Text by Takeshi Matsuyama

Girard-Perregaux: synonymous with luxury watches

Girard-Perregaux, headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds, a city known as the imperial capital of Swiss watchmaking, can trace its history back to the manufacture founded by Jean-François Botté in 1791.

The year 1791 was two years before the French Revolution and the time when Washington became the first president of the United States.

Bott's works of art, such as the luxurious clock mechanisms that would fly out of enameled or engraved boxes and chirp when a button was pressed, were immensely popular with royalty, aristocrats, and wealthy merchants.

As time passed, the city was developing as a watchmaking town, and the company was founded in 1856 by Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux. From early on, the company produced high-performance watches, expanding its sales channels to the United States and South America. The most famous of these is the tourbillon pocket watch "Esmeralda," which features a movement mechanism made up of three bridges. Watches of this style are still manufactured as wristwatches today, and have become the company's signature icon.

Girard-Perregaux eventually expanded its business and came to include the historic Botto workshops.

The brand has deep ties to Japan. During the late Edo period, before Japan opened its ports to the world, François Perregaux, the younger brother of the founder, made a difficult journey to Japan and became the first Swiss watchmaker to introduce Swiss watches to Japan.

He supported the visit of trade negotiators such as Aimée Humbert and Fabre Brand, who came to Japan shortly after his arrival, and was a great contributor to making Yokohama a cradle of imported watches, but unfortunately he passed away at the young age of 10, less than 48 years after his arrival. In recognition of his achievements, his friends buried him in the foreign cemetery in Yokohama, where his grave remains to this day.

As an aside, it has been nearly 20 years since a group of volunteers, including Kotaro Tanaka, president of Common Time, a company that deals in high-end imported watches on Motomachi Street near the foreign cemetery, and myself, began visiting his grave every year on the anniversary of his death.

The Laureato is both luxurious and sporty

I have heard that the Laureato watch produced by Girard-Perregaux is currently receiving enthusiastic support.

This watch falls into the so-called luxury sports watch category, and has become popular as a watch that has a luxurious feel while also being sporty.

Nowadays, this type of watch seems to be abbreviated to "ragspo," but it has established its status as a modern watch alongside such models as Patek Philippe's Nautilus, Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, and Vacheron Constantin's Overseas.

The basic model has an octagonal bezel case and a metal bracelet that is seamlessly integrated into the case. Depending on the model, it is possible to change to a leather strap (sold separately). However, if you are looking for a sporty look, a metal bracelet is probably the best choice.

In Japan's humid summers, leather belts can be damaged by sweat.

I've heard that the name "Laureato" was inspired by the popular movie "The Graduate" starring Dustin Hoffman, which was released around the time this watch was first made.

The name "Laureato" has the meaning of graduation or passing, and it is said that when it was made in 1975, it was named with the hidden meaning that it had passed the chronometer test.

When it was first produced, quartz was at its peak, so the movement was quartz, but recent models have been mechanical, and in addition to simple three-hand models, there are a wide variety of models, including those with chronograph functions and skeleton models.

It's sure to become a favorite machine that suits both a suit and a sporty outfit.

What is "Takeshi Matsuyama: What connects people and time"?

A series in which Takeshi Matsuyama, a pioneering Japanese watch journalist, introduces the stories behind watches, people, and brands that he is drawn to from his own unique perspective.

Author profile

Japanese lyricist, writer, and editor. Born in Kyoto in 1946. In 1968, he wrote "Yopparai Returns" with his friends Kazuhiko Kato and Osamu Kitayama of The Folk Crusaders, which became a million-seller. In the 1970s, he was involved in the launch of magazines such as "Popeye" and "Brutus" published by Heibonsha (now Magazine House). Since the 70s, he has been fascinated by the world of mechanical watches, and has been promoting the appeal of watches. His many books include "Porridge of Wisdom and Tea of ​​Thought," "Great Japan Doraku Travelogue," and the play series "Chaai" and "Ororoji."