1960-1965: the route of innovation

In the late 1960s, Girard-Perregaux was one of the very few manufactures to have its own internal R&D team. This research department would enable the Brand to develop several revolutionary movements. In 1966, it presented the first high frequency movement, with a 36,000 vibrations/hour balance: the Gyromatic HF.

 
This discovery fundamentally changed the world of chronometry. Watches equipped with this movement naturally achieved excellent rate performances. Standard Girard-Perregaux movements obtained better results than specially prepared competition movements at the Neuchâtel Observatory. In the same year, the Neuchâtel State Council decided to recognise the work and developments of Girard-Perregaux by awarding the Brand the Observatory Centenary Prize.

 
Numerous innovations followed: in 1970, the first commercial presentations of Swiss quartz watches, including the Girard-Perregaux Elcron model, took place at the Basel Watchmaking Fair. In 1971, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the world's first watch to be equipped with a quartz movement vibrating at 32,768 Hertz, now the frequency universally adopted by all manufacturers. In 1975, to celebrate its technological discoveries, the Brand created a sport model equipped with an octagonal polished bezel and an integrated satin-finished bracelet, known as the Laureato.