I think I’d be right in saying that Girard Perregaux has had it pretty hard for a long time now. From a watchmaker at the forefront of design in the 20th century to playing catch-up with the rest of the industry in the 21st, Girard Perregaux has had to pull out all the stops every single year to keep people enthusiastic about the brand. To bring things down a little, Girard Perregaux also can draw on its incredible past for new watches, as it has done with the new 1945 Infinity edition.
Designed to be as art deco as possible, the 1945 Infinity watch plays on lines and contrasts to flow into one unique package. The sharp case matches the dial which has been kept as fuss-free as possible, allowing the hands, markers, GP logo, date and moonphase to all stand out. The black dial is made of onyx, a gemstone which requires special treatment when turned into dials. Girard Perregaux says that it takes months to make the dial properly and it involves 15 separate operations to do so.
On the dial is a moonphase display which has been integrated into the running seconds at 6 O’clock and a grande date at 12 O’clock. The grande date uses two individual disks to display the numbers for the date as you see on the Outsize Date on a Lange 1. I like the subtle contrast between the silvery hands and the gold markers on this watch, it makes it seem more vintage-inspired, and the modern-style font counteracts that itself in the grande date window.
Inside the watch is the Girard Perregaux calibre GP03300-1405, it’s automatically wound by a pink gold rotor and has a power reserve of 46 hours. It also has a beat rate of 4Hz and 32 jewels too.
The watch is limited in production to just 88 examples worldwide available through authorised dealers. The price for one of these is CHF15,690, which is a lot. That price may put off buyers who are looking for ‘bang for their buck’, especially considering the case’s diminutive sizing of 36.10mm x 35.25 x 11.74mm.
Visit Girard-Perregaux here.
