Developing and manufacturing one's own movements is extremely rare in the Swiss watch industry. With its global manufacturing approach, Girard-Perregaux goes even further than this, also producing its own cases. As the watch's largest component, the case is subjected to the most severe stresses. Swiss watchmaking brands rarely manufacture their own cases, as the component requires the same attention devoted to the movement itself.

In this domain, Girard-Perregaux is preserving a tradition that dates back to Jean-Francois Bautte, and maintains a degree of expertise in complicated case production developed in the twentieth century.

For example, a chronograph case with a slide rule in 1940, a chronograph case with an inner rotating bezel in 1942, and an anti-magnetic case in 1970 with a soft inner circle and shock absorbers made from rubber dampers are some of Girard-Perregaux's most notable inventions. Aterliers Bautte continued to uphold this tradition and its special expertise in developing, testing and manufacturing cases for Girard-Perregaux watches