Celebrating The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Collection

2016 is truly a significant year for Girard-Perregaux.  It marks 225 years of long standing watchmaking history, uninterrupted and unprecedented.  2016 will be an important year for the brand, being the 50th anniversary of the 1966 collection and also the 225th anniversary of the company.  According to Mr Calce, the occasion will be celebrated with “the birth of a very special piece dedicated to our antique watch”.

SPECIAL: As a way to celebrate this hallmark of Girard-Perregaux – from the 27th of May to 30th June, The Hour Glass will have an exclusive 7% rebate with any Girard-Perregaux timepiece, giving you the opportunity to own a timepiece as iconic and refined as this one.

The modern collection of the Girard-Perregaux 1966
As a complete collection, the 1966 exists in several iterations (different complications, different sizes, several materials) but always with a common design. The overall look of the Girard-Perregaux 1966 is refined, simple and elegant, with plain dials complemented by thin leaf hands and subtle applied indexes. The simplest iteration comes with only three hands, and beyond that there’s a choice of delightful complications: an annual calendar with equation of time, a complete calendar, a chronograph (equipped with an in-house, integrated chronograph movement) or simply a small seconds.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 simplest iteration comes with only three thin leaf hands and subtle applied indexes in 38mm case,  S$21,297 (nett price).

Recently Girard-Perregaux introduced the 1966 in pink gold, with a striking blue dial. A combination that was widely discussed in magazines and online, as being extremely attractive.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 in pink gold with striking blue dial in 41mm case,  S$22,413 (nett price).

As with most editions of the three-hand 1966, it is available with a 38mm or a 41mm case. Both are equipped with in-house movements, based on the famous GP3300 calibre.

Other reiterations of the 1966 collection unveiled this year in steel:

Girard-Perregaux 1966 steel in 36mm case with diamond bezel, S$13,485 (nett price).

For the first time, the Maison introduces steel versions of its iconic 1966 Lady models.  With a slender 36mm size, this timepiece fits ladies’ wrists perfectly.  Not to be outdone, this timepiece is outfitted with a trustworthy movement entirely hand crafted in Girard-Perregaux’s workshops.

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar steel in 40mm case, S$14,601 (nett price).

The useful complication of a Full Calendar featuring the day, month, date in addition to the hour and minute is reiterated in this new 40mm steel case with a delicately inclined and polished bezel.  The white opaline dial is in contrast with the grey fastened indexes and grey case.

History and inspiration
The Girard-Perregaux 1966 is the most classical watch from the manufacture: an understated dress watch that find its roots in a 1960s timepiece but represents the spirit of the modern edition. “The collection fits perfectly into the Manufacture’s long tradition of expertise,” explains Antonio Calce, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, “Paying tribute to the 1960s when the technical and timekeeping innovations developed by Girard-Perregaux were awarded the Neuchâtel Observatory Centenary Prize.”

Technical and timekeeping innovations developed by Girard-Perregaux in the 1960s were awarded the Neuchâtel Observatory Centenary Prize.

1966 is a reference to an important year for the manufacture. That year, Girard-Perregaux introduced within its Gyromatic family the first high frequency movement that ran at 36,000 beats per hour. Girard-Perregaux was one of the few manufactures at the time to have an in-house research and development team, which enabled them to develop new movements and also be one of the few brands that clinched prizes at chronometry contests. In 1967, 70% of all chronometer certificates issued by the Neuchatel Observatory were awarded to Girard-Perregaux’s high frequency chronometers. They even won the Neuchâtel Observatory Centenary Prize in 1966.

Like its predecessor, the modern Girard-Perregaux 1966 is a sleek and round watch with a very pure design. It has become an iconic watch for the brand, and is available with a variety of highly interesting complications.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 in 40mm stainless steel has a slightly redesigned dial and hands for a more modern look.

Until very recently, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 was offered only in precious materials (palladium, pink gold or white gold).  However, to offer the beauty of this watch to a larger audience, Girard-Perregaux recently introduced a stainless steel edition of the 1966, keeping the same beautiful movement and style, but with slightly redesigned dial and hands, for a more modern look.  The white dial and the leaf hands are fitted in an exclusive 40mm stainless steel case, making it a perfect elegant everyday watch.  Its discreetness and the purity of the lines make this new 1966. like all of the previous iterations, a watch that only connoisseurs will recognize for what it is – the true hallmark of elegance.

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