All Good Things: The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Takes Its Final Bow in Titanium and Gold
Today, Girard-Perregaux pays homage to the lesser-known variants of the original Casquette with its release of the Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold.
The original Girard-Perregaux Casquette is one of those pieces that so completely encapsulates an era of design that when you look at it, you know, instinctually, that it comes from the 1970s.
Available from 1976 to 1978, the original Casquette came in three case variants: stainless steel, yellow gold-plated stainless steel, and Makrolon (a durable polycarbonate material that is as light as glass).
Then, when Girard-Perregaux revived the model in 2022, the Casquette 2.0 closely resembled the Makrolon encased original, with its black ceramic and Grade 5 titanium case.
Today, Girard-Perregaux pays homage to the other original case variants with its release of the Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold.
The Casquette
The 1976 Casquette represented a revolutionary design shift away from two- and three-handed analog watches to the LED and digital displays made popular by quartz-powered watches of the time. In fact, Marco Gabella, Watchonista’s Founder and Executive Publisher, owns an original Casquette and describes the design as “pure UFO with a sleek aerodynamic shape and an LED display.”
With only 8,200 examples made of its initial two-year run, the original quartz-powered Ref. 9931, a.k.a. the Casquette, became a highly sought-after collectible, thanks in large part to its futuristic case (made from either stainless steel, yellow gold plated stainless steel, or Makrolon) that oriented the LED display so it would lie perpendicular to the wrist.
Then, after 46 years, an Only Watch teaser model, and innumerable customer requests, Girard-Perregaux finally revived the model by releasing the 820-piece limited edition Casquette 2.0 in 2022.
The Casquette 2.0
As previously mentioned, the 2022 Casquette 2.0 was an obvious homage to the version of the Casquette with the Makrolon case. However, to compensate for the case’s not insignificant 42.4mm x 33.6mm x 14.6mm dimensions, the brand used black ceramic (for the case and bracelet) and Grade 5 titanium (for the pushers and caseback) to keep the 2.0’s weight to only 107g.
Of course, the lightweight case wasn’t the only improvement Girard-Perregaux made. First, the Casquette 2.0’s case was more chiseled and angular, giving it a much sleeker look than the more rounded original.
Second, and more importantly, while the 2.0’s calibre GP3980-1474 quartz movement had a tubular red LED display like the original, it featured more than just the hours, minutes, seconds, days, and the date. These new functions included month, year, chronograph, and second time zone.
Finally, a “secret date” function also allowed the wearer to save a memorable date like a birthday or anniversary into their Casquette 2.0.
If It Ain’t Broke…
Released today, the limited edition Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold is identical to the 2022 model in almost every respect: It has the same case dimensions (42.4mm x 33.6mm x 14.6mm), the same GP3980-1474 quartz movement with a two-year battery life, and the same 50m water resistance rating. It even has the same number of pieces in its limited run (820 examples).
The biggest difference between the two models is that where the nearly all-black 2.0 from 2022 was inspired by the Makrolon encased version of the original, this latest (and last!) version of the Casquette 2.0 pays homage to the stainless steel and gold-plated versions.
However, instead of using heavy stainless steel and gold plating, Girard-Perregaux has opted to use lightweight Grade 5 titanium (with a lovely brushed finish) for the case, caseback, and bracelet and a lovely 18-karat 2N yellow gold for the GP logo medallion and the pushers.
Pricing & Availability
Limited to 820 pieces, the Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold (CHF 4,750) is the ultimate (final!) Casquette 2.0 model.
Technically available for pre-order now, the brand is giving priority to “GP Lovers” (a.k.a. anyone who currently owns a Girard-Perregaux watch) from today, October 31st, to November 14th.
After that, the Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold will become available to everyone. For more information, check out the Girard-Perregaux website.
(Front image by Pierre Vogel)