Collection
Blomman Mr Blue shares his passion for collecting Girard-Perregaux accessories, demonstrating how vintage items like a 1960s cardboard sign can be instrumental in identifying specific watch references and their historical context. His post highlights the value of ephemera in enriching a watch collection and understanding a brand's heritage.
Friends,
A couple of weeks ago I shared some of my Girard-Perregaux vintage signs here and Padj encouraged me to share more of my GP accessories…
So, here goes…
This is a scan of a Girard-Perregaux cardboard window display sign (most likely) from the early 1960s that I have in my sign collection.
Cool, eh? Yah, maybe, but not as cool as it would be to have the watches show on the sign!
But which watches do the sign show?
The sign (most likely) show the reference 7554 in Stainless Steel and the reference 7427 in 18 K Yellow Gold or in 14 K with Stainless Steel back, can’t tell for sure since I can’t see the case back.
How do to know this you might ask…
Is there a print on the back? No it is not.
What you see is what you get, the back is just cardboard.
So how to determine which watches shown on the sign and from what year the sign is?
The answer is simple, with help of Girard-Perregaux accessories!
Some of us here only collect the watches itself, while some take the watch collecting a bit further - books, boxes, straps…
But I think no matter how each of us collect, we all has one thing in common – we like to know as much as possible about our beloved tick-tacks!
Me, once I go into a brand I try to collect as much as possible that is connected to the brand!
Cool, eh? No, not really…
In the beginning you only have bits and pieces without context…
Very frustrating!
But after a while all the bits and pieces forms a pattern and things starts to come into context and you start to understand more…
Like this sign. Stand alone; it is hard to tell much about it…
Photo of the sign:
Unfortunately I only have one of the watches shown, the reference 7427 and not the version in the picture.
Mine is with the Damier dial in steel. So, I feel “half cool” at least…
How to know it is the 7427 on the sign?
Because I happen to have the GP catalog from 1963 showing the exact same configuration of the 7427 as on the sign.
How can you be sure it is not the 7721 or the 8046 that also are featured on this page?
Look at the end of the lugs.
How to know the catalog is from 1963? That I got in printing:
By the way, the retail prices for the 7427 in 1963 were 490 FR for the 18 K version and 165 FR for the Stainless Steel version.
Here you also see the price for the 7554.
About that, how to tell it is the 7554…
Again with help from the 1963 catalog:
How to be sure it is not the 7799 or the 8167 that also are featured on this page?
Well, the watch on the sign has no seconds hand.
In another catalog from the early 1960s (1961 or 1962) is the 7554 is featured with the same bracelet as on the sign.
Convinced? I am!
In my research for the 7427 I came to learn that the reference were in production between 1958 and 1967.
So, this narrows it down to a 10 year window of from when the sign origins.
I do not have the production year for the 7554, but if you look again on the previous scan you see the Sea Hawk reference 7901 which were only in production for two years, 1961-1962.
So the catalog scan must be from 1961, 1962 or possible one or two years after (GP made 12.000 pieces of the 7901, so maybe they didn’t sell all of them same year as production?).
So an educated guess would be that the sign is from the beginning of the 1960s!
To finish this post, here are two shots showing the size of the sign!
The size puts the sign in another perspective – pretty cool sign, eh?!
By combining different accessories and facts gathered, I try to work my way through the history of the brand to understand and find more knowledge about our beloved tick-tacks!
I hope you enjoyed! I know I do!
It is a slow, time-consuming and at times a very frustrating work…
But well worth it and a lot of fun while doing it!
Best
Blomman
Great post!!! One observation: lots of elegant, simple dials here - no date windows ruining the symmetry, almost zero extraneous and unnecessary dial text either. Can the good people at the manufactures please, please take inspiration from these? Best E.
BTW: very nice scans from books, cards & else . -It indeed makes the timepieces come alive ! Thx again & Cherrs, Best, hs PS: I only can join in with a Damien, but no accessories or epiphemalia ! - Aahh, remember to play tic-tac toe, Blomman style, maybe..
when is the opening of first private GP museum? Super cool post my friend Best D
At least a great collector's research. Bravo, my friend. Nicolas
Wonder what the "Wife Acceptance Factor" is. Big enough to put it up in the Living Room?
Thank you, E! Let's hope GP take inspiration from this! Best Blomman
This thread is active on the Girard Perregaux forum with 16 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
Join the Discussion →
