April might be a tad early to be taking coffee outside at a manufacture at La Chauxde-Fonds, but that is where we find ourselves after our tour of the Villa Marguerite, which is what the building housing part of the Girard-Perregaux (known sometimes by its initials but we will stay with the full name for this story) manufacture is called. Obviously, this visit took place right after Watches and Wonders Geneva, where Girard-Perregaux is not exhibiting, and again we should have been amongst the last to publish, even though it was one of our first visits. To return to our setting, roughly 20 years ago, the firm, under the Sowind Group along with Daniel JeanRichard and EMG SA, unveiled this refurbished structure as the rationalised production hub for Girard-Perregaux. To begin with, a little history is in order since Girard-Perregaux can claim to be both a true manufacture engaged in the work of making watches, and also to be a survivor of the various crises that have felled many a storied name.
Brand names in watchmaking tend towards the elegant, since these are often the last names of the founders. One of our favourites is Girard-Perregaux, and it happens to be a firm that is vitally important in the story of independent manufactures. As great as the name is, the Girard-Perregaux of today is a more low-key watchmaking concern than once it was, and the narrative of production here is tied up with that of another great name, Ulysse Nardin (similarly less visible in the current firmament of fine watchmaking). It is impossible to discuss one brand without referencing the other, yet each has a distinct identity that is tied to an iconic watch model; these icons are perhaps better recognised today than the brands that make them, but more on that later.
Denne historien er fra Legacy 2023-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Legacy 2023-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Worth Its Weight
TAG Heuer scored an unexpected win with the Carrera Chronograph Skipper in the recent past, so the brand returned it to regular production in steel last year. For 2024, red gold marks the Skipper's triumph
When Imitation Is Criminal
In the second part of our special on the phenomenon of counterfeiting in watchmaking, we look at some surprising reasons behind consumer demand
The Conversation: Greater Expectations
With Geneva Watch Week behind us, the editors exchange views on the novelty showcases, the novelties themselves and all the watch news that is fit to print and some that is not)
GOLDEN HOURS
The first timekeepers may not have been cased in any precious metal but, given how precious time is, gold and silver soon made their marks here
FINE TIME
Precious metals promise to put the fine’ back into fine watchmaking, after years of being overshadowed by more prosaic materials. This special section continues the journey we began last issue, with a deep dive into that most desirable of all metals, gold. Of course, platinum is also back...
RED DAWN
Grand Seiko celebrates the 20th birthday of Spring Drive with a special edition Chronograph GMT SBGC275 with a unique dial
NEW DEPTHS
Breguet surprises with the gem-set Marine Chronograph 5529, opening up new vistas for the collection
NEW AND NOTED
As you might expect, we have been covering Watches and Wonders Geneva since it began as a physical fair in 2022 and of course when it was confined to the ether, from 2020.
OPEN SEASON
The world's biggest and most important watch fair gets a little bigger and a little better. As for the watches, they got more than a little precious...
GREAT LEAP FORWARD
With the Portugieser Eternal Calendar, WC demonstrates its mastery in the realms of the calendar and moon phase complications