Casquette 2.0: titanium and gold for the Girard-Perregaux icon

What the British call ‘sci-fi watches’ – that is, inspired by science fiction – is a rather large trend, originating in the quartz watches of the 1970s. Among them, Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette is one of the best known, partly because of its truly sci-fi shape, partly because it is in fact the only example of such a timepiece produced by a haute horlogerie brand. A couple of years ago, the brand had already relaunched it in a contemporary version, modern in its materials but faithful to the original in its design. Today, the Casquette returns in a precious guise in titanium and yellow gold, destined to delight the many fans of the genre. Before writing about it, however, it is worth quickly recalling the history of this famous and unusual Girard-Perregaux watch.

GIRARD-PERREGAUX QUARTZ: THE CASQUETTE’S ROOTS

If we go back to the real state of affairs during the so-called ‘quartz crisis‘ of the 1970s, we can see that even big names in Swiss watchmaking – from Omega to Rolex, to Longines – created interesting watches driven not by mechanical but by quartz calibres. Movements that allowed brands to create new looks and shapes that were previously impossible to make, precisely because of the calibre constraint. The most obvious step was to go beyond the concept of the flat, circular case or central hands. Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette, presented in 1976, is an excellent example of this radical reinvention. As its name suggests, by design it was shaped like a casket, with the time displayed on a series of LEDs at one end. As for the Laureato, it was the collectors’ community who coined the watch’s nickname which Girard-Perregaux later adopted.

The work done by the brand on the watch was serious and thorough. Rather than collaborating with a microelectronics company, Girard-Perregaux developed its own quartz movement with innovative techniques in the layout of the circuits, which evolved over the short life of the watch. The calibre 395 that equipped it was the first with dedicated chips for the display driver and, although the Casquette was the debut piece in the LED wristwatch segment, for the brand it was not the first quartz watch. Girard-Perregaux did not join the other Swiss brands working on quartz at the time, but developed its own movement, the 350 calibre which, with its remarkable accuracy of 1 minute per year, became very popular and represented a great success for the brand at the time. In 1971, the brand presented the first series-produced quartz watches in Switzerland. The frequency of 32,768 Hz, defined by the Manufacture, was later adopted as the universal standard for this type of timepiece.

Calibre 395 was followed by calibres 396 – with a 12-hour, date and day display – and 397 – with a 24-hour display. Like other LED watches that first adopted the new technology, the 395 calibre had certain limitations. The first LED watches consumed a lot of energy, which resulted in a shorter battery life than other quartz watches. Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette was very popular when it was released and was a commercial success, despite the fact that it was not cheap. It was available in steel, plated gold or in a composite material called Macrolon, a light polycarbonate.

A TIMELESS DESIGN

The return of the Casquette dates back to 2022, when the enthusiasts’ community asked Girard-Perregaux to re-edit the legendary LED watch. The company took the request very seriously, resulting in the updated version of the timepiece which, as is current practice in the digital age, has become the Casquette 2.0. A reference with a black ceramic and titanium case and titanium push-buttons, whose gloomy look was reminiscent of the Macrolon reference from the 1970s. Today, in the most recent revival of the Casquette 2.0, the steel of the original 1976 model gives way to yellow gold alongside titanium.

The shape is that of the classic Casquette we all know, with the grade 5 titanium case measuring 42.4 x 33.6 mm with a thickness of 14.64 mm. The case back is also made of titanium and is attached to the case with four screws, for a water resistance of 5 bar. A sapphire crystal protects the tubular LED display that serves as the dial. A beautiful detail is the GP logo engraved on the case, which appears discreetly in the bottom right-hand corner and is made of yellow gold, as the buttons for adjusting the time. Speaking of adjustment, the titanium bracelet is completed by a buckle with a micro-adjustment system for precise and comfortable adaptation to the wrist. Comfort is also ensured by the rubber lining the bracelet.

THE CASQUETTE AND ‘GP LOVERS’

While the Casquette’s technological star feature was once the 395 calibre, inside its designer case the 2024 version houses the GP03980 calibre, which offers additional functions compared to the original model. To the indications of hours, minutes, seconds, day and date, it adds those of month, year, second time zone and secret date, as well as a chronograph function. In developing the GP03980 calibre, Girard-Perregaux also took into account a critical factor affecting electronic devices: technology obsolescence. This calibre is in fact compatible with first-generation models from 1976, whose life it is able to ‘lengthen’.

The distribution choice that Girard-Perregaux is pursuing for this new Casquette 2.0 is also very interesting, and is a way of giving back to the enthusiast community what it has offered to the brand’s most famous quartz watch over the years. In fact, the brand is giving purchase priority to so-called ‘GP lovers‘, thanks to which they can order the timepiece until 14 November 2024. Anyone who owns a Girard-Perregaux watch can visit the site’s Casquette 2.0 page, place a pre-order online and pick up the model – a limited edition of 820 pieces at a price of €5,300 – from their authorised dealer. After the preview period, the watch will go on sale in selected Girard-Perregaux boutiques and authorised retailers.

In this way, the brand further unites the community of aficionados without forgetting the vocation that has distinguished it since its origins: the exploration of watchmaking creativity through unique shapes and recognisable designs. Whether it is the Casquette, the Laureato, the Tre Ponti or the Deep Diver, Girard-Perregaux does not betray its mission: to shape the future of watch design, translating it into models destined to become history.

By Davide Passoni