ADVERTISING PLATE GIRARD PERREGAUX CIRCA 1960

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Girard-Perregaux is a Swiss watch manufacturer located in La Chaux-de-Fonds, whose origins date back to 1791.

Originally, Jean-François Bautte, who first learned the trade of case assembler and then became successively guilloche maker, watchmaker and goldsmith, signed his first watches in 1791, at the age of 19. A talented watchmaker, he became known for his models of extra-flat watches. In an innovative way for the time, he founded a manufacturing company housing all the watchmaking trades. Jean-François Bautte welcomed prestigious visitors such as the future Queen Victoria. As an astute industrialist and businessman, he traded with the European courts which allowed him, year after year, to establish his reputation. 

In 1837, Jacques Bautte and Jean-Samuel Rossel took over from Jean-François Bautte who bequeathed them his industrial heritage. A few years later, Jean-Samuel Rossel continued the adventure assisted by his son. Their work in the field of chronometry is regularly rewarded at international exhibitions.

In 1852, the watchmaker Constant Girard founded the company Girard & Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Two years later, he married Marie Perregaux. The Girard-Perregaux Manufacture was born from the union of their two names in 1856. Marie Perregaux's three brothers, Henri, François and Jules, also became involved in the company: Henri and Jules represented it in the Americas, and François in Asia. In 1860, François Perregaux moved to Yokohama and became the first Swiss watch merchant to settle in Japan, a few years before the signing of the treaty of friendship and trade between the Swiss Confederation and the Land of the Rising Sun.

In 1906, Constant Girard-Gallet, who succeeded his father at the helm of the Manufacture, took over the Bautte company and merged it with Girard-Perregaux & Cie.

Presentation here of a very nice advertising plate in brass, which was intended for the official dealers of the Girard Perregaux brand. It is signed by Huguenin Frères and was made in Le Locle, Switzerland.

The Huguenin et Frères company manufactured various articles for the watchmaking industry, in particular cases for Omega, Eberhard & Co and Universal Genève. From this last collaboration was born the Polerouter, one of the original features of which is its "turned" handles, also known as "faceted lyre handles".

It seems to date back to the 1950s/60s and would have been displayed in the window of a high-end dealer of the brand.

It is in quite good condition and its quality is remarkable. It is a very beautiful object of decoration for the unconditional fans of the brand. Very rare.

Manufacturer: Huguenin Frères - Le Locle - Switzerland
Model: N/A
Reference: 203
Year: Circa 1960
Materials: Metal
Dimensions: Width 16 cm Height 8 cm Depth 3 cm