Constant Girard-Perregaux (1825-1903).In 1825, Constant Girard and his mother Numa founded the watch manufacturing firm of Girard & Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Two years later, Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux, the daughter of a local watchmaker. In 1856, the name of the company was changed to Girard-Perregaux. Very technically minded and a perfectionist, he devised fine time-measurement instruments for his customers and designed increasingly sophisticated, meticulously fashioned movements. His years of experimentation culiminaed in the three bridge construction. Constant Girard-Perregaux never hesitated to use gold as a functional material, using it for whatever parts of the movement he thought best. At this time, portable time instruments becoming universally available. Performance became all-important, spurring the development of progressively more complex and more accurate watches providing an increasing variety of indications. This was the heyday of chronometry and observatory contests between the great watchmakes of the period. Constant Girard-Perregaux won no fewer than 13 Gold Medals and other distinctions in America and in Europe. At the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1889, as the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated, Girard-Perregaux received a Gold Medal for excellence, the highest of all awards bestowed there: This was in recognition of the technical and aesthetic perfection of his famous three-bridge Tourbillon. Constant Girard-Perregaux often favoured Tourbillons for his own timepieces, the most celebraed being his Tourbillon with three gold bridges. Its technical and aesthetic features and impressive finish soon became an indisputable reference. Due to its extreme complexity, only a handful of these timepieces were ever produced, the first dating from the middle of the 19th century. Its masterpiece quality was further attested by a variety of prizes and distinctions, including a pair of Gold Medals at the Paris Exhibitions of 1867 and 1889. Constant Girard-Perregaux opened sales offices in thUnited States, manned by his sons. The company prospered and the Girard-Perregaux name acquired a reputation far beyond the confines of Europe, its watches being particularly prized in South America where many of the masterpieces featured in the company’s own museum were later tracked down and purchased. Constant Girard Perregaux gained prominence as a spokesman for the Neuchâtel Liberal Party and as an eloquent advocate of Republican ideals. After Girard-Perregaux died, on June 18, 1903, his sn Constant Girard-Gallet followed with great success.Girard-Perregaux became the successor, in a sense, of the famous J-F Bautte firm, acquiring it (following a number of changes of hands) from Juan Hecht in 1906.Bibliography: “Girard-Perregaux, Horloger par vocation”, Editions Girard-Perregaux, La Chaux-de-Fonds, 1991. The movement employs the first early version of what later became known as "three bridge" caliber. The design proved to be one of the most successful watch movement designs ever. It has been used by Girard-Perregaux up to now. Even today, their most prestigious watch, the 13’’’ wrist tourbillon uses the same design. The final version was patented on 25, 1884 (USA patent No. 14919).Ernest Guinand (c. 1810 - 1879),an important Master horologist from Le Locle, along with Auguste Grether from Ponts-de-Martel (1817-1879), he specialized in the production of tourbillon carriages. Judging by the records of the Neuchâtel Observatory, Guinand’s production of tourbillons began between 1865 and 67. He designed three models of tourbillon carriages, always based on an A-shaped frame. Guinand worked for several important makers including Girard-Perregaux and Montandon. The Observatory of Neuchâtel records indicate tht the number of tourbillons supplied to Girard-Perregaux can be esteemed between 22 and 25. Most were equipped with pivoted detent escapement, one with spring detent and a few with lever escapement. Most of his carriages were not signed and can only be identified by their characteristic A-shape.