Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT now with sapphire dial (Live Photos, specs and price)

Showing the movement has become the rule in watchmaking. Whether it’s a superbly finished haute horology or a simple entry-level engine, brands are now manufacturing the majority of their watches with a sapphire caseback – meaning having a view on the back of its movement. Although some 3-hand watches have almost nothing to show on the dial-side of the movement, more complicated timepieces that can be proudly exposed from every angle. That’s what GP wants to demonstrate and show off with its new watch, the Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT that now features a sapphire dial that reveals some usually hidden technical parts. 

Technically speaking, this new edition with sapphire dial of the Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT is fully identical to the classical edition we’ve seen last year. The evolution is purely visual, with some new decorations and the introduction of this see-through dial. As said, if a 3-hand watch usually has nothing to show on the dial side of its movement – meaning only a plate that is (at least on up-market watches) finished with circular graining – this new Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT has a lot more hidden behind its dial than a couple of axis and wheels. In fact, the main interest is to see the work of GP’s large date.

Girard-Perregaux has its own way to display the quantième. The large date (the date’s two digits are displayed on two separate discs) here uses a clever visual effect that makes you believe there’s only one disc. Usually, a large date shows a gap between two discs juxtaposed on the same level (like Glashutte Original does) or two discs on two different levels, one overlapping the other (a visual default that is usually corrected by creating two separated windows, one for each digit, like Lange & Sohne on the Lange 1). If GP’s device can’t be seen on the classical edition of the Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT, here the sapphire dial gives you a clear view on the way it works. It is composed of two discs, the right one painted in black that displays the left digit with white numerals – located on the lower level – and a second one on the left that measures 0.10mm height and that is made of transparent folanorm with white numerals printed. This transparent discs overlaps the main black disc thus creating the illusion to the eye of a single disc. Simple and yet oh so clever!

The sapphire dial also allows the wearer to have a view of the nicely finished main plate, with several gears and wheel visible, and circular Geneva Stripes. The rest of the indications are similar to the the classical edition of the Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT, meaning a moon phase indication at 7:30 with a photo-realistic metallic treatment that is surrounded by a small-second and a 24-hour second time-zone indicator at 4:30 that can be corrected by one-hour increments with the pusher on the flank.

The rest doesn’t change either compared to the the normal edition of the Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT: a 44mm case with nicely curved lugs, both satined and polished surfaces and a choice of stainless steel or 18k pink gold. Inside ticks the GP-3300 movement, an efficient, robust and well finished self-winding calibre that boasts 46 hours of power reserve that displays several functions: hour, minute, small second, large date, moon phase indicator, 24-hour 2nd time zone.

The new Girard-Perregaux Traveller Large Date, Moonphase & GMT with sapphire dial is priced at 17.800 Euros in stainless steel and at 34.000 Euros in 18k pink gold. More details on Girard-Perregaux.com.