François Perregaux (1834 Le Locle, Switzerland – 1877, Yokohama, Japan) was a Swiss watchmaker and businessman.

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.

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

[6] Perregaux, James Favre-Brandt and Albert Favre Zanuti, are credited as the pioneers of mechanical watchmaking in Japan.

[11] Perregaux died unexpectedly of an apoplectic attack on December 18, 1877 at 43 years of age.