In a press release, Gucci said the move into upper-tier watchmaking shows the brand is “improving its expertise; creating a niche segment of premium watches within its offering.” How big that segment will be and how fast it will grow is still up in the air. At Baselworld, Sofisti told WatchTime no other such introductions are imminent. He chose to launch a high-end sports watch, rather than a high-end dress watch, because the market for expensive dress watches is already very crowded, he said. He expects the Dive to appeal particularly to people who already own Gucci watches and want a Gucci to wear in active settings.
The Dive is water-resistant to 300 meters. It is 45 mm in diameter and has a screwed caseback, stamped with a Gucci crest, and a unidirectional rotating bezel. The indicator for the 46-hour power reserve is at 5 o’clock. The small seconds are at 9 and the date window is between 1 and 2 o’clock. The skeletonized hour and minutes hands, as well as the hour markers, have luminous coating. The Dive comes with two straps, in black rubber and black leather, and they are interchangeable. The watch has a three-blade deployant buckle.
The company no longer refers to the GP3300 as a Girard-Perregaux movement; instead, it’s been rebadged as a caliber by “Sowind Manufacture.” The Sowind Group consists of the Girard-Perregaux and JeanRichard brands, plus the company’s movement-making operations and a private-label division that makes watches for other, non-watch brands. These include Bottega Veneta and Ermenegildo Zegna.
For more news and new watches from Baselworld, check out the September-October issue of WatchTime, on sale now!