This 23mm 14k gold watch from Girard Perregaux perfectly showcases the brand’s design and unique style. It is a vintage timepiece that you’ll definitely want to add to your collection.

Origins

Like other great watchmakers, Girard Perregaux hails from Switzerland and is notable for its continual development. It was established by Constantin Othenin Girard in 1852 and was initially named Girard & Cie. A couple of years later he wedded Marie Perregaux and both their names were fused into the company as a result of collaboration involving Henri Perregaux.

The company stood out even during its early years due to their high quality chronometers, which resulted in them capturing several awards from 1866 to 1876. In 1867 Constantin Girard showcased a tourbillon which captured the gold medal during the Paris World Exhibition. In 1889 he introduced one of his best show pieces, which was tourbillon watch that featured 3 golden bridges, which took a number of years to develop. This engineering feat led to another award.

In 1880 naval officers from Germany took note of Constantin’s watches and requested he manufacture their wristwatches for Kaiser Wilhelm I. Perregaux would go on to manufacture 2,000 of these timepieces which is one of the earliest examples of mass manufacturing. Constantin Girard passed away in 1903 but left the family business in the hands of Constant Girard-Gallet, who was his son.

1920s to the Postwar Period

By the 1920s wristwatches had become the global standard, replacing pocket watches in both Europe and the United States. By 1928 an investor named Otto Graef purchased majority shares within the firm, and would eventually combine it with his enterprise, which was called MIMO. Before and after World War 2 the company saw continual success in both Europe and the United States, which was partly the result of their popular waterproof watch called the Sea Hawk.

During the 1950s and 60s the company reinvested a portion of its profits into research and development, culminating in the creation of the Gyromatic, a watch with self-winding based movement that was first showcased in 1957. In 1966 Girard Perregaux expanded the Gyromatic’s capabilities by incorporating the world’s very 1^st higher frequency movement using 36,000 A/h.

Like other Swiss watchmakers, by the 1970s Girard Perregaux took notice of the growing quartz watch market which challenged their dominance.  By 1979 an Asian distributor named Desco von Schulthess acquired Girard Perregaux, and despite an intensive advertising campaign in Japan to market their quartz watches, it was not successful. As a consequence in 1989 Girard Perregaux would be purchased by Francis Besson.

Features

This watch is highly embellished, featuring a glassy crystal, iridium dauphine based steel hands, golden case and crocodile strap from de Beer which is handmade.  There is also an embellished golden tang and buckle. It is pre-owned and displays signs of minimal wear, along with an engraving that can be seen in back. The case has a lovely tone which resemble rose gold.