As anticipation continues to build with the approaching Baselworld, several brands have offered sneak peeks into their novelties for the year, both to generate hype and to gain a first mover’s advantage over competitors that have chosen to wait for the fair proper. Girard-Perregaux has also entered the fray with a matching pair of 1966 watches.
The new additions to the manufacture’s 1966 collection feature silver dials engraved with scalloped sunburst guilloché and finished with flinqué to increase the engraved lines’ definition. Although the watches’ overall designs are simple, the attention paid to detail is anything but. For example, the guilloché “spokes” radiating from each watch’s dial centre correspond to the twelve hours’ positions, and meet the variously applied and painted indexes at the dial’s edge. These elements are all encased in a case of rose gold, which matches the leaf-shaped hands’ material. In a further demonstration of its meticulous approach, Girard-Perregaux has polished each watch’s bezel twice – the second time with diamond-polishing that confers an even smoother surface. This detail is more apparent on the men’s model though, as the women’s model has its bezel inlaid with 60 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling approximately 0.55 carats.
Diamonds aside, the new 1966 Lady is also smaller at 30mm, and lacks both the central seconds hand and date window present on the 1966 (i.e. the men’s model) for an even simpler dial. The self-winding GP03200-0005 movement in the 1966 Lady beats at 28,800vph and has a 42-hour power reserve. The 1966 is a fair bit larger at 38mm instead; its GP03300-00030-OM5A is also self-winding, and sports a slightly longer going time of 46 hours. Both movements have been finished with a variety of decorations including circular graining and Côtes de Genève, which are visible through their watches’ sapphire case backs. Finally, the watches will come with black alligator leather straps with rose gold ardillon buckles to match the case and hands.
The post Girard-Perregaux 1966: Finishing Touch appeared first on LUXUO.