Perrelet can trace its roots right back to the birth of the first watches capable of winding themselves. Its history is deeply rooted in the manufacture of the first self winding movements and the development of an astronomical clock developed by company founder, Abraham Louis Perrelet in 1815. The clock took a total of three years to design and was presented by Perrelet at the Universal Exhibition. His flyback chronograph counter launched a decade later, winning Perrelet four awards.
When the company relaunched in 1995 it released the Perrelet Double Rotor equipped with a single rotor on the dial side and a second one lying underneath. The design paid homage to Abraham Louis Perrelet and his pioneering work in the field of the self winding mechanism. The Double Rotor watch not only enhanced accuracy but also offered a unique feature, enabling the wearer the chance to watch the performance of the mechanism in working motion from the dial side. Other watches during this time were powered by ETA movements, for example the company’s skeletonised double time zone chronograph, which was governed by the Valjoux 7750 base. When Perrelet relaunched yet again in 2005, it was under the direction of Miguel Rodriguez, manager of the H5 group who purchased the STM holding group, giving the company access to Soprod movements.
As mentioned earlier, Perrelet’s Double Rotor watch was one of its most successful timepieces of all. It was developed as a collaborative effort between Perrelet and AHCI master watchmaker, Paul Gerber. The oscillating parts of the movement were evenly distributed across two rotors on a shared shaft. The Double Rotor paved the way for a range of innovative timepieces equipped with features that include moonphase indicators, GMTs, jumping hour models, 5 minute repeaters, tourbillons, big date chronographs and retrograde second watches. Still today, Perrelet’s Double Rotor mechanism can be found in watches from the Titanium collection and the Classic collection.
For those new to collecting Perrelet watches, the prestigious company’s timepieces can be defined by some distinctive characteristics like a fluted caseband, a coordinating fluted deployment clasp on the strap and a movement decorated with Perrelet’s unique tapestry decoration. Perrelet’s famous Turbine watch was originally designed for aviation lovers with a design inspired by a turbine engine. Its concave shaped case, streamlined aesthetic and luminous accents balance form with function effortlessly. 12 titanium blades were featured on the Perrelet Turbine watch, echoing the jet turbine and creating a striking visual display. The crown on a Perrelet watch is perfectly integrated into the case and adorned with the instantly recognisable P logo. A safety latch ensures easy winding and time setting when engaged in the open position.
Today Perrelet offers a wide range of timepieces comprising pilot’s watches, diver’s watches and sports watches among many others. The Pilot watch collection by Perrelet is defined by a bidirectional rotating with a circular slide rule, whilst the Poker watch collection explores different variations of the brand’s famous Turbine. The Perrelet Yacht Diver watch collection is geared towards marine explorers and those on expeditions that warrant a reliable and legible tool for resisting extreme weather conditions. Furthermore, the Chrono Sport watch collection combines Perrelet’s Turbine technology with one of the most famous complications, the popular chronograph.
