Swiss watch manufacturer Girard-Perregaux Special Event held in Honor of Visionary Watchmaker Dominique Loiseau's Visit to Japan
Tokyo (June 18, 2012) - Legendary watchmaker, Dominique Loiseau who started to collaborate with Iconic high-end Swiss watch Manufacturer, Girard-Perregaux, recently visited Japan to attend the "Girard-Perregaux Haute Horlogerie Collection" showcasing the Brand’s complicated watches collections over two days from 14th June at "TEIEN" in Roppongi, Minato Ward, Tokyo.
The news that Dominique Loiseau, who is often described as one of the greatest master-watchmakers, would be collaborating with Girard-Perregaux and bring his vision to the Brand's horological developments, spread throughout the watch industry at the beginning of 2012. Loiseau has worked at the summit of complex horology for more than 30 years and is the creator of remarkable timepieces such as the six Montres de Sables, the Rose des Temps clock, the Renaissance or Capriccio pocket watches, the famed Blancpain 1735 wristwatch and, more recently the 1f4 wristwatch.
A restorer of collectors' timepieces and teacher at the International Museum of Watchmaking in La Chaux-de-Fonds, where the Girard-Perregaux manufacture is located, Loiseau is no stranger to the brand's historical heritage and innovations. Watch enthusiasts eager to see what new pages Loiseau will be adding to the Girard-Perregaux history book, are keeping a close eye on Loiseau, who is renowned for the numerous masterpieces he has produced over the years.
Girard-Perregaux, which emerged as one of Switzerland's greatest watch manufacturers when the brand was established in 1791, has strong ties with Japan. Girard-Perregaux watches were brought into Japan where they were sold locally even before the Treaty of Amity and Trade was concluded between Switzerland and Japan in 1864. Put simply, Girard-Perregaux is the pioneer brand of Swiss watches in Japan. The commemorative event organized on this occasion was staged at TEIEN, a traditional Japanese residence converted to cater to functions and events, reminiscent of the end of the samurai period some 150 years ago when François Perregaux of the founding family introduced Girard-Perregaux watches to Japan.
Collectors' items uniquely representative of the brand, including the full set of three watches from the famed "OPERA" musical watch series, the brand's iconic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges and the ladies' Tourbillon watch, were on prominent display at the event. At the reception party, which was hosted on the first day of the event, a special live performance was held by world-renowned violinist, Iwao Furusawa, popularly known as a "revolutionist of the classical music world". Furusawa's superb performance and the numerous exquisite pieces from the collection, combined to make a powerful impact that successfully captivated the 200 guests in attendance.
On 16th June, following the event's conclusion, Loiseau took part in a talk show titled "An Evening Discussing the Future of Manufactures", which was staged at Ginza-based luxury watch retailer, The Hour Glass. Watch-journalist Norio Takagi interviewed Dominique Loiseau throughout the event, presenting a detailed lecture on the sophisticated mechanisms, revolutionary skill and beautiful designs unique to the Girard-Perregaux brand. Approximately 50 guests chosen in a lucky draw enjoyed the rare opportunity provided by Loiseau's expert commentary to learn about the heart and soul of the art of "manufacture".
“I’m honored and excited to be in Tokyo”, said Loiseau. “Girard-Perregaux has been making history for the last two centuries. Tradition is foremost a know-how, the fundamental respect for immutable rules of the mechanic, without compromise. But without creativity, tradition is a bad habit. We have to evolve with our time. The essential is to try to create watches that can touch our contemporaries and the future generations”.
About Girard-Perregaux
Girard-Perregaux is a Swiss high-end watch manufacturer tracing its origins back to 1791. The history of the brand is marked by legendary watches that combine sharp design with innovative technology such as the renowned Tourbillon with three gold bridges presented by Constant Girard-Perregaux in 1889 at the Paris Universal exhibition where he was awarded a gold medal.
Devoted to the creation of state-of-the-art Haute Horlogerie, Girard-Perregaux is one of the very few watchmakers to unite all the skills of design and manufacture under the same roof including the forging of the “heart” of the watch, the movement. With over 80 registered patents, Girard-Perregaux is fully committed to research and development to constantly fuse its unique heritage into modern watchmaking. Girard-Perregaux is majority owned by PPR, a worldwide leading Luxury and Sport & Lifestyle group.
www.girard-perregaux.com