Girard-Perregaux

The message was short, but promising:

"GIRARD-PERREGAUX will present from October 6th to 10th its Watchmaker's Atelier exhibition in Taipei at the Cathay Financial Hall."

For the second time in Asia, The Watchmaker’s Atelier invited interested visitors to learn and to experience. The exciting and unique concept, showcasing GP´s art of watchmaking, combines in-depth informations, interactive learning sessions and first-hand impressions of what it takes to create the brand´s ticking marvels.
Not a static exhibition or a walk-through of past and present, but in fact a glimpse at what an Atelier exactly means.

Location: Cathay Financial Hall, Taipei, Taiwan

Like the first issue during October 2004 in Singapore (click here for our earlier coverage), The Watchmaker´s Atelier in more than one way brought GP´s Manufacture to Taiwan. And obviously with great success, as 700 invited guests were able to visit with great interest and pleasure!
The exhibition concept is basically two-fold; one part features detailed explanations including interactive learning paths, while the second part recreates a part of the Manufacture´s watchmaking department.
Visitors are thus invited and encouraged to learn about the brand´s creations in every possible way.

Of course this does not happen without being guided and accompanied by an exceptionally experienced tour guide throughout the exhibition tours. Willy Schweizer, Curator of the Girard-Perregaux Museum, shares his decades of insights and experience, which for itself is certainly a pleasure (and i may add, he does have plenty of stories to share).

Exhibition entry area and guided tour

Step-by-step illustrations of the making of four assorted complications in current production by GIRARD-PERREGAUX: the CHRONOGRAPH, the PERPETUAL CALENDAR, the MINUTE REPEATER and the TOURBILLON.
Each complication is explained in text and pictures as well as exhibited parts, movements and watches.

Interactive diplay showcases

The actual Watchmaker’s Atelier is an installation of two workbenches imported directly from the Haute Horlogerie workshops at Girard-Perregaux.
Here´s the place of Marc Freléchoux and David Cupillard, two of GP´s Haute Horlogerie watchmakers authorized to work on the brand´s most precious creations. They introduce the visitors to their world of micro-mechanics and watchmaking, always helpful to answer questions and provide explanations just as the work unfolds right in front of the visitors.

Marc Freléchoux and David Cupillard

Marc Freléchoux mostly worked on the famous Three Gold Bridges Tourbillon; to be exactly, the very rare automatic sceleton variant!
The work done included polishing of a bevelled tourbillon bridges as well as assembly. Not to be mistaken here; exactly the same work is carried out in GP´s workshops in Switzerland!

Marc at his bench

A delicate work: polishing the anglaged flancs of the gold Tourbillon bridge. This work is done by means of a wood piece and requires a lot of skills and patience.

Movement parts and partially assembled movement

The famous bridges, crafted of solid gold and engraved by hand (a specialty for the sceleton variant)

Marc in the Haute Horlogerie workshop in La Chaux-De-Fonds (early 2004)

David Cupillard demonstrated various work carried out on the Column Wheel Chronograph and other propietory specialities by GIRARD-PERREGAUX.

GIRARD-PERREGAUX propietory calibers from left to right: GP033L0: GP manufacture ultra-thin automatic movement (bridge side, for the beautiful CAT´S EYE) GP03330-6LM00: GP´s Big Date with Moonphases automatic (dial side) GP03C0-00LSS: GP´s column-wheel automatic chronograph (dial side)

It may be interesting to know the workmaker´s benches are especially made for GIRARD-PERREGAUX; the finest that are - the best environment for excellent work.
David´s work included the assembly and adjusting of GP´s column wheel chronograph, which today powers the Lady Chronograph and ref. 226500 Lady Richeville Chronograph and used to power the iconic ref. 25990 Vintage45 chronograph. Working on a chronograph is a delicate work; doing the same on the smallest automatic column-wheel chronograph that is, probably much more so!

David at his bench

David assembling a chronograph movement.

Haute Horlogerie workshop in La Chaux-De-Fonds (early 2004)

As you see, GP´s The Watchmaker´s Atelier is much more than an exhibition only. It is a glimpse into the world of GIRARD-PERREGAUX, what makes a fine manufacture and what it needs to create those cherished marvels.
The exhibition truly brought some precious and a very special insights, much appreciated by the audience!
GP´s outstanding efforts to present the tour, accompanied by FJ Benjamin being GP´s regional agent, sum up in the most complete tour for those who can´t visit GIRARD-PERREGAUX and the facilities in La Chaux-De-Fonds.

And if asked for a final wish, it would be The Watchmaker´s Atelier come to YOU soon!

I´m indebted to Girard-Perregaux for the informations and pictures, as well as Kelvin Tan for his great help!

Greetings from germany,

Peter