Girard-Perregaux 1966 and Vintage 1945 Black Onyx “Infinity Editions”

Girard-Perregaux introduces two new members to its classic gent’s dress watch collections – the 1966 and the Vintage 1945 – with elegant black onyx dials. Presented during Geneva Watch Days, the 1966 Infinity and the Vintage 1945 Infinity models are limited editions and don a sophisticated black-tie look.

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Infinity

Girard-Perregaux presented its first high-frequency (36,000 vibrations per hour) movement in 1966. To celebrate GP’s pioneering period in the field of chronometry and to recapture the spirit of the high-frequency model (Chronometer HF Gyromatic), GP presented its 1966 collection in 2016. The 1966 collection is renowned for its round, slim cases, elegant leaf-shaped hands and tapered hour markers. Just ahead of Geneva Watch Days, GP launched a 1966 Orion Trilogy of 40mm dress watches with black and blue aventurine dials.

The latest addition to the classic 1966 watch family is the Infinity with its black onyx dial, a limited edition of 188 pieces. GP’s take on the gent’s dress watch, the 1966 Infinity comes in a 40mm polished stainless steel case with a thin height of 8.90mm. A straightforward three-hand-and-date model, the novelty of the Infinity is its black onyx dial. According to the brand, working with onyx is challenging and requires no fewer than 15 operations to achieve the desired thinness and shape.

The inky-black dial features applied hour markers in rose gold at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o’clock while the remaining indices are picked out in a similar pink gold colour. Slim and elongated, the markers add sophistication to the dial that also displays the new ‘bridge logo’ under the brand name at 12 o’clock, a nod to the famous La Esmeralda Tourbillon with Three Bridges model that won a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1889. The leaf-shaped hour and minute hands are rhodium plated to match the steel case, although the central seconds hand is golden to match the indices and the GP monogram. As far as date windows go, this one is discreet with a black background to match the dial.

The movement powering the 1966 Inifinity is the trustworthy in-house automatic calibre GP03300-1402, which is revealed beneath the sapphire crystal on the caseback. With a frequency of 28,800vph/4Hz, the 218-part movement offers a minimum 46-hour power reserve. The plates and bridges are bevelled, engraved, circular-grained and decorated with Côtes de Genève. The large oscillating weight in 18k pink gold is also finished with Côtes de Genève.

The 1966 Infinity is accompanied by a handsome black alligator strap with a triple-folding steel buckle. A nice detail is the stitching on the alligator strap; the first two stitches are picked out in a golden colour while the rest are black to echo the colour scheme of the dial.

Quick facts: 40mm x 8.90mm – stainless steel, polished – 30m water-resistance – black onyx dial – pink gold indices – calibre GP03300-1402, automatic with pink gold oscillating weight – 4Hz/28,800vph – 46h power reserve for hours, minutes, central seconds and date – black alligator strap with triple folding steel buckle – limited to 188 pieces – CHF 9,100 – available from September 2020

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Infinity

The Vintage 1945 collection, as its name suggests, is populated with retro-styled pieces with a strong Art Deco influence. First presented in 2004 and revamped again in 2012, the Vintage 1945 collection was inspired by a GP model of that very year and features distinctive rectangular cases, prominent gadroons and conical tapered lugs. Currently represented by just a Large Date and Moon Phase model (the chronograph seems to have been discontinued), the Vintage 1945 welcomes a new closed dial version of the Large Date and Moon Phase model.

Again, the novelty here is the incorporation of an inky-black onyx dial. The rectangular stainless steel case is polished and measures 36.10mm x 35.25mm and has a more pronounced height of 11.74mm. Viewed from the side, the case reveals its curved ergonomic profile and interesting architectural features like the gadroons framing either end of the dial and the tapered conical lugs. Both the case and the sapphire crystal over the dial are curved from top to bottom and from left to right to ensure the case sits flush against the wrist.

The black onyx dial features applied rose gold indices, the GP monogram at noon and thick faceted dauphine-style hands to match the steel case. The moon phase indicator at 6 o’clock also incorporates the running seconds with a small golden hand and the big date window appears in the upper half of the dial, just below the GP monogram. The patented ‘grande date’ or big date display is composed of two separate discs, just 0.1mm apart. What hasn’t been incorporated here is the ‘bridge’ logo that appears on new models in the 1966 collection and the brand name appears again under the date window in white.

Powered with an in-house manufacture automatic movement, the calibre GP03300-1405 can be seen below the sapphire crystal caseback. The patented ‘grande date’ mechanism, that changes instantly in just 1/10,000th of a second, relies on two extremely thin discs with no visible separation between the numerals. The oscillating weight is made from pink gold and the movement can store up to 46 hours of power reserve for the hours, minutes, small seconds, big date and moon phases.

Like the 1966 Infinity, the black alligator strap has golden and black stitching to echo the case and comes with a folding steel buckle.

Quick facts: 36.10mm x 35.25mm x 11.74mm (height) – stainless steel, polished – 30m water-resistance – black onyx dial – pink gold indices – calibre GP03300-1405, automatic with pink gold oscillating weight – 4Hz/28,800vph – 46h power reserve for hours, minutes, small seconds, big date and moon phases – black alligator strap with folding steel buckle – limited to 88 pieces – CHF 15,690 – available from September 2020