Dating back to 1791, Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest Swiss watchmakers still in operation. Its sole authorised retailer in Thailand, PMT The Hour Glass, marked the maison's 230th anniversary with a virtual exhibition last September.
The new watch comes with additional functions, including month, year, chronograph, second time zone and secret date.
The long history is enriched with myriad timepieces, from the Lépine quarter repeater pendant watch from 1820 and Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges from the 1860s to the sporty Laureato born in 1975 and Cat's Eye women's model launched in 2004.
One chapter, though, departs from haute horlogerie, when in the 1970s Girard-Perregaux launched the cutting-edge Casquette during the "Quartz Crisis".
The advent of quartz watches, particularly those made in Japan, threatened the Swiss watch industry with a long tradition for making mechanical timepieces.
However, Girard-Perregaux strategically embraced the new technology and introduced the Casquette displaying hours, minutes, seconds, day and date with its quartz movement delivering a high degree of precision.
From 1976 to 1978, Girard-Perregaux promoted the Casquette as the new face of time.
From 1976 to 1978, Girard-Perregaux promoted the Casquette as the new face of time.
It operated at a frequency of 32,768Hz, which was subsequently adopted as the universal standard for quartz watches.
The Casquette makes a comeback in 2022, in lighter materials and with more functions rendered by a new quartz movement.
PMT The Hour Glass recently celebrated its return as the Casquette 2.0. with a pop-up display and activities based on the theme "It's Time To Play" at its multi-brand boutique in Siam Paragon.
Playing on the number 2, the Casquette 2.0. was launched on the 22nd day of the second month by CEO Patrick Pruniaux.
While competitors merely swapped a conventional display for a circular panel with a series of LEDs, he noted that Girard-Perregaux designed the original Casquette with a functional and avant-garde tubular LED display, defined as the new face of time.
The original Casquette was offered in three case variants: Makrolon (polycarbonate), steel or yellow gold plate.
Likened to a 70s muscle car with its LEDs resembling taillights, the retro-futuristic Casquette became much sought after by watch aficionados.
"Not all watches retain their looks and desirability with the passage of time. However, since production of the original Casquette ceased in 1978, the interest in this watch has never diminished. We regularly receive enquiries and have witnessed these models attract much attention, fetching 10x their original sales price on the pre-owned market," said Pruniaux.
"Quite simply, the original Casquette serves to further validate our reputation for designing watches with lasting appeal. We are delighted to welcome the Casquette back."
Produced from 1976 to 1978, the Casquette was offered in three case variants: Makrolon (polycarbonate), yellow gold plate or steel.
The new Casquette 2.0. is housed in a scratch-resistant black ceramic case while the caseback and pushers are in Grade 5 titanium. Both materials are hypoallergenic and light, resulting in an exceptionally low mass of 107g and comfort on the wrist when wearing the edgy watch.
The flexible ceramic bracelet with a rubber interior also makes it more comfortable than those fitted to the original model.
Limited-edition Casquette 2.0 in a black ceramic and Grade 5 titanium case.
Last year, the Casquette previously reappeared for a good cause. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Girard-Perregaux in collaboration with the Bamford Watch Department released a unique piece based on the original of 1976 for the charity auction Only Watch.
Encased in forged carbon and titanium, the Casquette Only Watch Edition sold for CHF 100,000, raising much needed funds for research into Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
The charitable timepiece features a new movement, the Calibre GP03980, which also powers the Casquette 2.0 while offering additional functions, including the month, year, chronograph, second time zone and secret date.
Wearers can save a memorable date, such as a wedding anniversary, that can be shown each day at a specified time. Moreover, they can view the time on demand, thus preserving battery life. In fact, assuming the pushers are pressed on average 20 times per day, the battery should last for two years.
While the original was available in 8,200 pieces, the Casquette 2.0 is limited to 820 and priced within a new segment.
Casquette 2.0 is matched with a more comfortable ceramic bracelet featuring a rubber interior.
