Vintage
Blomman Mr Blue revisits the Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver 9076, offering a detailed comparison between the 9076 B and 9076 C variants. This post serves as a valuable resource for understanding the subtle distinctions and historical context of these vintage dive watches, building on his previous work as a moderator and GP enthusiast.
Friends,
In one of my first posts here in the GP forum I presented my Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver 9076 C for you.
I titled the post “Vintage GP: The Prologue” due to the new beginning this posts marked for me.
New as a moderator, first real Girard-Perregaux post.
You will find the post here: www.watchprosite.com
Now a couple of years have passed and I will return to the Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver 9076.
Start to go into the details…
We already started with the two versions of the Deep Diver 8867, the V and W.
You will find the report here: www.watchprosite.com
Now let’s have a closer look at the Deep Diver 9076 B and C!
The basics: Produced in 1976, 1000 pieces of the black 9076 B and 500 pieces of the green 9076 C.
40 mm in diameter, 45 mm lug to lug and 12.5 mm thick including the mineral glass crystal.
20 mm between the lugs, screw in crown and screw down case back.
So far everything is exactly the same for B and C.
Now the most obvious difference is in the colour scheme.
The 9076 B is black while the 9076 C is green.
Black:
Green:
The rotating bezel is identical except for the colour, but the dials differs in more ways than just the colour.
The black dial is matt while the green has a more sunburst vertical pattern which makes the dial shift in colour, from light green to almost black.
Matt black:
Sunburst green:
Next difference is the indexes.
Applied indexes with red lines versus a mix of applied and painted indexes.
Small minute track on the 9076 B and larger minute track on the 9076 C.
The applied indexes on the matt dial gives the 9076 B a good depth in the dial.
The red details enhance this and adds contrast.
The longer painted indexes on the green dial makes it look a bit smaller which GP thought of and made the logo and text in a smaller font size than on the black dial.
Love this kind of attention to details!
While you may think its overkill to go for both versions of the Deep Diver 8867 (V/W)…
Here I think both the Deep Diver 9076 (B/C) have such a different and unique character that it justifies to go for the pair!
To prove my point, I will finish this post with a couple of wrist shots!
The Deep Diver 9076 B:
The Deep Diver 9076 C:
So, what do you think? Are you a “B” or a “C” guy?
I suspect I know the answer Damjan will give us…!
Best
Blomman
The Girard-Perregaux Deep Diver, specifically reference 7897, represents an early foray into professional diving watches by the manufacture. Positioned as a robust yet accessible tool watch, it was featured in the 1963 German catalog, highlighting its water resistance and automatic movement. This model is notable for its distinct design elements and limited production run, making it a point of interest for collectors of vintage sports watches.
Measuring 35mm in diameter, the steel case housed an automatic GP 31-0 caliber. It was rated water-resistant to 200 meters and featured a turning bezel. Dial options included black or white, with variations in hand designs, specifically luminous arrow-shaped tips or diamond-shaped luminous markers. The watch was offered with either a steel bracelet or a tropical strap.
Produced for only two years, 1961 and 1962, with a total of 1500 units, the Ref. 7897 is a relatively scarce vintage diver. Its short production span and variations in dial and hand configurations contribute to its collectibility, offering a glimpse into Girard-Perregaux's historical contributions to the dive watch genre.
but the answer to your question can only be BOTH CC
I will start hitting the brick wall with my fist That last shot killed me
.. Do you guess ? Well, Yes .. BOTH !! Best & Thx for sharing, hs
Black for its red touches, green because it is so original. Send any of these two to me, I will gladly welcome them. Best, Nicolas
Or am I getting old/forgetting...? Congrats, my friend! Both is the correct way to go! Best Blomman
Still much to uncover/discover when it comes to vintage GP! Who knows, maybe there is a third version of the 9076 out there?! Best Blomman
This thread is active on the Girard Perregaux forum with 40 replies. Share your knowledge with fellow collectors.
Join the Discussion →
