Manufacture
Blomman Mr Blue recounts his inaugural visit to the Girard Perregaux Manufacture, offering a glimpse into the brand's home in La Chaux-de-Fonds. His post captures the unique architectural design of the city, built to optimize natural light for watchmakers, and shares his initial impressions of the manufacture's dedication to horology.
As always when visiting a Manufacture – too many impressions in a too short period of time!
Especially if it the first time visiting. For me this was the first time visiting Girard Perregaux…
I have been to several Manufactures over the years, but I must say I was very impressed!
GP Manufacture is beautiful located in the mountains above the lake Neuchâtel.
Girard Perregaux, La Chaux-de-Fonds
Notice the wide streets and the low buildings?
All streets in La Chaux-de-Fonds are built in a straight grid with wide streets and regulated height of the buildings to allow the sun to shine in through all windows all days of the year, even on the lower levels of the buildings. This was made to make it possible for watchmakers in the old time to be able to work their craft all year around. Talk about a city dedicated to watchmaking!
But let’s start from the beginning – I flew from a rainy Sweden the day before to be able to get a full day at the Manufacture.
After a late dinner with friends and a short sleep I started early the next day just to realize Vlad beat me to it… That guy never sleeps…!
Oh, well - a nice view for a WS!
To see and try to understand all the different trades and steps required when it comes to watchmaking… It is much more that you might think!
Just to share a few random impressions with you here…
Museum…
Assembling…
Where bracelets comes from…
Decoration…
An interesting fact about decoration – do you know why watchmaker long time ago started to decorate the movements?
To hide their mistakes! Holes drilled in the wrong place, etc.
You recognize the shape…?!
Spotted during our tour – the original "Vintage 1945"…
Comparison shot with my some what younger version…
This and much, much more… I will come back to that soon.
And talk about soon… Basel Fair is closing in.
Soon we will start to talk about all the novelties here!
A big thank you to the Girard Perregaux team for inviting us and their great hospitality!
Best
Blomman
This message has been edited by blomman on 2014-03-16 13:37:05The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 line, introduced in 1994, draws inspiration from historical models, specifically a 1945 Art Deco piece. This collection is characterized by its rectangular or tonneau-shaped cases and a design language that evokes mid-20th century aesthetics. The Vintage 1945 series quickly became a cornerstone of Girard-Perregaux's offerings in the 1990s, reinterpreting classic forms with contemporary watchmaking standards. It represents a significant period for the brand in re-establishing its heritage-inspired collections.
Early models in the Vintage 1945 series typically featured stainless steel cases, though gold variants were also produced. The case dimensions varied depending on the specific model, often presenting a balanced profile suitable for dress wear. These watches were frequently equipped with automatic movements, showcasing Girard-Perregaux's in-house capabilities or finely finished outsourced calibers. The crystal was commonly sapphire, ensuring durability and legibility, while water resistance was generally suitable for daily wear rather than aquatic activities.
For collectors, the Vintage 1945 series appeals to those interested in neo-vintage watches that successfully blend historical design with modern execution. The 1994 introduction year marks it as one of the earlier and more influential lines from Girard-Perregaux's resurgence in the 1990s. Its various iterations, including time-only, small seconds, and later complicated versions, offer a range of choices for enthusiasts seeking a distinctive rectangular watch with a clear lineage.
Showing GP great sense of humour. " Wristwatches water resistance control at big scale... Autonmatic machine turning at 14 Revs per minutes, made for 400 employees..." the hands of a Watch. And... " Pedalo Crash Test, The Ultimate live resistance test for the hands of a Watch. " Not only the have Talent, at GP, but they do have a great sense of humour. They have Talent, at GP, and also a great sense of humour. Many, many pics to post, of unforgettable moments. We'll come back to that. All the be
Two important ingredients to make a great Manufacture! :) Best, dear friend Blomman
suggesting that the bracelets are cut off from the mass of metal? Wow! Interesting anecdote about the decoration;) Thank you Blomman, now you're on the run, sleepless nights are awaiting:) Cheers Francois from DU
GP does it! :) It is a small start - but give a few years and I will turn into BlommoVlad ! ;) Best Blomman
beautiful pictures and nice overview of what I believe is yet to come Looking forward cordially yours D P.S. Sorry but I only see arrow on that pic you can't see Vlad in daylight ;)
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