François Perregaux
François Perregaux (1834 Le Locle, Switzerland – 1877, Yokohama, Japan) was a Swiss watchmaker and businessman. He was the first European watchmaker to travel to Asia (1863) and is remembered for his contribution to establishing the watchmaking industry in Japan.
François Perregaux
Undisclosed. Public Domain for over 150 years. · https: grandtourofswitzerland.jp/cms/728/ · CC0
- Name
- François Perregaux
- Born
- 25 June 1834
- Birthplace
- Le Locle, Switzerland
- Died
- 18 December 1877
- Place of death
- Yokohama, Japan
- Known for
- F.
- Occupation
- Watchmaker, businessman
- Nationality
- Switzerland.
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Documentary summary
François Perregaux (1834 Le Locle, Switzerland – 1877, Yokohama, Japan) was a Swiss watchmaker and businessman. He was the first European watchmaker to travel to Asia (1863) and is remembered for his contribution to establishing the watchmaking industry in Japan.
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wikidata · Q11333716 · wikipedia · François Perregaux
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — François Perregaux • Born — 25 June 1834 • Birthplace — Le Locle, Switzerland • Died — 18 December 1877 • Place of death — Yokohama, Japan • Known for — F. Perregaux & Co. and Girard-Perregaux • Occupation — Watchmaker, businessman • Years Active — 1852–1877
Family
Family
Perregaux was born to Henri François Perregaux and Rosalie Matthey-Junod, both established watchmakers from Le Locle, Switzerland. His siblings included Jules Perregaux, Henri Perregaux, Françoise Perregaux and Marie Perregaux. Little is known about his personal life other than that he had a daughter, Eliza Perregaux, who was buried in the cemetery of Yokohama, next to him.
Milestones
Milestones
Perregaux was brother to Marie Perregaux who co-founded the brand Girard-Perregaux 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. Girard-Perregaux remains one of the oldest Swiss watch brands still in business today. Perregaux, James Favre-Brandt and Albert Favre Zanuti, are credited as the pioneers of mechanical watchmaking in Japan. 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
Death
Perregaux died unexpectedly of an apoplectic attack on December 18, 1877 at 43 years of age.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1834
François Perregaux was born on 25 June 1834.
1877
François Perregaux died on 18 December 1877.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Le Locle.
Birth place
Yokohama.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q11333716: François Perregaux
General reference · Wikidata
reference work
- “François Perregaux”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Citations
References
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authority record
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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