Girard-Perregaux: Casquette 2.0

In 1976, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Casquette, a cutting-edge timepiece endowed with a tubular LED display and Powered by a quartz movement. Produced until 1978 under the reference 9931 NA and offered in three variants, Makrolon® (polycarbonate), yellow gold plated and steel, enthusiasts began to affectionately call it ‘Casquette’, a nickname that has remained over time.

The original displayed the hours, minutes, seconds, day and date with its quartz movement delivering a high degree of precision. Moreover, while many rival firms merely swapped a conventional display for a circular panel featuring a series of LEDs, Girard-Perregaux looked at the Casquette’s design with a fresh set of eyes. The tubular LED display was not only functional, its appearance sidestepped convention, contributing to its avant-garde styling. Indeed, at the time, the watch was likened to a 70s muscle car with its LEDs resembling taillights. 

THE NEW CASQUETTE 2.0

Today the Casquette is back! This time, officially adopting the original moniker, it has been named the Casquette 2.0. It is housed in a scratch-resistant ceramic case (42,40 X 33,60) and features a Grade 5 titanium caseback. Both the titanium and ceramic are hypoallergenic and light. Indeed, it has an exceptionally low mass of 107g, helping to augment wearer comfort. In fact, the new Casquette is more comfortable than ever. Rounding off this lightweight ensemble are titanium pushers and a titanium badge which is positioned atop the watch head and emblazoned with a period GP logo. 

In 2021, Girard-Perregaux, in collaboration with Bamford Watch Department, created a pièce unique in support of the charity auction, Only Watch. Based on the original Casquette of 1976, the watch was encased in forged carbon and titanium and endowed with titanium pushers. The watch sold for CHF 100,000, raising much needed funds for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy. At the time, some keen-eyed observers noticed that the Casquette Only Watch Edition featured a new movement, the Calibre GP03980, and enquired why the Maison had produced a new movement for just one timepiece. Now, that same movement, the Calibre GP03980, sits at the heart of the new Casquette 2.0. 

Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, remarks, “Not all watches retain their looks and desirability with the passage of time. However, since production of the original Casquette ceased in 1978, the interest in this watch has never diminished. We regularly receive enquiries and have witnessed these models attract much attention, fetching 10x their original sales price on the pre-owned market. If only everything we bought increased in value in such a way! Quite simply, the original Casquette serves to further validate our reputation for designing watches with lasting appeal. We are delighted to welcome the Casquette back – a stylish watch that promises a lasting allure.”

In common with the original Casquette, this latest watch displays the hours, minutes, seconds, day, and date. However, the new movement comes with some additional functions, including the month, year, chronograph, second time zone and secret date. This latter function allows the wearer to save a memorable date of the wearer’s choosing. The secret date (date, month and year) can be shown each day at a time specified by the wearer e.g., a wedding anniversary. 

The Casquette allows the wearer to view the time on demand, preserving battery life. In fact, assuming the pushers are pressed on average 20 times per day, the battery should last for 2 years. The watch is supplied on a ceramic bracelet with a rubber interior which proves more flexible and comfortable than its counterpart fitted to the original Casquette. The bracelet it now paired with a folding titanium buckle. 

During the lifetime of the original Casquette, 8200 pieces were produced. Inspired by this latter figure, Girard- Perregaux has chosen to limit the production of the new Casquette to just 820 pieces. The Casquette 2.0 is keenly priced, siting within a new segment for Girard-Perregaux. 

In 1976, the Casquette was bought by so-called ‘early adopters’ resulting in many ‘laggards’ missing out. If you are the former, simply pre-order your Casquette 2.0 exclusively on the brand’s e-commerce site from 22.02.2022 to 7.3.2022 to avoid disappointment. Subsequently, the watch will be also available in select Girard-Perregaux retailers around the world at the price of €. 4.700.