Girard-Perregaux reveals the complexity behind the dial, adding a level of mechanical involvement to an already dramatic timepiece. The movement’s wheels and levers co-star with the large date and moon-phase displays to increase appreciation of the intricate inner engine.
Too often, the fascinating interplay of components that power timepiece displays is hidden behind a dial. Girard-Perregaux draws the curtain back with a dial fashioned from clear, tinted sapphire. The result is a smoked-glass effect that reveals the caliber beneath and that shows off the applied Art Deco hour markers to great effect.
Focusing front and center, the large date and moon-phase displays grab your attention. Like most big-dates, this one places the digits on two separate disks. Girard-Perregaux uses some clever engineering to minimize the “two level effect” that often plagues such displays. One disk is clear sapphire, and it sits only .1 mm above the other disk, creating what G-P describes as an imperceptible difference in height, so the disks appear to be on the same level. The date also changes in only five milliseconds when triggered. The moon-phase display is co-axial with the small seconds, and it employs a clear sapphire “double bubble” plate that reveals all.
The rectangular “1945” case is named for the year it was originally created, and it is more complex than you might think. The case features compound curves that extend from top to bottom and from side to size to help assure a comfortable fit on the wrist.
The automatic-winding, in-house Girard-Perregaux caliber is shaped to match the case, and the displays are easy to set. The large jumping date can be rapidly advanced via the crown, while the moon phases are controlled by a corrector located next to the crown.
The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Large Date, Moon-Phases will be available in stainless steel and in pink gold with matching folding clasps securing black alligator straps.
This is a striking watch, seems really attractive in pictures. Would love to see it in real life.