Girard-Perregaux dropped a few high-complication watches lately, like the Laureto Fifty and Minute Repeater Flying Bridge, with collectors in mind.
, had a serendipitous encounter that reminded him of something he already knew: “The more I travel, the more I understand the power of being close to collectors,” he tellsRussell Crowe Shows Off Toledano Chan’s Newest Brutalist Watch on TikTokThe reminder came during a visit to longtime retail partner Feldmar Watch Co.
in West Los Angeles. “We were having a conversation with our partner, and then suddenly, Jay Leno is passing by,” Michel-Amadry recalls. in his bag, just because: Two pocket watches that he was bringing to our partner for a service, and a third one, which was a Girard-Perregaux pocket watch from 1880. And to discover this, it was like, ‘How is it possible for this to happen?’ The pocket watch was in such beautiful condition. It was really an exceptional piece, a triple calendar, double dial from 1880. And I said, ‘Jay, do you mind if we organize an“All this is to say that it is critical to be there, to talk to people, and to listen and listen and listen,” Michel-Amadry says.Since joining GP in February 2025, the longtime Swiss watch executive—formerly chief commercial officer at IWC—has made a habit of leaving GP headquarters in La Chaux-de-Fonds, home to the brand’s villa and manufacture, to meet collectors and clients firsthand. “I have met so many collectors, so many people who are crazy GP fans—but not always—and I like to have both,” he says. “Because they give you different perspectives. The reality is that I’m new, but at the same time not new to Girard-Perregaux in the context that I joined a year ago exactly. But I’ve known the brand for quite a long time. It just so happens that I was born in La Chaux-de-Fonds. And I have always been a fan of that brand and particularly a big fan of Gino Macaluso, whom I had the privilege to meet three times.” Macaluso, who died in 2010, remains a towering figure in watchmaking. A former rally driver, he rose to prominence as the Italian distributor for Blancpain, Hamilton, and Breitling before becoming president of Sowind Group in 1992. Under his leadership, GP evolved into a respected manufacturer of both high complications and sport watches, including, a $590,000 rose-gold chiming watch produced in a maximum of eight pieces. Each example comprises 475 components and requires more than 440 hours of assembly and finishing alone. “You see all the angling, all the beveling of all the different components,” Michel-Amadry says. “We have 1,340 hand polished angles out of which 295 are inner angles. You can only do it properly if you have a very skilled beveler.” The release is part of a broader push. Since last fall, GP has introduced three entirely new reference calibers, with a fourth slated for September. “These are four movements which are not simply evolutions of existing calibers, but fundamentally brand-new movements,” Michel-Amadry says.that value is becoming more important than volumes,” he adds. “This is clearly where we want to concentrate our efforts. We need to be super credible at the top, so that when you buy a, you buy all this magnificent knowhow, expertise, credibility, history. And this is why we are, for the past six months, focusing a lot on the top part of the pyramid.”That strategy began in earnest last September with the debut of Caliber GP 4800, a fully in-house movement featuring a silicium escapement, stop-seconds function, and upgraded winding system. Weeks later came thein 41 millimeters and 50 pieces, also to celebrate 50 years of the Laureato,” Michel-Amadry says. “It’s got a brand-new movement from A to Z that has been designed and conceived exclusively for the Laureato.” “I don’t know any brand introducing four major movements like this in such a short period of time,” he adds. For Michel-Amadry, that ambition is measured not by volume, but by integrity. “We are not obsessed with the idea to grow,” he says. Reflecting on the minute repeater, he offers a final perspective: “There was a person who asked me, ‘How long does it take to make this watch?’” he says. “And the answer was ‘235 years.’ I mean, it was my natural answer. We talk about prices, but these are priceless timepieces.”Victoria Gomelsky is editor-in-chief of the jewelry trade publication JCK and a frequent contributor to the New York Times and Robb Report. Her freelance work has appeared in AFAR, WSJ Magazine, The…Breitling’s New Watch Puts the Concorde Supersonic Jet on Your WristSportico
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Colorado weather blog: Historically high temperatures and high fire danger Saturday, March 21The Denver7 news team is tracking the latest weather impacts and alerts amid historically high temperatures and red flag warnings
Read more »
Inside Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet's Future PlansKylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet have ‘a lot of real conversations about their future and what they both want,’ sources exclusively tell Us Weekly
Read more »
Why Meghan Markle Was Forced to Apologize After Accidentally Interrupting a TikTok Video Inside a RestroomAmy Mackelden is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics.
Read more »
Man accused of shooting multiple people inside warehouse, leaving one woundedA man is accused of walking into a warehouse and unleashing multiple rounds on several people, shooting one man in the neck back in February.
Read more »
Inside the Origin of Labaron Philon's Spiderman CelebrationAlabama's star guard credits Preston Murphy and his favorite movie for his 3-point celebration.
Read more »
Inside the ‘underground railroad’ Ukraine is using to bring back children from RussiaRostyslav Lavrov knew he had to escape. He was stuck at a Russian naval academy in occupied Crimea, where he was sent at the age of 16 after Moscow’s forces took over his hometown in Ukraine’s Kherson region.
Read more »