repeater, or planetarium. Other important milestones in Girard-Perregaux's history include the 1957 release of the ultra-flat automatic Gyromatic movement and the introduction of the high-frequency Chronometer HF caliber in 1966.

The Swiss company also has plenty to offer for fans of sportier watches. The Laureato collection debuted in 1975 and bears strong resemblance to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus thanks to its octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet. There's also the Sea Hawk collection of diving watches. The Sea Hawk Pro is especially impressive with a water resistance of 1,000 m (100 bar, 3,281 ft).

The Vintage 1945 and Richeville collections embody the Art Déco movement. While the Vintage 1945 has a rectangular case, Richeville watches have an appealing barrel shape.

Despite all these differences, each Girard-Perregaux timepiece is united by the exclusive use of in-house calibers.

The "Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges" pocket chronometer from 1884 is one of Girard-Perregaux's most famous watches of all time. Designed by Constant Girard, its movement incorporated three parallel, arrow-shaped bridges. Thanks to this unique construction, the final timepiece was extremely precise compared to its contemporaries.

The modern Bridges collection pays tribute to this legendary pocket watch. The La Esmeralda and Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges series remain especially true to their historic predecessor. The three namesake gold bridges support the tourbillon at 6, the central hour and minute hands, and the barrel at 12 o'clock. Girard-Perregaux completely foregoes a dial, preferring to show off the base plate's intricate engravings and finishing. Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal protects the watch from both sides, offering views of the delicate movement from above and below.

The 43.7-mm La Esmeralda is available with a polished or finely engraved case in rose or white gold. Prices for this stunning timepiece range from 106,000 to 134,000 USD. The Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges series is home to 40 and 45-mm rose gold watches, as well as a 38-mm diamond-studded women's edition. Depending on the model, expect to pay between 70,000 and 167,000 USD.

Neo Bridges: A Modern Twist on an Old Favorite

Thanks to its skeletonized black bridges, the Neo-Tourbillon With Three Bridges feels much more modern than its sister models with gold bridges. Girard-Perregaux offers this timepiece in rose gold or titanium. Both versions cost around 103,000 USD. If you're looking for something even more exclusive, you may enjoy the Neo-Tourbillon Quasar Light, which debuted in 2020. Its case and bridges are made of clear sapphire crystal. The manufacturer has limited this watch to a run of 18 pieces and lists it for 294,000 USD.

The Neo Bridges is very similar to models with three bridges. However, Girard-Perregaux outfits this watch's skeletonized caliber with two bridges instead of three. They also omit the tourbillon entirely. All of this has a positive effect on the price. You can purchase the sand-blasted titanium edition for as little as 18,500 USD. The Earth to Sky model has a black PVD-coated case and tempered blue gears. It costs slightly more at about 20,500 USD.

Complicated Bridges Watches

The most exclusive Bridges models come with highly elaborate complications. One highlight is the Minute Repeater Tri-Axial Tourbillon. As its name implies, this timepiece features a minute repeater and a tourbillon that rotates on three axes simultaneously. What's more, it uses a regulator time display, meaning the hours and minutes are shown on separate subdials. Sapphire crystal provides a view of the skeletonized movement from above and below. You can call this titanium or rose gold masterpiece your own for around 454,000 USD.

Girard-Perregaux equips the Platenarium Tri-Axial Tourbillon with the same triple-axis tourbillion. However, instead of a chiming mechanism, this model has a beautiful astronomical display made up of a moon phase indicator and rotating Earth. The time display at 2 o'clock almost fades into the background as a result. The 48-mm case is available in rose or white gold. Be sure to have about 314,000 USD available if you'd like to get your hands on one of these artistic timekeepers.

Two spheres rotate beneath the domed sapphire crystal of the 47-mm Bridges Cosmos: There's a miniature Earth at 3 o'clock, which completes one full rotation every 24 hours, and the night sky with the 12 zodiac constellations at 9 o'clock. The tourbillon occupies a prominent position at 6 o'clock, directly opposite the time display at 12. The Cosmos also features an unusual winding mechanism. Instead of a crown, the manual caliber GP09320-1098 is wound and set via four flip-out tabs in the case back. You can purchase this technological wonder for approximately 368,000 USD.

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato debuted in 1975 as a quartz watch. After a decades-long hiatus, the model made a comeback in 2016 – this time with high-end mechanical in-house movements. However, new Laureato timepieces still exude the same sporty charm as their historical predecessors. Surviving details include a two-piece bezel with an octagonal setting and round inlay and an integrated bracelet – a common feature of sports watches from the 1970s.

The Laureato with a Chronograph Function

Most Laureato watches feature a chronograph function, including the Laureato Absolute Chronograph and Laureato Chronograph. The Absolute's 44-mm case is available in black-coated titanium or black carbon. Girard-Perregaux produces standard-edition chronographs in two sizes: 42 mm for men and 38 mm for women. In addition to size, you can also choose between a stainless steel or rose gold case.

A rose gold Laureato Chronograph costs around 27,000 USD. The stainless steel edition sells for as little as 12,000 USD. Black Laureato Absolute Chronographs are slightly more affordable at 11,000 USD. You can save even more by choosing an older model like the Laureato Chronograph EVO3, which demands roughly 8,500 USD.

Three-Hand Laureato Watches

If you prefer three-hand watches, the Laureato collection offers plenty of options. Of these timepieces, the Laureato Flying Tourbillon Skeleton is by far the most impressive. Its movement and dial feature intricate skeletonization, which you can admire from above and below thanks to clear sapphire crystal. The flying tourbillon at 11 o'clock also demands attention. Prices for this rose or white gold watch sit around 87,500 USD.

Those who can do without a tourbillon may prefer the heavily {lex-skeletonization,skeletonized} Laureato Skeleton. This model sells for about 21,500 USD in black ceramic, 25,000 USD in stainless steel, and 39,000 USD in rose gold. On the other hand, the Laureato Tourbillon comes with a classic tourbillon at 6 o'clock and a beautiful Clous de Paris dial. This version is available in titanium, rose gold, or white gold and changes hands for about 71,500 USD.

There's also the classic three-hand Laureato without any elaborate complications, which Girard-Perregaux offers in three sizes: 34, 38, and 42 mm. The smallest version is a beautiful women's watch with a quartz movement and diamond-studded bezel. It costs between 7,500 and 13,000 USD. Prices for the 42-mm men's edition range from 9,100 to 18,500 USD, depending on the case material. You can choose from stainless steel, ceramic, or a two-tone model in titanium and rose gold. Prices for the 38-mm unisex models fall in a similar range.

Perpetual Calendar and World Time Models

Girard-Perregaux outfits the Laureato Perpetual Calendar and Laureato Absolute WW.TC with especially practical complications. As its name implies, the Perpetual Calendar has a perpetual calendar, meaning it can account for months under 31 days in length, as well as leap years. This function will first require manual correction in the year 2100. The stainless steel case measures 42 mm in diameter and contains a stunning Clous de Paris dial. Subdials at 2 and 9 o'clock display the date and day, respectively. The month and leap year indicators share their position at 6 o'clock. This exquisite timepiece demands around 25,000 USD.

The Absolute WW.TC is a 44-mm titanium watch with black PVD coating and a world time display. The dial's outer edge features a ring with 24 city names representing 24 different time zones. You can tell the time in each individual time zone using the rotating 24-hour disc in the center of the dial. A central set of hour, minute, and second hands display the local time. You can purchase this watch for roughly 9,800 USD.

Girard-Perregaux breathes new life into historical models in the 1966 and Vintage 1945 collections. As you may have guessed, the watches in question first appeared in 1966 and 1945, respectively. The Vintage 1945 contains rectangular timepieces in an Art Déco style, while the 1966 series revisits the elegant charm of dress watches produced in the 1960s.

Both collections are expansive, offering timepieces with a chronograph function, moon phase indicator, large date, or complete calendar. There are also models with a second time zone, world time display, or equation of time. In terms of material, you can choose from rose gold, white gold, stainless steel, or titanium.

Prices for Vintage 1945 watches depend on the material and functionality and range from 5,300 to 16,000 USD. Rarer models, such as the Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon, regularly sell for upwards of 314,000 USD.

You'll find simple, three-hand 1966 watches in stainless steel beginning around 6,500 USD. If you prefer gold, prices climb to roughly 9,700 USD. Watches with a chronograph, world time, complete calendar, or other complication cost between 10,500 and 19,500 USD.

Constant Othenin-Girard opened a small watch workshop in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1850. Four years later, he married Marie Perregaux, who came from a highly regarded watchmaking family. The company adopted its current name in 1856: Girard-Perregaux. Success came quickly, and in 1906, Girard-Perregaux acquired the watch company founded by Jean-François Bautte, which had been in operation since 1791. The manufacturer has considered 1791 its founding year ever since.

At the start of the Great Depression in 1929, Otto Graef purchased the company from the Manufacture Internationale de Montres d'Or (MIMO). The business remained in the Graef family's hands until 1979 when it was sold to Desco von Schulthess AG. Businessman Francis Besson took over Girard-Perregaux in 1988 only to sell it to former race car driver Luigi Macaluso and the Sowind group in 1992. Girard-Perregaux last changed hands in 2011 and has been run by the French fashion conglomerate Kering ever since.