New Release
Crown comfort introduces the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Steel with Fumé Dial, a noteworthy novelty from SIHH 2018 that might have been overshadowed by other releases. This post offers an in-depth look at reference 49555, exploring its design nuances, the historical context of its fumé dial, and its place within the GP 1966 collection. Readers gain insights into a subtle yet significant addition to Girard-Perregaux's lineup.
Friends,
A novelty from SIHH 2018 has been almost unnoticed with all the other highly visibly novelties from GP, like the Laureato Chronograph or the Neo Tourbillon Skeleton.
However, we have also seen a new dial version of the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Steel 40mm, Ref 49555. We already now the silver dial version for a few years and now we have also a brown fume dial.
Possibly giving in a bit to fashion as Moser has recently been successful with fume dials, but on the other hand, GP has also a history of fume dials, like we know the Gyromatic HF from nomadgiles here in the forum.
So let’s have a closer look:
The case is identical and so is the movement. The dial also has the laser-cut steel indexes which play very well with light. The date wheel is a light brown with white numbers and not the easiest to read.
This dial even more so could have benefitted from a no date approach, but it seems the majority of customers do want a date function.
As mentioned the movement is the same caliber as we have in the 1966 time-only watches and is visible through an open case back. No surprises here.
So here are my impressions:
This watch does grow on you once you wear it. I personally would likely not want a brown dial, but it kind of works here well.
It is quite hard to capture how it really looks in terms of colour, but I think this photo is the closest to the real colour hue.
I think it works better with somewhat casual attire, if you want to dress down a bit without a massive Diver or Chrono on your wrist, this could be a very elegant choice.
Best,
CC
date "thing", you were thinking about me LOLLL
like myself, slave to the adage...less IS more...this model is very....VERY....V E R Y nice. Without the date it would have been total BLISS (for me of course)
I love the dial. Didn’t notice this one before, thanks for writing about it.
The brown doesn’t look too brown in the pics - more a grey brown? And good that the date window is same colour. Here is its grandfather: All the best! Giles.
especially for chiming in with your Chronometer HF. You're right, the colour is between brown and grey, but probably more towards brown.
I agree with Nico in the question of the date, but we are not representative for the usual buyer. It is true, a lot of people want a date because they dont have a Smartphone. What I dont like is, the excessive counterbalance of the secondhand nearly so big like the hourhand. This complicates to read the time. Ok, the small movement in this XXL case .......... First at all, the case protect the movement, form follows function! So better a closed srewed down caseback. Best Walter
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