François Perregaux (1834

Le Locle Le Locle (; german: Luggli) is a municipality in the Canton of Neuchâtel in Switzerland. It is situated in the Jura Mountains, a few kilometers from the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds. It is the third smallest city in Switzerland (in Switzerland a ...

, Switzerland – 1877,

Yokohama is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

, Japan) was a

Swiss Swiss may refer to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Places * Swiss, Missouri *Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss-system tournament, in various games and sports *Swiss Internati ...

watchmaker and businessman. F. Perregaux was the first European

Watchmaker A watchmaker is an artisan who makes and repairs watches. Since a majority of watches are now factory-made, most modern watchmakers only repair watches. However, originally they were master craftsmen who built watches, including all their part ...

to travel to Asia (1863) and is remembered for his contribution to establishing the watchmaking industry in Japan.

Family

F. Perregaux was born to Henri François Perregaux and Rosalie Matthey-Junod, both established watchmakers from Le Locle, Switzerland. F. Perregaux was brother to Jules Perregaux, Henri Perregaux, Françoise Perregaux and Marie Perregaux. Little is known about his personal life other than his daughter Eliza Perregaux, who was buried in the cemetery of Yokohama, next to him.

Milestones

F. Perregaux was brother to Marie Perregaux who co-founded the brand

Girard-Perregaux Girard-Perregaux SA () is a luxury Swiss watch ''manufacture'' with its origins dating back to 1791. Since 2011, the Swiss holding group of Girard-Perregaux, Sowind Group, has been a subsidiary of the French luxury group Kering. Headquartered in ...

along with Constant Girard in 1852. François was instrumental in the early stages of the company, traveling to the USA and Japan to assist in its exports overseas.

remains one of the oldest

Swiss watch Swiss made is a label or marking used to indicate that a product was made on the territory of Switzerland. It is also a geographical indication protected under different Swiss and international laws and treaties. According to the Swiss Federal A ...

brands still in business today. François Perregaux, James Favre-Brandt and Albert Favre Zanuti, are credited as the pioneers of mechanical watchmaking in Japan. François Perregaux is also credited for establishing the first Swiss company in Japan (F. Perregaux & Co.), which was responsible for importing the first wristwatches into the country, in 1865.

Death

F. Perregaux died unexpectedly of an apoplectic attack on December 18, 1877 at only 43 years of age. He was buried at the Foreign General Cemetery in

Yokohama, Japan is the second-largest city in Japan by population and the most populous municipality of Japan. It is the capital city and the most populous city in Kanagawa Prefecture, with a 2020 population of 3.8 million. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of ...

where his sepulture still stands to this day.Reference to place and date of death, 18 December 1877, Yokohama
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Perregaux, Francois 1834 births 1877 deaths People from Le Locle Swiss watchmakers (people)