Round-UpCelebrating 230 Years Of Girard-Perregaux With The 12 Best Watches From The Maison
From the emblematic Bridges to the minimalism of the 1966 collection; from the sport watch archetype of the Laureato to the signature WW.TC world timer—these 12 men’s watches from Girard-Perregaux are the best flagbearers of the maison that mark their 230th anniversary this year
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Girard-Perregaux: 1791 to 2021 and counting… There are extremely few luxury watch manufacturers who have been around for over two centuries, and even fewer who have had an uninterrupted run since the 1700s. Girard-Perregaux are among them. The roots of the Swiss watch manufacturer go back to 1791, even though the family after whom the brand gets its name—that of watchmaker Constant Girard and his wife Marie Perregaux—took over years later. The company’s biggest claim to fame goes back to the late 1800s. It was their Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, which won them a gold medal at the 1889 edition of the Universal Exposition in Paris—the one that saw the completion and opening of the Eiffel Tower. This achievement at the Exposition put them in the limelight. The acclaimed Three Bridges went on to inspire not only an entire collection, but even the design of the two-headed-arrow bridge, which is seen in the manufacture’s Bridges watches today, and even in the brand’s emblem.
Of course Girard-Perregaux have expanded on this invaluable legacy over the decades and centuries literally, but they didn’t restrict themselves to just these high-decoration horological masterpieces. They also offer far simpler dress watches—in their 1966 collection—that exemplify elegant minimalism, as well as the very rugged Laureato sports watches that even played a part in defining the sports watch genre right at its outset.
Read more about the brand’s story here
As the brand mark 230 years, we showcase 12 of the most noteworthy watches from the Swiss maison that you can come across today, from three very diverse pillars—the Bridges, the 1966 and the Laureato.
The Classic Bridges
This is by far the most wearable rendition of Girard-Perregaux’s signature Bridges watches. While most previous editions featured one major complication or the other, this was one of their first time-only editions, displaying only the hours and minutes. Yet, even though the functions are as simple as that, the attention to detail is certainly of haute horlogerie standards. The bridges, which transcend their purpose of being essential movement components, are decorated with bevelled and rounded edges, and present a visually striking combination of mirror-polished and satin-brushed finishes. While the lower bridge holds the balance wheel that gives the open-worked display a dynamic appeal, the upper bridge primarily holds the dauphine hands.
The components in the background—in steel, offering adequate contrast for clarity—are also crafted with various decorations including chamfered edges, as well as sunray and grained finishing. Among these is the barrel that can be seen up on the left, and on the right, the micro-rotor that winds the automatic calibre offering a power reserve of 48 hours—both of which present visual balance together. The Super-LumiNova-coated indexes jutting out from the periphery of the dial add to the visual depth of the piece and also ensure easy readability. The 40mm pink gold case comes with a transparent caseback and a leather strap.
Read more about the finer details of the Classic Bridges here
The Free Bridge And Free Bridge Infinity—2020 Novelties
A far more modern and edgy interpretation of the brand’s icon, the Free Bridge’s eponymous bridge is one that we’ve seen before in the Neo Bridges. It’s quite interesting how the manufacture have owned the evolution of the bridge motif and even its avant-garde interpretations over the years. They call this one a ‘fresh and technical interpretation of the Girard-Perregaux tradition’. The name ‘Free’ Bridge comes from the visual freedom of the bridge from the rest of the visible components, as it rests on a section at the base of the mainplate. Of course, the design of this Bridge watch is a complete 180 from the Classic Bridges, even though this one is also a time-only rendition.
However, the movement in this one has an element of modern mechanical watchmaking that several manufacturers aspire towards—silicon, which is used here for the escapement and parts of the balance wheel. Silicon remains unaffected by temperature changes, magnetic fields, and it is also far lighter than its metallic counterparts, besides not being susceptible to corrosion. Hence, silicon in the movement makes it more resistant to factors that can compromise its accuracy. This automatic movement offers a significant minimum power reserve of 54 hours. It comes housed in a generously sized 44mm steel case, with a calf leather strap.
The Free Bridge Infinity is from the special Infinity Editions of Girard-Perregaux’s icons of the past and present. It also includes special the Vintage 1945 and Bridges Cosmos. Characterised by their dials made of onyx, these editions come with hour markers and other details in gold, offset against the glossy, black canvas. In this Free Bridge Infinity, the singular bridge is also crafted in gold, steel of the case features a black DLC (diamond-like-carbon) treatment, which enhances its enigmatic appeal.
The 1966 Infinity Edition—A 2020 Limited Edition Novelty
Moving on to the minimalistic side of Girard-Perregaux, we have here a sleek, modern interpretation of their elegant line of dress watches, the 1966 collection. A collection named after the year when it was first unveiled, even this one presents the diversity that Girard-Perregaux are known for, as you’ll see in this Infinity Edition. Unveiled this year, the Infinity Editions are minimalistic renditions of a few of the brand’s signature pieces, characterised by black onyx dials. This 1966 watch comes in a 40mm steel case, and like the other Infinity Editions, features gold and steel markers and hands on the dial, offset against the glossy black of the onyx, creating visual harmony as well as sharp contrast. “The 1966 Infinity Edition captures the beauty of the past but are refined for today and beyond, courtesy of timeless aesthetics and mechanical virtue,” the brand’s CEO, Patrick Pruniaux, explains. “Unlike many of our haute horlogerie models, these watches shun complexity; and instead, they encompass clean lines and graceful proportions. Dressed in black onyx, they are paragons of sophistication.” The automatic movement that powers the three-hand timekeeping and date display at three can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback. The pink gold oscillating mass can wind the watch up to store a power reserve of 46 hours. A black leather strap completes the look of this watch that would look just dapper with black-tie attire.
The 1966 Blue Moon Edition
From black to blue, here’s another sleek dress watch, which maintains the 1966 collection’s typical minimalism, even in a blue-and-black colourway and a complication beyond its three-hand timekeeping. Sitting on the rich, gradient blue dial is a moon phase indicator at six o’clock, with an analogue date display surrounding it. The moon disc in black complements the black PVD (physical vapour deposition) treatment on the 40mm stainless steel case, while the slender white indexes and leaf-shaped hands stand out against the Blue Moon’s dial. The slender proportions of this minimalistic timepiece are further enhanced by the ever-so-slight domed profile of the case, going from the lugs to the smooth bezel and finally to the glass in sapphire crystal. Also made of scratch-resistant crystal is the caseback through which you can see the same self-winding movement that powers the Infinity Edition above, with an addition of a moon phase module of course. The finishing on the movement includes perlage, brushed detailing and Côtes de Genève, seen in its circular form on the oscillating mass.
The 1966 Orion Edition
This 1966 celebrates a material that been increasing in popularity among luxury watch brands in recent years. Aventurine glass is created from red copper ruby glass, and purpurin glass, which then, with an addition of cobalt, magically goes from red to blue. Flecks of copper are introduced to the glass, which results in the appearance of a shimmery starlit sky. Drawing inspiration from this very appearance and visual appeal of its aventurine glass dials is the name of the Orion edition of 1966 watches. Girard-Perregaux call these watches a tribute to the mythological creation of the Orion constellation—when Greek god Zeus placed the giant hunter Orion amidst the stars. The captivating blue aventurine dial is domed for visual impact and comes framed in a 40mm case of steel or pink gold, with hands and indexes made to match. The self-winding movement within offers a power reserve of 46 hours, thanks to the winding mass that is crafted out of 18-karat gold in the pink gold edition. A blue leather strap complements the dial in each version.
Explore the Orion trilogy in more detail here
The 1966 WW.TC Edition
The WW.TC is among the first series of watches that come to mind when you think of world timer watches. Girard-Perregaux launched the WW.TC as a collection in 2000, and since then, it’s been characterised by the ring of cities representing time zones, around the dial. Earlier versions of this collection came with chronographs and other complications, but when the WW.TC was introduced in the 1966 watches, it went from being not just incredibly useful, but also very wearable. Suitable for daily wear, this pared-down rendition excludes all other features except for the recessed small seconds at six, and even with the time zones and the 24-hour ring, the display looks neat and easy to read. How this watch works is far simpler than you might imagine. The crown at three o’clock is to set the time displayed by the main central timekeeping hands. Then you can use the crown at nine o’clock to align your time zone to the 12 o’clock position, which would be between Karachi and Dhaka for us in India. Et voila! You can now see the time in all the 24 main time zones, by referring to the time on the 24-hour ring corresponding to the city that represents each time zone. By having the time in all zones accessible at a glance, this is a very handy complication in an age when we’re constantly interacting with people in different time zones—even more convenient than any world time app you may have on your smartphone. This watch comes in 40mm steel or 18-karat gold, with an automatic movement, visible through the transparent caseback. The gold version has an oscillating mass in gold as well.
The Laureato
Laureato is Italian for ‘graduate’—a name for this pillar of Girard-Perregaux’s sports watches that was apparently inspired by Dustin Hoffman’s iconic film The Graduate (1967), which was still popular in 1975, when this collection was first launched. It was the dawn of the luxury steel sports watch—defined by the likes of yours truly, among other timekeeping icons such as Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, Patek Philippe’s Nautilus, and IWC’s Ingenieur. The archetype loosely comprised a sleek yet rugged and chiselled steel structure, with a distinctive, slightly raised bezel and a bracelet strap almost integrated with the case’s form. The Laureato exemplifies all this, with an octagonal bezel—designed by a Milanese architect by the name of Adolfo Natalini, who was incidentally inspired by the dome of Florence’s ‘Duomo’ (the Santa Maria Del Fiore cathedral).
While the first Laureato was a certified quartz chronometer—a choice by Girard-Perregaux to stay ahead of the quartz crisis—the collection is quite mechanical today. What you see here is the modern Laureato, which was relaunched in 2016. This three-hand time-only version comes with an automatic movement that offers a power reserve of 54 hours. Key elements include the Clous de Paris pattern on the dial, upon which are the applied indexes and hands. In addition to the standard steel versions, there’s one in very resilient and scratch-resistant black ceramic. The steel editions also have variants with leather straps. All these 42mm cases are water resistant to 100m.
Click here for the entire Laureato story
The Laureato Chronograph
What is a sports watch collection without a chronograph edition! It was only natural for Girard-Perregaux to add a chronograph feature to their Laureato line, whether or not there were going to be any other complications (there are several others though). This chronograph follows the same design cues as the time-only Laureato—the octagonal bezel on a chiselled case with brushed finishing, somewhat integrated with the strap, the Clous de Paris decoration on the dial, the applied indexes with matching pencil-shaped hands, and so on. Naturally, this edition features sub-dials—at nine and six for the 30-minute and 12-hour chronograph counters, and at three o’clock for the running seconds.
Like the plain Laureatos, the steel versions of this edition are made from 904L steel, which is a higher grade than the commonly used 316L. The 42mm case is also available in pink gold, with a matching clasp on its blue leather strap that matches the dial. The all-blue dial comes in steel as well, with a bracelet or leather strap, while other dials include black-on-white and blue-on-black options. Each of these chronograph watches runs on a self-winding mechanical movement that can hold a power reserve of up to 46 hours.
The Laureato Infinity Edition—A 2020 Novelty
If you see the 1966 and Laureato Infinity editions together, it’s quite a pleasing sight as you notice how the elements of the Infinity Edition have been interpreted so well in each of the Girard-Perregaux signature pieces. While the 1966 is more classical, the same finesse and elegance is what one sees in this Infinity Edition as well. What’s most striking in both pieces though is each one’s rich onyx dial, with its intense black, and glossy appearance that gives it a slick, mirror-like quality—shaped and polished by hand, over several steps. Jumping off this beautiful black background are the gold hour markers and seconds hand, which appear to be more streamlined than those seen in the main Laureato line. Likewise with the hour and minute hands, which are in a steel hue to complement the sleek steel case and integrated bracelet, which almost look like a purer interpretation of the Laureato archetype, owing to the more minimalistic appearance of this rendition. Inside though is the same calibre that runs the main Laureato Automatic—the self-winding GP01800 that offers a minimum power reserve of 54 hours. This three-hand timekeeper comes in a 42mm case that is water resistant to 100m.
The Laureato Absolute
In 2019, Girard-Perregaux launched a trilogy of ‘Absolute’ editions of the Laureato, in PVD-treated titanium. The Absolute series of Laureato comprises special editions that present distinguished interpretations of the basic Laureato design. The watches in this edition feature a blue-and-black colourway, with hints of white, and a seconds hand in red—seen in the time-only version. The blue of the sunray-finished dial—which features cut-outs for the indexes—is mirrored in the accents we see on the push-pieces of the chronograph version and the stitching on the rubber straps of both versions featured here.
The chronograph version also has sub-dials in black to match the hour indexes. The dial is not the only element that sets it apart from the main Laureato line though. Made of titanium, these cases are lighter in weight, even though they’re larger—44mm to be precise. They are also water-resistant to 300m, while the regular Laureatos stand at 50m. Each version runs on an automatic movement that offers a power reserve of 46 hours.
Read all about this Absolute trilogy here
The Laureato Absolute Rock—A 2020 Limited Edition Novelty
Also introduced by Girard-Perregaux in 2019, at the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, now known as Watches & Wonders Geneva) was the innovative new material, carbon glass. While carbon and carbon fibre are not uncommon in watchmaking, carbon glass in particular was a new innovation by Girard-Perregaux—a material they claim is 100 times stiffer than steel. The density of carbon glass, they say, is 1g/cu-cm—approximately the density of water—while steel and titanium stand at 8g/cu-cm and 4.5g/cu-cm respectively. This also means that carbon glass is lighter than even titanium, which is considered as the ultimate metal in terms of being light in weight, yet extremely resilient. The blue swirls you see are pigmented glass fibres that are integrated into the carbon, resulting in a homogeneous and robust material. The extraordinary carbon glass, which also looks fascinating, made its debut in a concept watch at the 2019 edition of the Geneva fair, and that led to the production piece that is this Absolute Rock limited edition of 100 pieces, launched this year.
Take a more in-depth look at the Absolute Rock here
The swirl pattern on each of 100 pieces is bound to be different, making every piece quite unique. Within this 44mm case is the same automatic movement used in other Laureato chronograph watches, offering a 46-hour power reserve, while the dial is simply a plain, black version of the Absolute dial above.
A few months later, the brand unveiled a more neutral-hued version of the Absolute Rock, called the Absolute Crystal Rock, where the blue is replaced with grey, and the dial has a bit of a gradient. Now you can get all the benefits of sturdy and lightweight carbon glass even in a more understated avatar. Everything else is pretty much the same as the Absolute Rock, including its limited edition number of 100 pieces.
The Laureato Skeleton
Probably the most classical and elegant edition from their signature sport watch collection, this Laureato Skeleton is practically as resplendent a piece of horology as the Classic Bridges, featured above. While retaining the signature elements of the Laureato line—an integrated silhouette, an octagonal bezel and the brushed finishing—the details seem more nuanced and rich owing to the 18-karat rose gold that this piece is constructed from. To add to it are the internal components that are proudly displayed through the open-worked dial with all their decorated surfaces in anthracite, which have been treated using a galvanic process. Juxtaposed against these dark components are the golden indexes and hands, presenting ample contrast for clear readability, while also complementing the external build of the watch. Owing to the skeleton display and particularly to the rhodium-plated gear train, you can track the moving parts as you end up at the running seconds sub-dial at 10 o’clock. This automatic calibre, the GP01800-0006, offers a power reserve of 54 hours, and is housed in a 42mm case, water resistant to about 100m.
To read about some of the best women’s watches from Girard-Perregaux, click here
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Girard-Perregaux Bridges
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