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Girard-Perregaux is one of the most technically accomplished and historically significant watchmakers in Switzerland. Founded in 1791, it predates Patek Philippe by nearly half a century. Its Three Bridges tourbillon, first created by Constant Girard-Perregaux in 1867, is one of the most celebrated movement architectures in horological history. Its manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds produces nearly every component in-house, down to the hairsprings. And yet, for all of this, Girard-Perregaux has never achieved the commercial visibility or secondary market demand of brands with far less to offer mechanically.
This is the paradox at the center of the brand. Girard-Perregaux makes some of the finest watches in the world and has been doing so for over two centuries. But the broader market has never fully absorbed that message. For collectors who understand what GP offers, that gap between substance and perception represents one of the most compelling value propositions in Swiss watchmaking.
Origins
The brand traces its origins to 1791, when Jean-François Bautte established a watchmaking workshop in Geneva. The firm passed through several hands before Constant Girard, a watchmaker from La Chaux-de-Fonds, married Marie Perregaux in 1854 and renamed the company Girard-Perregaux. Constant Girard-Perregaux was a formidable watchmaker who won prizes at international exhibitions and developed the Three Bridges pocket watch that would become the brand’s enduring visual signature.
The twentieth century brought multiple ownership changes. The brand was acquired by the Sowind Group, then by Kering (the French luxury conglomerate that also owns Gucci, Balenciaga, and Bottega Veneta) in stages, with Kering taking full ownership in 2022. Under Kering, GP has received renewed investment and strategic focus, including a new multi-year partnership with the Williams Formula 1 team announced in early 2026. Whether Kering’s stewardship can convert GP’s mechanical credibility into broader market recognition remains the central question for the brand.
The Three Bridges
The Three Bridges is Girard-Perregaux’s most important contribution to watchmaking and one of the most recognizable movement architectures in the industry. Three parallel, arrow-shaped bridges span the movement, each supporting a different function: the barrel (power source) at the top, the gear train in the middle, and the tourbillon or regulating organ at the bottom. The bridges themselves are part of the GP logo.
Constant Girard-Perregaux created the original Three Bridges pocket watch in 1867, and the design won a gold medal at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889. GP has since reinterpreted the Three Bridges in dozens of modern references, including tourbillons, skeletonized models, and most recently the Minute Repeater Flying Bridges, a $590,000 skeletonized automatic minute repeater with every component (save the sapphire crystals, synthetic rubies, and strap) made entirely in-house. Each Minute Repeater takes approximately 440 hours of hand assembly and finishing by a single watchmaker.
The Three Bridges watches represent GP at its most ambitious. They are genuine haute horlogerie pieces that compete on technical merit with anything from Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, or A. Lange & Söhne. Prices for Three Bridges references range from approximately $80,000 for a tourbillon to nearly $600,000 for the minute repeater.
The Laureato
If the Three Bridges is GP’s soul, the Laureato is its commercial engine. The Laureato is an integrated-bracelet luxury sport watch that was originally introduced in 1975, just three years after the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak created the category. The original Laureato was a quartz watch (reflecting the technology of the era), and the comparison to the Royal Oak was impossible to ignore. The octagonal bezel, the integrated bracelet, the luxury-sport positioning.
The Laureato was thoroughly updated in 2016 with mechanical movements and modern proportions, and it has been steadily gaining recognition and market share since. The current lineup includes the Laureato 42mm and a new 39mm variant introduced in 2025, available in steel, titanium, gold, and ceramic. Dial options include time-only, chronograph, skeleton, and the Laureato Absolute (a 44mm sport variant). A Laureato Three Bridges model combining the signature movement architecture with the sport watch case debuted in 2025.
Retail prices for the Laureato range from approximately $11,000 for the 38mm quartz to $14,000 to $18,000 for the 42mm automatic in steel, and upward into five and six figures for skeleton and Three Bridges variants. On the secondary market, the Laureato automatic in steel trades for approximately $8,000 to $12,000, representing solid value for a manufacture sport watch with in-house movement and a design pedigree dating to 1975.
The Manufacture
Girard-Perregaux operates one of the most complete manufactures in Switzerland. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the facility produces movements, cases, dials, hands, and even hairsprings in-house. This level of vertical integration places GP alongside a very short list of brands (Rolex, Seiko, Jaeger-LeCoultre, A. Lange & Söhne) that control nearly the entire production chain.
The manufacture produces a range of in-house calibers, from the GP03300 automatic base movement (used in the Laureato) to the highly complicated GP09530 minute repeater caliber with 475 components. The finishing quality on GP movements is excellent, with hand-polished chamfers, pérlage, and Côtes de Genève applied to a standard that matches or exceeds many brands at higher price points.
Buying Girard-Perregaux Today
GP watches are available at authorized retailers and boutiques, with distribution that is more selective than mainstream brands but broader than independent watchmakers. Availability is generally good, with no significant waitlists for most references. The Laureato has seen increased demand, but it does not carry the allocation constraints of a Royal Oak or Nautilus.
The secondary market is where the GP value proposition becomes most apparent. A Laureato automatic that retails for $15,000 can be found pre-owned for $8,000 to $12,000. More complicated references depreciate even further in percentage terms. For a brand with 230 years of history, one of the most recognized movement architectures in watchmaking, near-total vertical integration, and Kering’s backing, these are prices that reflect market perception rather than mechanical substance. For the collector who buys on merit rather than hype, Girard-Perregaux is one of the most interesting brands in the Swiss market today.
Browse Girard-Perregaux listings on Tempo, where every transaction is escrow-protected and both buyers and sellers pay zero fees. Visit tempo-watches.com.
This article is for informational purposes only. Prices, secondary market values, and specifications are approximate and based on market conditions as of early 2026. Girard-Perregaux is a registered trademark of Sowind Group SA, a subsidiary of Kering. Tempo is not affiliated with or endorsed by Girard-Perregaux or Kering.