Perrelet

Abraham-Louis Perrelet (1728–1826) was a Swiss horologist born in Le Locle. Around the beginning of 1777, he invented a self-winding mechanism for pocket watches, using an oscillating weight that wound the mainspring through the wearer's movement. The Geneva Society of Arts reported in 1777 that fifteen minutes of walking provided eight days of power reserve. Perrelet sold some of his watches to Abraham-Louis Breguet around 1780, who refined the design into his 'perpétuelles.' Louis-Frédéric Perrelet (1781–1852), Abraham-Louis's grandson, trained under him and became a noted chronograph maker, winning one of three Lalande awards for 1830. Perrelet SA is based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. The modern brand claims continuous operation since its founding. It returned to visibility in 1990, developing the Double Rotor concept with a rotor visible on the dial side. The first Double Rotor model was produced in 1995, with a patent filed for the design. In 2004, Perrelet was acquired by the Festina Group. The Turbine collection, introduced in 2009, features twelve rotating blades on the dial inspired by jet engine turbines. In 2021, Perrelet launched the COSC-certified P-331-MH caliber.