Perrelet

Who are Perrelet?

Perrelet is a Swiss watch brand based in Biel/Bienne, named after Abraham-Louis Perrelet, an 18th-century watchmaker from Le Locle who made one of the earliest self-winding watches (Wikipedia). The brand dates itself to 1777, but the modern company launched in 1995 with the Double Rotor, and since 2004 it has belonged to Miguel Rodriguez, the owner of the Festina Group (Europa Star). Its signature watch is the Turbine, first shown in 2009 (WorldTempus). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Perrelet watch second-hand in the UK.

The history of Perrelet

Perrelet’s history has two parts that are not directly connected: the watchmaker Abraham-Louis Perrelet, who died in 1826, and the brand that took his name in 1995. The key dates are the self-winding watch (1776–77), the Double Rotor (1995), the Rodriguez acquisition (2004), the Turbine (2009) and the P-331-MH calibre’s certifications (2021).

Abraham-Louis Perrelet. Perrelet was born in Le Locle in December 1728; Wikipedia’s article on him gives 1728 in the text and 1729 elsewhere. He left farm work at about 20 to learn watchmaking (Wikipedia). In late 1776 or early 1777 he made a self-winding mechanism for pocket watches, which Wikipedia’s article on automatic watches calls “the earliest credible evidence for a successful design”. In 1777 the Geneva Society of Arts reported that 15 minutes of walking would wind the watch for eight days, and in 1778 that it was selling well (Wikipedia). He died in Le Locle on 4 February 1826, aged 97. His grandson Louis-Frédéric Perrelet (1781–1852), whom he trained, worked in Paris and won a Lalande prize for 1830 (Wikipedia).

Who came first. Sources differ on credit for the first self-winding watch. A 1773 newspaper report describes a watch by Joseph Tlustos that needed no winding, but Wikipedia treats this as doubtful. Hubert Sarton designed a watch with a rotor in late 1777 or early 1778, and Abraham-Louis Breguet built a self-winding mechanism in 1777, then studied and improved Perrelet’s design from about 1779 or 1780 and made self-winding watches until about 1810 (Wikipedia, Automatic watch; Wikipedia, Abraham-Louis Perrelet). Early reports do not describe how Perrelet’s mechanism worked (Wikipedia). Our Breguet page covers Breguet’s side of this.

The modern brand. Perrelet dates its founding to 1777 (Wikipedia). Europa Star says the brand launched in 1995 with the Double Rotor, a watch with a second, synchronised rotor on the dial side, which was patented; Wikipedia says work on it began in 1990 with the watchmaker Paul Gerber. In 2004 Miguel Rodriguez, who also owns the Festina Group, bought Perrelet; his team created more than 300 references and 17 movements, mostly based on ETA calibres (Europa Star, 2008). He appointed Marc Bernhardt, formerly of IWC, as chief executive in 2007.

The Turbine and since. Perrelet unveiled the first Turbine at Baselworld in 2009 (WorldTempus). The Weekend dress-watch collection followed in 2019 (Europa Star). In 2021 Perrelet announced that its Calibre P-331-MH had gained Chronofiable certification, from the Laboratoire Dubois in La Chaux-de-Fonds, as well as COSC chronometer certification, and in October 2021 it presented the LAB Peripheral Dual Time Big Date (Europa Star).

What is Perrelet known for?

Perrelet is known for its founder’s place in the history of self-winding watches, for watches that show a rotor on the dial, and for the Turbine.

Rotors on the dial. The Double Rotor of 1995 has one rotor on the dial side and another behind the movement (Europa Star, 2008; WorldTempus). The LAB Peripheral uses a 180-degree weight on a toothed ring around the outside of the movement, also visible from the dial side (Europa Star).

The Turbine. The Turbine grew out of the Double Rotor’s dial-side rotor. Its dial is a cut-out disc, inspired by jet-engine blades, that spins at the slightest movement of the wrist and reveals a lower dial beneath (WorldTempus). Europa Star describes both the Double Rotor and the Turbine as patented.

Movements. Perrelet uses exclusive calibres developed with Soprod, a movement maker owned by Rodriguez (Europa Star, 2021; Europa Star, 2008). Calibre P-331-MH is COSC-certified and Chronofiable-certified (Europa Star, 2021). Other calibres include the P-401 in the Weekend GMT and the P-421 in the LAB Peripheral Dual Time Big Date (Europa Star). Our guides to COSC certification and in-house and outsourced movements explain what these terms mean.

Which Perrelet collections are there?

The collections table on this page lists four families that sources describe: Turbine, Double Rotor, LAB Peripheral and Weekend. Perrelet’s own site refused automated access when we checked, so the full current range is not confirmed here. Points that help when reading listings:

• Turbine variants. The Turbine has many versions, including the Turbine EVO and Turbine Pilot (Europa Star, 2021). Read the reference and calibre, not only the name.
• Movement by year. Watches from the years after 2004 mostly used ETA-based movements; later models use Perrelet’s Soprod-developed calibres (Europa Star, 2008 and 2021). Ask which calibre a watch has.
• Limited and artist editions. Perrelet has made limited Turbines, such as a 25-piece seconde/seconde/ edition in 2025 (WorldTempus). Match any edition number to the papers.

Who owns Perrelet?

Perrelet has belonged to Miguel Rodriguez since 2004. Europa Star reported in 2008 that it belonged to Rodriguez personally, and that he also owned the Festina Group, whose brands include Candino, Lotus, Jaguar and Calypso. A 2021 Perrelet announcement described the brand as part of the Festina Group, with Rodriguez as owner and president (Europa Star), and Wikipedia also lists it among Festina’s brands. The Festina Group’s own website, however, lists six watch brands (Festina, Lotus, Candino, Jaguar, Kronaby and Calypso) and does not mention Perrelet.

The Festina Group’s head office is in Madrid, with a logistics centre in Barcelona (Festina Group).

Buying a Perrelet watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check which calibre the watch has, make sure a Turbine or Double Rotor’s dial-side rotor turns freely, check the papers and warranty, and run a stolen-watch check.

1. The dial-side rotor. On a Turbine or Double Rotor, the moving parts on the dial are part of how the watch looks and, on a Double Rotor, how it winds (WorldTempus; Europa Star). Ask the seller for a video showing the rotor or turbine moving, and have a watchmaker check it.

2. The movement. Perrelet has used ETA-based movements and its own Soprod-developed calibres (Europa Star). Ask which calibre the watch has; for a P-331-MH, ask whether the COSC certificate is included. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what the papers prove.

3. Warranty. Perrelet’s warranty length, and whether it passes to a second owner, are not confirmed here. Ask for the original purchase date. See watch warranties explained.

4. Servicing. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. Our guide on how to care for a mechanical watch covers what a service involves.

5. Authenticity and stolen-watch check. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns; our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay: our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Perrelet?

Miguel Rodriguez, owner of the Festina Group, has owned Perrelet since 2004. In 2021 the brand was described as part of the Festina Group (Europa Star).

Did Abraham-Louis Perrelet invent the automatic watch?

He made one of the earliest working self-winding watches, in 1776–77, and Wikipedia calls his the earliest credible evidence of a successful design. Others, including Hubert Sarton and Abraham-Louis Breguet, worked on self-winding watches at about the same time (Wikipedia).

Is the modern Perrelet the same company as Abraham-Louis Perrelet’s?

The brand dates itself to 1777, but the modern company launched in 1995 (Wikipedia; Europa Star).

Where are Perrelet watches made?

Perrelet is based in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland (Wikipedia). Europa Star says Calibre P-331-MH is produced in the Jura.

What is the Perrelet Turbine?

A watch with a bladed disc on the dial that spins as the wrist moves, revealing a lower dial beneath. It was first shown at Baselworld in 2009 (WorldTempus).

What is the Perrelet Double Rotor?

A watch launched in 1995 with two synchronised rotors, one on the dial side and one behind the movement (Europa Star).

Does Perrelet make its own movements?

Perrelet uses exclusive calibres developed with Soprod, a movement maker owned by Miguel Rodriguez, such as the P-331-MH (Europa Star).

Who is Perrelet’s chief executive?

Marc Bernhardt, previously of IWC, was appointed in 2007 to lead the brand under Miguel Rodriguez’s ownership (Europa Star, 2008).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Perrelet.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.