Girard Perregaux Watches Review
If you’re a fan of Swiss wristwatches and you’re not familiar with Girard Perregaux watches, you shouldn’t be too surprised.
There are a lot of longtime watchmakers in Switzerland, and it’s hard to keep track of all of them, even those that have been in business for more than two centuries.
And that’s the case here; the company traces its roots to 1791, and they’ve been making high quality timepieces ever since.
The company’s watches are known for beauty, elaborate complications, and the inclusion of precious metals and gemstones in their product line.
They’re not for everyone, especially given their price, but if you admire beauty and precision, these watches will make a good choice for you.
Read on for the full Girard Perregaux watches review.
Build Quality
Movements
Innovation
Styling and Features
Care and Maintenance
Warranty
Prices
Where to Buy
Summary
Girard Perregaux Watches Build Quality
The build quality is definitely top-of-the-line, with stainless steel, gold, and rose gold cases among their many options.
The watch face is protected by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Water resistance varies, but most models are rated to at least 30 meters of water resistance.
The company is a manufacturer of both movements and completed watches, so it will come as no surprise that Girard Perregaux watches come with movements that are designed and built in-house. As far as we know, they’re all either mechanical or automatic (self-winding) mechanical movements.
We’re not aware of any models that feature quartz electronic movements.
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Girard Perregaux watches have a long history of innovation; the company applied for a U.S. patent in 1894 for their three-bridge tourbillon mechanism.
Today, you can choose from a wide variety of complications, including:
- Date
- Large Date
- Day/Date
- Tourbillon
- Dual Time
- Moonphases
- Full Calendar
- Perpetual Calendar
- Equation Of Time
- World Time
That may not be all, but those are the complications that we found so far. If you’re a fan of watches that do more than just give you the time, you’re going to love these watches
Girard Perregaux Watches Styling and Features
Styling tends towards the traditional, as you’d expect from a 200 year old company.
Most of their watches are in the traditional round shape, though their 1945 series, which was inspired by a model manufactured at the end of World War II, is rectangular.
Their 1966 series commemorates their first high-oscillation model, and those watches, while modern inside, bear a strong resemblance to their watches of 50 years ago, with slightly smaller cases (about 38mm) than the company’s other series for men, which feature cases in the mid-40mm range.
Colors largely stick with white and black faces and silver and gold cases, with either leather, gold, or stainless steel straps.
Women’s models have their own signature line, the oblong-shaped Cat’s Eye series, which includes plenty of diamonds around the bezel. There are several different models in this series, and they all have oval shaped cases, though they’re differently shaped ovals, depending on the product line.
As you might expect, maintenance for Girard Perregaux watches is a bit more complicated than it might be for a run-of-the-mill quartz watch.
The company recommends that you return your watch to them every three years for non-water resistant models and every five years for water resistant models.
Here is what they will do when you send the watch back to them:
Each movement is entirely overhauled: the case and bracelet are polished and satin-finished to recapture their initial radiance. The rating precision and the water resistance are rigorously tested in order to guarantee the level of quality and reliability expected of a GP watch.
When you get your watch back in the mail, it should run and look like a brand new one. With proper care, your watch should run well for decades to come.
Girard Perregaux Watches Warranty
You’ll receive a warranty for two years from the date of purchase against defects in materials and craftsmanship. This is the industry standard warranty; probably nine out of ten watch manufacturers offer a two year warranty.
As these timepieces are well-tested at the factory prior to shipping, defects are likely quite rare.
As you might expect, these watches are not inexpensive. Centuries of craftsmanship, innovation and precious metals and gemstones come with a price.
Prices for Girard Perregaux watches run from moderately expensive to outrageously so. At the lower end of the spectrum, there are models starting at about $3500. You’ll get a solid watch with a stainless steel case at that price.
At the upper end of the spectrum, you can expect to pay $100,000 or so. These are limited edition models with precious metals, gemstones, elaborate complications, or all of the above.
As with most high-end wristwatches, the brand is officially sold only through company stores and a select number of approved retailers.
This is done in order to maintain factory-recommended prices and to avoid diluting the brand via discounters. If you buy through an authorized retailer, you will pay the retail price.
You can also purchase gray market models via a number of retailers online. These watches are sold with a warranty from the retailer, rather than from the manufacturer, though watches purchased online are usually available at significantly lower prices than those offered by official retailers.
If you’re interested in finding a sale price, this would be your best option.
Girard Perregaux Watches Summary
If you like precious metals, gemstones, good build quality, and an impressive array of complications, you’ll love Girard Perregaux watches.
They’re attractive, they come with a long history of innovation, they run well, they’ll last for decades, and they’re going to attract attention whenever you wear one in public.
What’s not to love?
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