Girard Perregaux is one of the oldest names in Swiss watchmaking and was founded in 1791 by Jean-François Bautte. The company took its current name in 1856 following the marriage of Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux. It has an extremely rich history yet it's a chronically undervalued "hidden gem."
Jean-François Bautte - image courtesy of https://www.girard-perregaux.com/
Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux. - image courtesy of https://www.girard-perregaux.com/
Probably Girard-Perregaux's most groundbreaking achievement is the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. Constant Girard-Perregaux redesigned the watch's bridges into the form of parallel arrows, a design patented in 1884, and the resulting pocket watch, later nicknamed "La Esmeralda," won a gold medal at the 1889 Paris Universal Exhibition. It transformed a purely mechanical component into a design signature, and remains the house's defining emblem today.
image courtesy of - https://www.girard-perregaux.com/
The Gyromatic was GP's self-winding movement system introduced in the 1950s-60s, part of the wave of in-house automatic calibers that established the brand's technical chops during the golden age of Swiss watchmaking, before quartz disrupted the industry.
Image courtesy of - https://www.girard-perregaux.com/
The Sea Hawk is GP's dive watch line, offering a more tool-oriented, robust counterpoint to the dressier Laureato, aimed at underscoring the brand's versatility.
Girard Perregaux High Frequency Gyromatic chronometer from the 1960s
Then there is the Laureato. The 2026 versions are magnificent, in-house manufacture creations and while expensive are surely just as good an integrated sports type of watch as a Royal Oak or Nautilus. Controversial, I know.
Image courtesy of - https://www.girard-perregaux.com/
The Laureato, launched in 1975, is GP's signature integrated-bracelet sports watch—an octagonal bezel over a round case, similar in spirit to the Royal Oak and Nautilus but with its own geometric identity. It's now the brand's flagship modern collection. Here's a link to an early Laureato quartz model in the shop.
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