Launched in its unique kind in 1976, the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 of 2022 marks the return of the watch with a “delicate cap with a visor” design, which is what Casquette — first merely a nickname of the unique — stands for. Though to be truthful, the general vibe of this new watch in black ceramic and grade 5 titanium is extra of Darth Vader’s helmet than anything.
The primary impression when taking the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 watch in hand is someplace alongside the strains of WOW – at the least it was for me — and no, not just because it encompasses a case design that, in reality, has been replicated by many over the previous many years, extra lately together with MB&F and Romain Jerome. The Casquette 2.0 introduces a battery of the senses, as one struggles to interpret its measurement — surprisingly compact and handsome even on my 6.75″ wrist — its texture (extra on that in a second), and its darkish modernism.
Let’s begin with that final thing. On the wrist, the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 seems to be epic, frankly, like a tool used to regulate the TV set within the movie show of the Demise Star. It’s an odd mix of seriousness and leisure, which is attention-grabbing as a result of such a wilfully bizarre design might simply come throughout as one thing that’s about 100% leisure and goof — a celebration of lighthearted ’70s design. However there may be extra to it than that.
With a most case thickness of 14.64mm, the Casquette 2.0 truly wears as a way more slender watch than that determine would recommend, at the least 2-3mm lower than that mid-14mm measurement. That is, in no small half, because of the curved caseback and slanted case high that ends in a thicker part close to the show – once more, a feat mitigated by the sturdy curvature of the caseback that enables the watch to wrap across the wrist, versus sitting on high of it.
And there’s something menacing to a tool with purposeful-looking, compact proportions – it’s much less “take a look at me!” and extra “take a look at what I can do!”
However what it could do isn’t a lot, actually. The primary disappointment for me with the Casquette 2.0 watch is one thing that would, I reckon, be simply remedied via programming: the a lot too quick time that the show is on. Press a button, and the devilish pink show involves life within the black cosmos that’s its residence, framed with an extended visor of black ceramic. But it surely solely stays on for 2-3 seconds, which actually isn’t lengthy sufficient in any respect to comfortably seize a wrist shot or to indicate off to associates. Girard-Perregaux says it’s designed this strategy to protect battery life, saying, “Assuming the pushers are pressed on common 20 instances per day, the battery ought to final for 2 years.”
I imagine 20 is an overestimation, and I don’t see this watch being anybody’s each day put on for 2 years straight. It’s destined to be extra of a 2-3 days per week kinda watch, one thing to elevate your spirits and entertain you on lengthy and weary days – and, frankly, it’s type of a let-down that certainly one of its foremost options you might be disadvantaged from having fun with. Or why not simply make it adjustable at 3, 5 and 10 seconds – a G-Shock can do this, though, it’s true, less than 10 seconds. And what if a brand new battery is required every year? It’s actually ain’t the top of the world.
Rant over, and again to the great things. The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 watch feels completely unbelievable to the contact. Its ceramic hyperlinks and case have a type of a rubbery really feel that I haven’t skilled anyplace else with ceramic – virtually completely, it’s a shiny, glassy affair, and by no means the one exhibited by this novelty. It’s delicate, with out pulling on the pores and skin or hair, and it’s fantastically made with tall and lengthy strips of high-polished edges alongside each hyperlink. The hyperlinks are somewhat tall themselves, and but the bracelet follows the curvature of even a slender wrist like mine with excellent ease and luxury. That, mixed with the curved caseback and the truly slender case, signifies that you could possibly, in reality, put on the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 watch day by day – it’s extra tiring on the senses, a sensory overload, than it’s on the wrist.
The inside of the bracelet is, in reality, lined with rubber, however the exterior, too, feels paying homage to that, in probably the most optimistic means. The caseback is in titanium – in all probability the only option, as in my expertise it feels extra comfy towards the pores and skin attributable to its thermal conductivity, and it’s naturally darker in shade, making for a perfect match to the black exterior general whereas additionally lifting it a bit. The folding buckle can also be in titanium and is decently made.
Different small particulars to be appreciated embody the polished body across the show – the angles and curves, mixed with the reflective floor, make for an enchanting body, not-so-subtly hinting on the underlying operate which, as a result of lengthy “visor” round it, seems to be hidden inside a bottomless black void. Very cool. The pushers are within the case aspect and are additionally in titanium, together with a titanium GP emblem on high, set off to the aspect. It’s all dripping with a ’70s vibe however mixed with trendy habillage (case, bracelet) manufacturing applied sciences. It so simply might’ve been a black PVD-coated metal or titanium train that will put on away as you had been taking a look at it…
It’s true that you simply completely have to carry the Casquette 2.0 in your hand to understand its texture, gentle weight, darkish seems to be and wearability.
For those who fiddle with the 2 pushers for lengthy sufficient, you’ll discover that the Casquette 2.0 truly shows extra than simply the hours and minutes: It has the date, month, yr, a second time zone, and even a chronograph and, watch this, a secret date as effectively. The key date (day, month, and yr) is one that you would be able to program and could be proven every day at a time specified by the wearer, e.g. a marriage anniversary (if that’s one thing you wish to be reminded of day by day). All that is courtesy of the GP03980-1474 quartz motion that operates at a frequency of 32,768 Hertz – a frequency Girard-Perregaux claims to have used first earlier than it turned the common normal for quartz actions. The motion drives a tubular LED show and is protected by the 50m water resistance score of the case – swim with this you received’t wish to, although.
Total, the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 is a fully unbelievable watch, and it’s so as a result of it goes past the revival of a cool form and has thrown actually superb manufacturing at its case and bracelet, leading to an impressive tactile expertise for ceramic. Oh, and since the model managed to maintain this a compact 42.40mm x 33.60mm with an noticed thickness nearer to 12-13mm, which means that it’s the darkness and the form that overwhelms and never the scale. Effectively accomplished on all fronts, together with carrying consolation – now, simply let me take a look at that show for various seconds.
The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 watch is restricted to 820 items, not individually numbered, and is priced at a really aggressive $4,700. You possibly can be taught extra on the model’s web site.
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