"Girard-Perregaux's strength is its independent mindset," says Clémence Dubois, the company's Chief Product and Marketing Officer. Her fascination with watches led her to join the brand, but her interest in the brand's history led her to join the company. The Macaluso family, who led Girard-Perregaux at the time, helped her discover and understand the brand's true essence.
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2024 issue of Kronos Japan]
Our strength is that since our founding, we have been doing both design and movement development in-house.
Chief Product & Marketing Officer at Girard-Perregaux. Born in France. After earning a degree in business administration from HEC Lausanne and HEC Paris, she went on to earn a master's degree in marketing. After an internship at Louis Vuitton, she joined Girard-Perregaux. In 2019, she became product director, and has held her current position since 20. "I'm passionate about movements, and Girard-Perregaux is an independent manufacture," she says, demonstrating her keen interest in watches, something that's rare in today's watch industry.
"Our strengths are that we design and develop movements in-house, and that we continue to do so. We also have 230 years of history and craftsmanship."
She believes that Girard-Perregaux is a fusion of classic and contemporary styles. Her love of contrast is evident in the Laureato, available exclusively in Japan. This indigo collection celebrates the long history of Girard-Perregaux, which was the first Swiss watch manufacturer to enter the Japanese market in the 1860s.
"The theme this time is 'Playing with Light.' I deliberately chose titanium for the chronograph case material. I also chose metal for the dial, featuring a Clous de Paris pattern that creates a three-dimensional pyramid pattern when light hits it. On the other hand, the three-hand model has a classic enamel finish, but the silver base is guilloched, giving it a lively shine with metallic reflections."
This is a Japan-only model commemorating the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Japan. The dial features an enamel dial from group company Donze Cadrans. The base is guilloched and features a deep blue inspired by Japanese indigo. Automatic movement (Cal. GP01800-1730). 28 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve: approximately 54 hours. Stainless steel case (42mm diameter, 10.68mm thick). Water resistant to 100m. Limited to 100 pieces in Japan. Price: 2,585,000 yen (tax included).
The enamel dial, made by Donze Cadrans, also part of the Sowind Group, is made by layering glazes and firing five times. Normally, a gold base is chosen, but this time silver was chosen. The reason given was "to express the perfect indigo tone." Furthermore, in order to achieve a deep color, the blue color did not follow Pantone. The resulting two Japan-exclusive models are a perfect match between classic techniques and the Laureato's shape.
The Laureato has certainly grown into a fantastic product, and the legendary Bridge collection has also been highly praised. So are there any plans to boost other collections in the future?
"Our two core collections, the Bridge and the Laureato, were launched in 1867 and 1975, respectively, and have continued to evolve while inheriting the same codes and DNA. Our goal is to respect this legacy and further evolve it."
Dubois was captivated by Girard-Perregaux and mentored by the Macaluso family. With her at the helm, Girard-Perregaux is sure to become even more exciting in the future.
