Girard-Perregaux Manufacture tour, Logo change and the vision for the future – Part 1

On Thursday, 7th of November, I was invited by Girard-Perregaux to visit their freshly refurbished manufacture. The tour was organised on three different brand’s sites: the manufacture at Rue des Crêtets, the Haute-Horlogerie Department at Rue Numa-Droz and, the final destination of the tour, the Girard-Perregaux villa. I will not be able to explain all the things that I saw but I hope it will offer you a glimpse of how things are done at the La Chaux-de-Fonds brand. The article will contain, in the end, some words about the new logo, the vision and the future of Girard-Perregaux. Image and video-heavy article.

Before going into more details, I invite you to have a look at the Girard-Perregaux history on their official Heritage & Duty webpage. A short crush introduction of this article can be seen in this 2017 official video below (available from the same webpage).

The joint manufacture at Rue des Crêtets

The manufacture tour started on the location at Rue des Crêtets. There, Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin share production spaces and lines. During the production, the spaces are well delimited between the brands. The same policy applies to the management and marketing departments, well defined and separated.

At the location, I was welcomed by Anna Lundstrom CMO of the Girard-Perregaux (communication and marketing) and Olivia Klay. The Rue des Crêtets serves as the production site for the brand’s core collection.

Where all starts

The first step in the creation of a new watch is the computer design. After the model is digitally created, simulated and tested, a prototype is manufactured. This one is tested in real-life situations but also in advance conditions. Only after a full working and reliable model is achieved, the new piece goes into production.

The R&D development team makes not only the digital design of new movements and cases. The production’s process is part of the R&D. Several tests are done to ensure the best quality in the new products: mechanical, thermal and even X-rays. The new materials for cases and movements are part of the investigations fulfilled by the R&D.

Gears and small parts

An entire room of the facility takes care of the production of small components – like the gears. In a room full of special machines, the gears and other round components are cut from metal roads. The raw pieces are then finished under the microscope.

When machines need human expertise

In the high-quality production, the final touch to a component is done by an experimented human hand. For example, these pins are machined produced and then rectified and checked by an expert.

Milling and CNC machines save a lot of time and produce high-quality components:

Checks & finishes before the final assembly

After the basic components are made, several operations must be fulfilled before going to be assembled. Some components need to receive and extra finishing step. Other need to be verified against the rigorous specifications.

Checking the milled parts:

Hand polishing for components:

Spring tests:

Balance wheel preparation:

Perlage: for some components, the perlage is realised using a specialised computerised machine. After decoration steps, all components go to electroplating (usually rhodium plating).

Automated processes

Some of the processes can be done fully automatic, like mounting the jewels in their sink. For that, a robot arm is used. This takes the jewels from a tray and precisely fit and press the jewels with micrometric precision.

Assembly line for movements and complete watches

The Girard-Perregaux assembly line is ultra-modern and combines the commodity of the machines with the knowledge and experience of the employees. The assembly lines use a robotic machine on which the movements are feed. The movements travel between the assembly stations and each watchmaker is doing its own steps. The movements that passed all the stations go further for hands mounting and encasing. Before being finally put in a case, all the movements are tested by a complex robot.

Testing the movements is a process that requires a lot of time. This time can be shortened by using a specialised robot that can test the movement using precise sensors. The chronometry is, in this way, fully automatic tested.

The hands of time the watch

One of the final operation done for a watch is attaching the hands. This are manually inserted. Some of the hands need to be manually bent to follow the top crystal curvature. The watchmaker does this operation with exceptional precision gained in the years of experience. The hands’ movement is tested between each step.

The Haute Horlogerie Department will be presented in the second part of the article.

Girard-Perregaux Manufacture: Rue des Crêtets visit Gallery

A meeting room that serves both brands. As some might have already notice, the Girard-Perregaux new logo is used.

The first visited was the Development Department: movements, cases, digital simulation and process and aspects related to develpment

The Development Department takes care also of the testing the characteristics of the new products, as part of the development process

The watchmaker assembly a prototype for testing

A testing bench: a movement is tested by accelerating wear and ageing

Another view of the testing apparatus

Testing routine and measurements are digitally programmed and measured – a high precision can be achieved

The testing assemble

The testing facility is used during development, but can support the production department, also help in case of issues during the production

Machines used manufacture small components

Pins – working with this kind of components requires patience and care

Milling and CNC machines used to manufacture gears

In production: various gears in different production phases and finishes

All the components are rigorously verified to ensure the best quality

A semi-automatic machine used to cut gear’s teeth

The operator feed the machine and check the final part for conformity

The part specifications on display

Rectifying machine

A closer look to the machine

Raw components

A closer look at the machine

Finished component under the microscope

Various gear types

Various gear types

Checking balance springs using the computer

The spring tester

Machine used to mount and test balance wheel counterweights

Balance wheel without counterweights

The balance weights are regulated using a precise computerised tool

Operating the machine requires a lot of patience and agile hands no the bent or damage the balance wheel

The weights mounting is a semi-automated process saving a lot of time

Another view of the CNC

A modern computerised milling machine – CNC

Some CNCs need human operator for feeding and quality control

Parts waiting to be milled

CNC machine

Another example of CNC usage: The bridges are milled to a micrometric precise height.

An entire team of engineers create and improves the software controlling all the manufacturing machines and CNCs.

A set of drilling and milling heads

A multi-head milling machine

A multi head milling machine

Requirements, specifications and parts in different manufacturing stages

Milled parts

Inspection of the milled main plate

The components produced by milling are checked using an optical model and human experience.

Hand polishing is part of the manufacturing process

Mainplates before and after perlage

Final assembly room

The movement are placed into the holders and feed to the assembly line

Feeding tower for the assembly line

Assembly line

A loaded assembly line: the movements are divided between the working stations

Each watchmaker receives the movements that are dedicated to its station for certain objective

Assembly operation is done by experienced watchmakers

After each step, the watchmakers feeds back to movement to the assembly and it is moved forward to the next watchmaker/assembly

Movement assembly

Movement assembly is a delicate operation that needs a clean and dried environment

Between the assembly steps, the watchmakers test the function to observe that everything is OK.

Testing the movement is realised with the help of a specialised robot

An almost complete watch

Hands placement on a Laureato Chrono

Hands mounting on Laureato

Another view

The final inspection

Bending by hand the chronograph seconds’ hand

Before closing the case, the watch is checked for dust particles

The final step is to mount the calibre into the case

Preparing the top crystal

A fully assembled Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph

The final check

Completed watches