GIRARD-PERREGAUX – The New Face of Tradition | YOUNG WATCHMAKERS & THE ART OF MAKING TIME

Baselworld 2013

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nfot_baselworld WHEREVER YOU ARE, the arrival of spring heralds the end of a cold, blustery winter, cherry and apple blossoms in full flower, rebirth and freshness everywhere you look. For watch enthusiasts, though, spring means one more thing: BaselWorld, the premier watch-and-jewelry trade show. Where, for one week, the entire watch world descends on the quaint Swiss city of Basel, along the shores of the Rhine river where France, Germany and Switzerland converge: some 104,000 horology aficionados, 1,450 exhibitors and 3,300 journalists from 100 countries worldwide.

It’s therefore no surprise that this was one of the stops on Girard-Perregaux’s Young Watchmakers Tour — the esteemed exhibition hall No. 1, space D49, where Sandro and François, two of our talented young craftsmen, showcase their skills to the most critical, discriminating audience they’ve likely ever encountered — except their managers.

Lise

AS A CHILD, I’d watch my mom play team handball, captivated by the game’s raw energy. It filled me with pride, as well as fascination at seeing my mother as part of a team.

At age 11, I started playing too, initially with friends. Being on a team working toward a common goal inspired me to give my best. That’s one reason I became a watchmaker: to help contribute to the creation of a magnificent timepiece designed to last forever.

The great contrast of team sports — and life itself — is their dual nature, the balance of offense and defense. I experienced this when an opposing player became very upset that her team was losing. For various reasons, I became the object of her bitterness, and she declared that she would fight me after the game.

I’m no diplomat. I confronted her and discovered, as often happens, that her bark was far worse than her bite. As I expected, she demurred, and the rest of the game (which my team won), all she did was smile at me. In sports or in watchmaking, the ability to stay within yourself is important, but loyalty — to your team and to the integrity of the game or the craft — completes it. It’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten.

Favorite Movie: O’Brother
Favorite Quote: “It’s not that I am afraid of death, but I prefer not to be there when it will happen” W. Allen
Favorite Album/Musician: System of a down (Toxicity)
On My To-Do List: Do a to do list!
I Am: Happy, Joyful, party girl and narrow minded
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… I would be a photographer
In 30 Years I’ll Be… less stupid
Favorite GP Watch: Cat’s Eye Steel

gpcats

Cat’s Eye Steel

CASE
Material: steel
Diameter: 37,95 x 32,95 mm
Height: 11.22 mm
Crystal: antireflective sapphire
Case-back: secured by 4 screws
Water resistance: 3 ATM

MOVEMENT

Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0070, automatic
Caliber: 11 ½ ’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vib/h (3 Hz)
Jewels: 27
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Functions: hour, minute, date, small seconds, power-reserve indicator
White calfskin strap
Reference: 80486D11A361-IK7A

François

francois

Sans-titre-1 When I was a boy, I was hypnotized by TV. I’d spend hours in front of cartoons and other kids’ shows. It annoyed my mom, because I’d monopolize the screen and she couldn’t watch her favorite shows. Then one day she went shopping and came back bearing a gift that would change my life forever: a Nintendo Game Boy.

Her strategy paid off: The little toy became my inseparable companion. As a teenager, I made some wonderful friends, and we’d often hang out at an arcade called Las Vegas, where my growing addiction to Pac-Man was nurtured. It was great fun, getting lost with my friends in these bulky machines that for us represented a gateway to another dimension.

Many years later, gaming technology has evolved: Today, the wonders of those giant machines fit into small PlayStations and XBoxes. My favorite arcade has closed. Now when I get home from work, I play games like Battlefield: assume the look of my avatar, enter a virtual dimension and go after my enemies.

It’s a far cry from the arcade of my youth, but one thing hasn’t changed: Even in this virtual world, I still meet up with my old friends. Yes, we catch up on what’s going on — when we’re not fighting or killing each other, of course.

Favorite Movie: Matrix
Favorite Quote: “We never have a second chance to do a first good impression”
Favorite Album/Musician: Le fond et la forme (Lofofora)
On My To-Do List: We’ll see what the future holds
I Am: Tolerant, a little crazy and grumpy
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… Who knows?
In 30 Years I’ll Be… Two years away from retirement
Favorite GP Watch: Girard-Perregaux 1966, Full Calendar

GIRARD-PERREGAUX 1966, FULL CALENDAR

CASE
Material : pink gold
Dimensions : 40 mm
Crystal : anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back : sapphire glace
Water-resistance : 30 meters

MOVEMENT

Movement : GP033MO-AL1GA
Caliber : 11 ½ ‘’’
Frequency : 28’800 vibrations/hours (4Hz)
Jewels : 27
Power reserve : min. 46 hours
Functions : hour, minute, full calendar with indicators of the date, day of the week, month and moon-phases, second.
Reference : 49535-52-151-BK6A

CELEBRATING WOMEN’S DAY

La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland (March 8, 2013)- Swiss luxury Manufacture, Girard-Perregaux finds the roots of its name in the marriage between Marie Perregaux (1831-1912) and Constant Girard (1825-1903). Girard-Perregaux’s name is composed from the name of wife and husband, underlining the important role that women have always played in the watchmaking industry.

Today Girard-Perregaux celebrates all women who actively contribute to the preservation and continuation of the art of watchmaking and who perform incredibly meticulous tasks with passion, imagination, patience and focus. The Manufacture premises are filled with vibrant, motivated and highly skilled women that have devoted themselves to the creation of unique timepieces.

The International Women’s Day is not only a mere celebration of women and their achievements but aims also to raise awareness against gender discrimination and violence. In its commitment to fight against any form of discrimination against women, Girard-Perregaux shares PPR’s beliefs and active efforts through the PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity and Rights.

Girard-Perregaux salutes all women and is proud to pay a special tribute to eight of its ladies on its digital journal www.TheNewFaceofTradition.com.

About Girard-Perregaux

Girard-Perregaux is a Swiss high-end watch manufacturer tracing its origins back to 1791. The history of the brand is marked by legendary watches that combine sharp design with innovative technology such as the renowned Tourbillon with three gold bridges presented by Constant Girard-Perregaux in 1889 at the Paris Universal exhibition where he was awarded a gold medal.

Devoted to the creation of state-of-the-art Haute Horlogerie, Girard-Perregaux is one of the very few watchmakers to unite all the skills of design and manufacture under the same roof including the forging of the “heart” of the watch, the movement. With over 80 registered patents, Girard-Perregaux is fully committed to research and development to constantly fuse its unique heritage into modern watchmaking. Girard-Perregaux is majority owned by PPR, a worldwide leading Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle group.

Anne

anne

WHEN I WAS a little girl, I’d watch eagerly as my mother returned from the library, arms cradling a big pile of books. Reading, she explained to me, was “a doorway to other worlds and other lives.” That’s a enchanting notion to a small child: books as the portal to a universe whose limits were bound only by one’s imagination.

Ever since, I have rarely been without the company of books. As an adult, I turn to them for refuge when life gets especially challenging — and I find that no matter what I’m reading, something therein will speak to me. One particular time, did it ever: Years ago, browsing through an old bookstore, I came across a delightful story called Qui à Piqué Mon Fromage? (English readers know it as Who Stole My Cheese?) It’s about a group of mice who discover their favorite snack has been stolen — but instead of waiting for someone to bring them more, they head out to get it themselves.

As it happened, I read this at the exact time I was restless and in need of a change in my life. Inspired by the tale of the self-reliant mice, I decided to pursue a new career instead of waiting for an opportunity to fall into my lap.

Not much later, I happened to pick up a magazine, which fell open to a random page. I felt an almost magnetic pull to the Girard-Perregaux advertisement staring up at me. I placed a call. Just as my mother had told me, reading was about to open a door to a new life. One thing led to another, and now here I am — making my own cheese, you might say.

Favorite Movie: Mais où est donc passée la 7ème compagnie? (Robert Lamoureux)
Favorite Quote: Live simply so that others may simply live” Gandhi
Favorite Album/Musician: French music
On My To-Do List: Do a trekking in Mongolia
I Am: Sincere, natural, sporty and mischievous
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… backpacking around the world
In 30 Years I’ll Be… I don’t know. I live day by day
Favorite GP Watch: Vintage 1945 Le Corbusier — Marseille

Vintage 1945 Le Corbusier — Marseille

Concrete Dial

CASE

Material: Steel
Dimensions: 36.20 x 35.25 mm
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back: Sapphire crystal, secured by four screws
Water resistance: 30 meters

MOVEMENT

Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP3300-0078, automatic
Calibre: 11½ ‘‘‘
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Jewels: 26
Power reserve: Min. 46 hours
Functions: Hour and minute
Limited edition of five pieces
Reference: 25880-11-101-BB6A

Gregory

gregory

KING OF HEARTS — AND CHORES

My friends and I were hanging out one day, in that common teenage state of mind between bored and content, and someone suggested poker. We started playing, and I got hooked.

As the years passed, I came to realize that all the clichés were in fact, true: poker was much more than just a card game; it’s a fascinating real-time social-anthropology study. You can tell a lot about people by the way they examine their cards, the way they bluff and move around the table. Strangers and friends alike — they all have “tells.”

I’d been playing for a while when I met the woman who would become my wife. Within a week, she asked me to teach her — so to mollify her, I shared the basics. Little did I know she’d end up a much better player than I am!

When we moved in together, we started to compete. We would play a hand and the loser does the chores. More often than not, well, I’m the one cleaning the place or buying the groceries. Thankfully, when I’m playing others I am typically on the winning side of things.

Favorite Movie: ‘Intouchables’ by Eric Toledano
Favorite Quote: “The happiness and tragedies are as we conceive them…”
Favorite Album/Musician: Roi sans carrosse (Oxmo Puccino)
On My To-Do List: Travel to Guadalupe
I Am: Sincere (sometimes too much), funny, open-minded and passionate
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… professional poker player
In 30 Years I’ll Be… Still alive if I am lucky
Favorite GP Watch: Vintage 1945 Jackpot

VINTAGE 1945 JACKPOT TOURBILLON

CASE

Material: pink gold
Dimensions: 43.00 x 43.95 mm
Height: 17.30 mm
Crystal: antireflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal, secured by 4 screws
Water resistance: 3 ATM (100 feet)

MOVEMENT

Girard-Perregaux movement GPE0001-0001, manual
Caliber: 38.60 x 32.60 mm
Frequency: 21 600 Alt/h (3 Hz)
Power reserve: min. 96 hours
Jewels: 38
Functions: Tourbillon, hour, minute, slot machine with chime mechanism, small second on the Tourbillon
Pink gold folding buckle with alligator strap
Reference: 99720-52-651-BA6A

Jerome

I have been cultivating my passion for photography for 10 years. It started as a form of self-entertainment, capturing moments with friends, but it took a turn once I realized it was a powerful way to express myself. I love photographing architecture as well as natural landscapes. That reflects my personality; I’ve always been attracted by opposites.

I remember visiting New York last year and being blown away by the urban aesthetic of its architecture — it had a man-made, industrial beauty. I decided to climb up the Empire State Building and see the city from the top. There I embraced both the frenetic energy of the chaos below and the still tranquility of the sky above — again, a duality of opposites. From the perch of the observatory I took hundreds of photos of the city. Capturing the delicate dance of movement against a steel-and-concrete backdrop, surrounded by water and air — it was quite moving.

In the process my thoughts turned to my undeniable passion for watchmaking — my love for the delicate assembly of the parts and the impulsive temptation to destroy everything after
it’s done. That’s when I decided to get a tattoo showing a hammer
crashing a watch mechanism. It’s an homage to order and chaos,
to the dark and the light, the yin and the yang — the coexistence
of opposites that together form a whole. .

Favorite Movie: Snatch, Written and Directed by Guy Richie
Favorite Quote: “You don’t take a photograph, you make it.” Ansel Adams
Favorite Song: “For Whom The Bell Tolls”
Favorite Band: Metallica
On My To-Do List: Keep taking care of my family and improve my photography.
I Am: Perfectionist, passionate, meticulous and teasing
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… Manager of a small library
In 30 Years I’ll Be… In good health, I hope, and travelling the world.
Favorite GP Watch: Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph

CASE

Material: steel
Dimensions: 36.95 x 36.00 mm
Height: 12.77 mm
Crystal: antireflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 30 meters (100 feet)

MOVEMENT

Automatic mechanical
Movement Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0064
Caliber: 11 ½ ’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vib/h (4 Hz)
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Jewels: 47
Functions: hour, minute, small second, chronograph
Steel folding buckle with alligator strap
Reference: 25883-11-121-BB6C

Mathieu

If my wife told me that she was jealous of my guitar, I wouldn’t blame her. The reason being that my guitar is constantly by my side and even comes to work with me every day. Packed up in my case and armed with headphones, I manage to sneak in a quick daily practice during lunch time.

All it takes is a few chords that I play over the tracks from my favorite artists, and it’s like I am suddenly catapulted onto a stage. At that moment it is as if I were part of the band. I find the best way to practice it, to sharpen my technical skills, and to do it to the beat of the music I love the most.

Music is without a doubt a passion that has been with me since I was a kid. It’s a great thing to look forward to every day. To go home, close myself up in my garage, plug my guitar into my Marshall amplifier and dream. I have never been part of a band but a have a project that I hope to realize in a few years: a rock band with my children. Who knows? The path to stardom has no schedule.

Favorite Movie: I, Robot
Favorite Quote: “If I woulda known, I wouldn’t a come” from the movie War of the Buttons.
Favorite Album/Musician: Appetite for destruction by Guns N’ Roses.
On My To-Do List: Build a house, accomplish my professional goals, and most importantly, play guitar really well.
I Am: dynamic, kind (but not too kind), stubborn, good-willed, funny, good at explaining and being a leader.
If I Weren’t a Watchmaker I Would Be… a professional guitarist.
In 30 Years I’ll Be… crazy.
Favorite GP Watch: GIRARD-PERREGAUX 1966 CHRONOGRAPH

GIRARD-PERREGAUX 1966 CHRONOGRAPH

CASE

Material: pink gold
Diameter: 42.00 mm
Height: 12.53 mm
Crystal: antireflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 3 ATM

MOVEMENT

Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0057, automatic
Caliber: 11 ½ ’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vib/h (4 Hz)
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Jewels: 57
Functions: hour, minute, chronograph, date, small second
Pink gold pin buckle with alligator strap
Reference: 49542-52-151-BK6A