The world is a strange place, and the stubborn affection we watch lovers have for basically anything other than our omnipresent and omniscient (but not necessarily always benevolently so) smart phones and smart watches to give us the most fundamental of information, is possibly irrefutable proof that the heart is an organ notably more compelling than the brain. Of course, there’s a lot more to our adoration of high-craft mechanical watches than keeping us on schedule! Chief among those would include a connection with human achievement, an appreciation for artistry and craft, and our longing for mythically simpler or more hopeful times–a time-traveling machine of sorts, rather than a machine for time keeping, if you will. There’s more than a bit of irony, to me at least, that enough water has passed under the bridge that even digital quartz watches, the very antithesis of classical mechanical watches when they emerged, and a force that nearly killed the latter off entirely before the “Mechanical Revolution” of the late 1980s and early 1990s, have entered our space as objects of renewed affection and appreciation–perhaps a silent recognition of a time in history when newly emerging technology still felt exciting and universe opening, rather than domineering and all-consuming. And with that, enter Girard-Perregaux’s new wrist-born time machine, the Casquette 2.0!
Girard-Perregaux, a somewhat dusty but nonetheless venerable name amongst classical Swiss watchmaking houses, is best known for its magnificent Tourbillon With Three Bridges Of Gold and the many iterations of it that have appeared over the years. The company has also produced many other fine complicated pieces, some interesting dive watches, and a plethora of beautiful, simple dress watches, normally featuring calibers the brand has manufactured and refined in-house. This point is something GP is appreciated for among the cognoscenti because they followed that practice long before the now-vaunted manufacture caliber was an expectation for a “serious” Maison. But less known is that Girard-Perregaux was also an early player in quartz timepieces, keeping in mind that in the late 1960s and 1970s, it appeared that this ultra-precise, battery powered technology was The Way; Swiss companies from humble to mighty were all scrambling to get on board, and remain in the business of selling watches to a public suddenly demanding something very different than old fashioned wheels and pinions. Girard-Perregaux was an early contributor to that mighty leap into timekeeping precision, and by the introduction of their first quartz caliber in 1970, even established the 32.768 Hertz vibration frequency that would become the industry standard for the quartz oscillator to the present day. But, beyond all of that disruption, the 1970s was also an era of extremely bold fashion, obviously, and analog quartz watches eventually saw an exciting new sibling for the hyper-accurate quartz movement technology: the wildly futuristic LED digital display! First seen in the almost absurdly expensive 1972 Hamilton/Pulsar P1, I can only imagine how Space Age the digital readout would have seemed to viewers then, probably provoking reactions not unlike those to the at-the-time cutting edge special effects of 1977’s Star Wars, which debuted just one year after the original Casquette.
Only 8,200 original Casquette watches were produced by Girard-Perregaux, and they have become quite collectible, particularly in the rarest all-black synthetic variant in polycarbonate. Obviously, this variant, rather than the shell gold or steel variants which also saw production, is the one the brand has paid homage to, and it seems very fitting giving the sleek design, striking angles, and futuristic space-travel sort of vibe the watch evokes. The materials have been updated in an intelligent yet coherent manner, with the case and bracelet being from black ceramic for absolute scratch resistant permanence, and the caseback section, pushers, and a little Girard-Perregaux “GP” logo of Grade 5 titanium for just a bit of scintillating contrast against that visual vacuum of sheer blackness. The bracelet, which appears highly articulated, should be very comfortable, even more so due to a rubber lining on the interior and a fairly basic but sleek single-deployant clasp in titanium. Beyond the feathery lightness of ceramic and titanium, the dimensions are reasonable too, at just 42.40mm from lug-to-lug, and 33.60mm across. The Casquette 2.0 is stylish, and visually provocative while being simultaneously stealthy as a ninja’s garb, and one hell of a conversation piece if you desire it to be so. It goes without saying, that while they are mighty against scratches and wear, watches of ceramic construction don’t handle sharp impacts well….so, please don’t drop your Casquette 2.0! What’s more, there are only 820 of them slated for production, although they won’t be individually numbered. Price, at $4,700 is either reasonable, or heinous, depending upon what your views on quartz digital technology are, and, what premium you place on history, attention to design details, and quality of materials. While I’m not a quartz guy in general, I can appreciate that the quartz oscillator was immensely important, still has its place in the world of watches, and quartz watches from their inception to the present do in fact occupy a broad spectrum of quality, capability, and importance, just as mechanical ones do. The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 is decidedly special, and it’s fair to recognize it is a true luxury object. Moreover, it is one created with care, and respect for a very dynamic time in horology.
Being that this Girard-Perregaux has a very function-oriented quartz caliber, we needn’t dally long on the decorative nuances…there aren’t any to note. But, what the battery-powered GP3980 lacks in angled bridges, an exotic mechanical escapement, black polished screws, and ultra-thin construction, it makes up for in the delight of its stark red indications, of which the owner will get a few to play with: The time (adjustable between 12-hour and 24-hour formats), a second time zone, the day/date/month/year, a chronograph, and somewhat whimsically…a secret, programmable date to remind you of a big anniversary of importance limited to only your own imagination, or priorities. Depending on how crucial that date may be, the Casquette 2.0 can even be set up to remind you on a daily basis! Interestingly, the displays are normally in a powered-down mode, so to see or toggle through the modes, you simply need to press the polished titanium pusher, and the watch will spring to life. While some may find the power-down feature annoying, I think it’s a good one, as it preserves battery life for the longest possible interval (GP says approximately two years) when you’re rotating through other watches in the collection, while also giving you more occasion to interact with the piece when you do choose to sport it. Besides, even without the red LED grabbing our eyeballs, the murdered out, high-fashion 1970s futurism aspect of the Casquette 2.0 surely always will.
