The Girard-Perregaux of the past was so remarkably different from the Girard-Perregaux of today. This column today uncovers the story of the brand and the prolific genius behind the brand's resurrection in the realm of high-end watchmaking.
The story of the modern Girard-Perregaux as we know it today really starts in the early part of the 1990s, with a man we know as Luigi “Gino” Macaluso. Considered one of the most influential figures in the watchmaking world prior to his unfortunate passing, Luigi Macaluso for a lack of better description lived an unorthodox and colourful life. Almost as though he fell right into the mold of the stereotypically charming and sophisticated Italian business magnate, he had a passion for motorsports and a prominent career in it where he was an official navigator of the Fiat rally team. It was there where he won the European Rally championship in 1972, and the Italian Rally Championship in 1974. Upon his graduation from the University of Turin with a degree in architecture in 1975, Luigi Macaluso began his career in the world of watchmaking by joining an Italian distributor of the now Swatch Group. After almost a decade, he then went out to start his own watch wholesale business, Tradema, that distributed brands such as Breitling and Hamilton in Italy. His intimate relationship with Girard-Perregaux started in 1987, when he became the official agent for the brand in the Italian market, and subsequently in 1989, he joined the company’s board of directors with him holding a small stake in the brand. Facing managerial struggles, the company was offered to Luigi Macaluso in 1992, when he made the executive decision to ultimately claim ownership of the brand.
Luigi “Gino” Macaluso
Source: Worldtempus
Prior to the acquisition of the brand by the iconoclastic Italian entrepreneur, the brand was not exactly a flourishing business despite its heritage and history. Before the change of hands, the manufacture’s annual turnover was approximately CHF 17 million which under the renewed ownership of Luigi Macaluso grew tenfold in a decade, further cementing the impact he had on reviving and bringing the brand out as one of the central players in high-end watchmaking without giving away its independence and autonomy. The era under the management of Luigi Macaluso was full of life and characterized by contemporary designs, interesting collaborations, and the reclaiming of its identity as a high-end watch manufacturer. Not only was he a brilliant entrepreneur with an astute intuition, but his background in architecture translated into an uncanny eye for design and details to take control and mold much of the brand’s creative processes during this period.
With the acquisition of the brand, a decision was swiftly made that the new focus for Girard-Perregaux should be on marketing mechanical timepieces and leveraging on the prowess of the brand’s historical manufacture. In hindsight, it was a stroke of genius that Luigi Macaluso had shifted the focus of the brand to reviving its heritage and making it a true traditional manufacturer. After all, what was available in the Girard-Perregaux lineup then purely skimmed the surface of the brand’s historic offerings. One example was the prolific three bridges design, which today is considered an outstanding piece of Haute Horlogerie and the brand’s flagship icon.
Much of the history of the neo-vintage movement today arguably comes from the hangover of the quartz frenzy. With the creation of the quartz movement in the 1970s that tremendously shifted the tide of watchmaking and made mechanical watches technically obsolete, the 1990s can be best described as the era of rationalization after the quartz craze. Many historic watch brands, including Girard-Perregaux, endeavoured to create the finest variations of this newly discovered technology that offered superlative performance in accuracy and reliability – core characteristics that were prized in watchmaking for centuries.
When Luigi Macaluso had first acquired the brand back in the early 1990s, much of the brand’s focus was on the creation of high-quality quartz timepieces. The first Laureato reference 4266 was probably one of the best examples of this in the Girard-Perregaux lineup, designed to signal the start of a new era in in watchmaking. With its bold and aggressive lines, the beautiful brushed steel and the Clous de Paris dial all powered by the caliber 705, an in-house quartz movement that beat at 32,768 Hz. This was modernity encapsulated in a single package.
An Italian advertisement for the Girard-Perregaux Laureato – the watch got its iconic Laureato name based on the movie “The Graduate” starring Dustin Hoffman, and was distributed in Italy under the Laureato name.
Source: Il Giornale Degli Orologi
With this newly manufactured technology that offered unparalleled precision, what followed however was a longing for the simple yet intricate romanticism of the mechanical watch that superseded the tick of the hands on the dial – the hypnotic beat, the rhythmic cadence, and the eloquent sweep of the hands all being embraced for their beauty. This period of rationalization brought back the mechanical watch gradually with the proposition that watches should be things that are no longer needed but wanted. In an era where precise timekeeping was so easily accessible and democratized, the meaning of luxury watchmaking had been redefined.
However, despite the brand attempting to rediscover its traditional roots, this did not translate into a dearth of innovation and distinction. Rather, the brand sought to do things differently and aimed to do things against the conventional grain. The iconic Girard-Perregaux Pour Ferrari collection being one of them, it was a collaboration that saw the usage of many interesting materials for its cases and dials such as carbon fiber, with a very bold Formula 1 inspired schematic. While the idea of cross field collaborations was not unheard-of or uncommon in the industry, not many high-end manufacturers had endeavoured to engage in these efforts. Girard-Perregaux was quite unique in this regard, and it was potentially due to Luigi Macaluso’s unique background as a rally driver and his friendship with Luca di Montezemolo that catalysed this unique collaboration between a fine auto manufacturer on one hand and a watch manufacturer on the other.
Even the aforementioned Laureato was not spared from this era of change. The Laureato was given a brand new engine to run on while retaining its key design language, giving birth to the iconic reference 8010. Unlike its predecessors, the 8010 housed the ultra-thin caliber 3100 over the quartz movements, giving the watch an elegant case profile – combining the otherwise idiosyncratic ideas of the “masculine” and the “feminine”. The Laureato was also given an automatic chronograph version, the reference 8017, which was a first for the model. The 8017 came in two different variations, mainly: the "normal" version, and the limited Olimpico version. These chronographs were offered in various metals and dial variations, and ran on the caliber 3170. The Laureato line certainly looked decades ahead of its time, and these neo-vintage models continue to look very fashionable to this day.
Girard Perregaux Ref. 8010 in half gold. The 8010 is considered to be one of the best Laureatos made by collectors, and has made a resurgence. Prices have climbed multifold in recent years.
Source: Antiquorum
Classic watches were also given a revival under the ownership of Luigi Macaluso, and the iconic 1945 line was conceived during this period inspired by the rectangular watches created by the brand during the Art Deco period. The first Vintage 1945 line was released in 1995 as a limited edition in the Vintage collection that paid homage to the brand’s historic pieces found in their archives and museum. What made the 1945’s design so unique and attractive was a combination of its rectangular case accompanied by its aggressive horned lugs with a distinctive curvature – something that was typically not seen many similar rectangular watches. This watch is typically described as jazzy, but the 1945 is not just a “jazzy” watch. If the Cartier Tank’s gentle and soft lines could be personified as Bill Evans, then the 1945 was John Coltrane. The first 1945 watch bore the reference number 2595, and was offered in different dial and case variations. The watch was available in white gold, rose gold, and yellow gold as a material of choice for its case, and the dial was also available in different forms ranging from a black dial with applied indices to a classic white dial with roman numerals. The success of this reference ultimately paved the way for the official release of the 1945 starting with references such as the 2593 as well as the 2591. The watches in the 1945 line mostly used the in-house caliber 3300 as well as an ETA-based manual wind movement that helped to accommodate watches of different sizes.
A variation of the Girard-Perregaux Ref. 2591 created in a limited edition of 125 watches for Japanese retailer, Tenshodo. The Girard-Perregaux 1945 line was especially popular amongst Japanese consumers. The more conservatively sized 2591 was used for the limited edition to cater to local demand. The Girard-Perregaux and Tenshodo partnership continues to this day, and Tenshodo's watch of choice is still the 1945.
Source: Generalist
Another classic line, the Richeville, was also resurrected during this period. The Richeville gave a nod to the classic watches of the past with unique tonneau and rectangular shapes. Interestingly enough, the first Richeville line that was created in the 1960s looked in no shape or form like the line that was resurrected in 1993 that we are focusing on today. These watches from the mid-1900s bearing the reference 8444 and 8445 came in round “C-shaped” cases in stark contrast to what many know of as the Richeville today. In the subsequent release in 1993, the first 2 watches that were released under the Richeville name were the reference 2510 and 2710. The 2510 was a simple rectangular watch with an ETA-based automatic movement, and the 2710 was a tonneau shaped chronograph with a manual wind Lemania movement. The 2710 today is considered to be one of the more collectible watches in the modern Richeville line due to its great proportions and its Lemania based movement which many collectors prefer for various reasons including nostalgia and rarity in the modern context. After the successful release of these 2 references, the brand continued to expand the line with new additions ranging from an automatic chronograph utilizing the Dubois-Depraz modules (the reference 2750), tourbillons and even an ultra-complicated Perpetual Calendar Minute Repeater in the mid-1990s that bore the reference 99600. The Richeville line continued production for about 2 decades, until it was discontinued by the brand. However, this line of Girard-Perregaux watches continue to have a soft spot in many enthusiast's hearts for its unique place in the brand's modern history.
Girard-Perregaux Ref.2750 - an automatic chronograph that was equipped with a Dubois-Depraz module. This was a dressier variant of the reference with roman numerals and a lack of lume used on the dial. The watch was a conservative 36mm in size. This was very similar to the earlier Ref.2710 albeit with a different movement and pusher design.
Source: Generalist
During an interview in 2003, Luigi Macaluso mentioned that his clientele are individuals who are people with a “certain level of culture” and an individual that is not “mainstream”. This philosophy was certainly very well reflected in how Girard-Perregaux marketed itself during this period, the timepieces that were offered in its stable, and Luigi Macaluso the man himself. Perhaps what was most impressive about his tenure was that he dared to do and stuck to his guns with his iconoclastic and nonconformist approach to business and watches. The glory years of Girard-Perregaux may (arguably) very well be gone, but the impact and the legacy of the man continues to live on with a reignited interest in the watches from this era.
Note: The article was written with the help of various references to articles written by experts of the Girard-Perregaux brand. For those who are keen to find out more about the history of Girard-Perregaux timepieces, we would highly encourage you to check out blogs such as the Blomman Watch Report, which is undisputedly the best source for all things Girard-Perregaux.