Every year, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie (FHH) brings together its global network of educators and trainers for a defining moment in its educational calendar — the “Train the Trainer” program. Designed to deepen horological knowledge and enrich pedagogical skills, this prestigious gathering serves as both a learning experience and a celebration of fine watchmaking.
For the 2025 edition, FHH had the honor of being hosted by one of its founding partners and a pillar of Swiss haute horlogerie: Girard-Perregaux. The manufacture, with nearly 230 years of uninterrupted history, opened its doors to the FHH training community, offering a rare and immersive experience into its world of mechanical excellence and artisanal mastery.
Behind the Doors of Greatness
Over the course of the program, FHH trainers were granted privileged access to two of Girard-Perregaux’s most revered domains: the Grandes Complications Atelier and the enamel dial workshop. These are the sanctuaries where time is not merely measured, but shaped — where tradition meets innovation, and where human hands turn raw materials into living works of art.
Witnessing the assembly of tourbillons, minute repeaters, and perpetual calendars in the Grandes Complications Atelier offered an intimate understanding of Girard-Perregaux’s unwavering commitment to horological precision and aesthetic refinement. Meanwhile, in the enamel workshop, trainers observed the painstaking process of creating enamel dials — a centuries-old art requiring absolute patience and mastery, where each dial emerges as a singular masterpiece.
Learning Through Immersion
This experience was more than a visit; it was a deep dive into the philosophy and identity of Girard-Perregaux. For FHH trainers, it was an opportunity to align closely with the values, techniques, and history that define the maison — ensuring they can pass on not just technical information, but a true sense of what makes fine watchmaking meaningful.
Through direct exposure to the manufacture’s artisans and watchmakers, trainers return to their global classrooms with renewed inspiration and authority. Whether teaching in Geneva, Dubai, Hong Kong, or New York, they now carry the living spirit of Girard-Perregaux into their educational missions.
A Shared Commitment
The FHH expresses its heartfelt thanks to the entire Girard-Perregaux team for their warm hospitality, transparency, and dedication to the culture of transmission. It is through partnerships like these that the foundation can continue to safeguard horological heritage while fostering the next generation of connoisseurs, collectors, and educators.
A Mission with Meaning
At its core, the FHH’s mission remains constant: to preserve, promote, and transmit fine watchmaking knowledge with passion and precision. The Train the Trainer program is a living embodiment of that goal — ensuring that the art of time not only endures, but flourishes.
As the gears of tradition and innovation continue to turn together, the Fondation Haute Horlogerie and Girard-Perregaux reaffirm a shared commitment to keeping horology alive — not only in timepieces, but in people.
For more detailed information about the Train the Trainer program and its recent edition with Girard-Perregaux, you can refer to Fondation Haute Horlogerie – Train the Trainer Program
