Ask a smattering of folks strolling down a major Manhattan thoroughfare to name the world’s top watch brands, and the same few marques would inevitably crop up: Rolex, Omega, TAG Heuer, Breitling… perhaps, for those in the know, Patek Philippe. But it speaks to the size and history of the watch industry that there are many more names—significant firms with rich histories and important innovations—that would inevitably be left off said list. Companies that, by virtue of restrained marketing, or the size of their annual output, or myriad other considerations, don’t quite get their due, even among watch enthusiasts. Take Girard-Perregaux, for example.
With roots dating to the late 18th century, Girard-Perregaux (or GP, to those in the know) is one of the world’s oldest continuously operating watch companies. Famed for its “tourbillon with three gold bridges”—which won a gold medal at the Universal Exposition of Paris in 1889—Girard-Perregaux would later bring to market one of the world’s first 5 Hz high-frequency wristwatches, as well as the Laureato luxury sports watch. The latter, while frequently compared to its Genta-penned cousins, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus, was actually well ahead of its time. As its power plant, GP used the in-house Caliber 705, a very of-the-moment chronometer-certified quartz movement with an operating frequency of 32,768 Hz, a spec that would become the gold standard for such movements.
Courtesy of Girard-Perregaux
Both the “Three Gold Bridges” design and the Laureato still feature prominently in Girard-Perregaux’s catalog, but the modern company’s fortunes have ebbed and flowed in recent decades. In 1988, a holding company called the Sowind Group was established to oversee both GP and Ulysse Nardin, and by 2011, the Kering Group—owner of brands such as Bottega Veneta, Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci, and Balenciaga—held a majority stake in Sowind. Revenues contracted severely under Kering, and in 2022, it sold its stake in the Sowind Group in a management buyout.
Today, things are looking up. Over the past six months, GP has launched two fresh in-house movements: the cal. GP4800, an automatic movement with a variable-inertia balance, a silicon escapement, and a 55-to-60 hour power reserve, and the cal. GP9620, a skeletonized automatic movement featuring a micro-rotor and a tourbillon, plus the brand’s famed “Three Gold Bridges” design. Launching these two calibers within a six-month window would’ve been enough cause for celebration, but GP didn’t stop there. This week, it’s introducing the cal. GP9530, an automatic, openworked minute repeater movement with a tourbillon and 475 components. This spectacular new engine is on full view in the 46mm pink gold Minute Repeater Flying Bridges, an ultra-complicated piece that makes ample use of GP’s considerable savoir-faire.