Girard Perregaux

There was one very bad piece of news this year at the SIHH. Girard-Perregaux will leave the SIHH in 2013 and will join Baselworld. At least we had marvellous watches to discover and try to forget!

The most striking watch (IMVHO) proposed this year is a Laureato tourbillon with three bridges. We have already seen this straight bridges titanium a few years back. At that time the bridges were made in sapphire glass. The watch has been quite successful. This year the 10 piece limited edition shows blue spinel bridges.

The three bridges are nicely emphasized by the light blue colour. As the bridges remain transparent the blue colour is changing a lot with the light.

The full titanium case is adorned with an even more discreet platinum bezel. It's hard to be more subtle with a frontal tourbillon, it's rare to see such a captivating modern iteration of a great classic.

I've already said that I love blue dialed watches. It's clear to me that this Girard-Perregaux Laureato is the most beautiful blue dialled watch I've seen!

The titanium case is pleasantly light. In fact I've always liked this case and it's only the heavy case (and bracelet) of the EVO Moon that stops me from getting one. The titanium lightness perfectly fits the modern style. It's my 2012 choice!

Women too get their due tribute with several 1966 watches. The full diamond model below is strictly reserved for the most deserving ladies.

On the contrary women not appealed by a sky of stars can have a look at the moon.  Of course the moon is always surrounded by a few stars…..  This pink or white gold 36mm watch shows a white mother-of-pearl dial.

The most discreet women can also choose the subtle simpler version below. Anyway they will all enjoy the 1966 case!

The last women 1966 iteration will still be the one that will make husband be jealous. The 1966 tourbillon is in no way lessened by the diamond ring.

On the men side the 1966 range sees several new offers too. There is a new larger version of the simple model.

Do you notice something below ?

This new larger 1966 is fitted with a larger calibre too. The calibre 4500 has been used in some large Vintage 45 watches already. It is its first use in the 1966 series.

The 1966 series is also completed with a commemorative piece for the 220^th anniversary of Girard-Perregaux.

It was presented before the SIHH:

gp.watchprosite.com -0/

The watch is gorgeous and the plain and engraved back is particularly appealing.

We have also seen before the new grey dial pink gold equation of time annual calendar 1966. The show was the opportunity to put it on the wrist.

Then we saw the new 1966 minute repeater. We saw the most amazing 1966.

The watch is built on a totally new calibre. The 32mm calibre perfectly fills the 42mm case. If we've seen some traditional minute repeater calibres made by Girard-Perregaux a few years ago, the new calibre is a brand new architecture. I hope to have someday the opportunity to go deeper in the discovery and explanation of this piece.

What I can already tell is that the sound produced by this calibre was very satisfying. I've listened fantastic wrist minute repeaters by Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin or Jaeger-LeCoultre and some far less tempting by a few others. I can tell that this Girard-Perregaux seemed to be closer to the good ones than to the others.

If you want a round watch out of the 1966 range Girard-Perregaux you can choose the new three gold bridge tourbillon in the President case. We had it with the straight bridges in the last years, it is now offered with the traditional Girard-Perregaux bridges.

Well it's still working.

The sportier ones can also choose the new stainless steel white dial chronograph ww.tc after the black dial version.

The three black subdials give it a fresh look.

This range of watches is in my opinion really suited to steel models. It is a travel watch after all.

Now it's time to have a look at the Vintage 45 line. No they are not launching again the original model, it was just an opportunity to put it on the wrist and realize how larger the watches are today.

Novelties are XXL models. First the two counter chronographs.

The watch is offered in steel or in pink gold.

The watch is particularly nice in the steel version.

Then there is the large date and moon phase, also in pink gold and steel.

The watch is also a XXL model. It's a large watch but still wearable if you like present watches, even on a medium wrist like mine.

The watch is at the same time practical and glorious. I want to see it again ASAP.

I hope you got enough new models this year. I can say I got my share.

Best

Dje