Girard Perregaux

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Girard-Perregaux 1966 Large Date with Moon Phases – Review and Live Shots

Friends,

As announced yesterday, here is the review of the GP 1966 Large Date with Moon Phases!

I would like to start to say the following: please don’t be too quick to judge this watch and dismiss it as yet another classic looking date/moon phase watch!

It is easy to just pick on the regular things we use to pick on… Too big case, too small movement, why not steel? Please, manual movement. Don’t print “Automatic” on the dial… And then move on!

We are a very picky bunch and we should be – we are PuristS!

BUT… Yes this time there is a “but”…

I had the opportunity to see this watch on several different occasions and situations. After each time my thoughts about this watch changed…

So before jumping to any conclusions, let us start and have a look at the live shots of this new GP 1966. First there is the White Gold version:

Very classic looking at first sight! The combination of Large Date and Mon Phases gives the dial of the watch very nice balance.

The focus is really on the complications! The Large Date overpowers the Girard-Perregaux logo and the sub-second with the golden moon face gives the dial the perfect harmony a classic watch should have.

Inside is the automatic caliber GP03300-0110. Somewhat small, 25.60 mm, compared to the 41 mm case. At least the opening has a good ration to the diameter and shows the beautiful decorated Pink Gold rotor.

On the wrist – I choose two shots to show the different characters of the watch. One distant shot, notice what stands out and shows on the dial: the enhanced Leaf hands, Indexes at 12/3/6/9, the Large Date and the Moon Phases! Again, balance…

Second shot is more up close and personal! Still the same elements are the one most noticeable, but now you also notice the GP logo and the “Automatic”…

Are the complications too centric, located too much into the dial? At first I thought so, but the more I look at this watch the more I think not! Will explain in a minute…

Secondly is the Pink Gold version.

Now I start to realize something… This is not just another classic looking watch, this is a Statement watch!

Why the 41 mm case and wide bezel? The movement would easily fit into the 40 mm or even the 38 mm case…

Why did GP not opt for any of the smaller cases? Make the watch go under the radar, make it more classic?

Yes, this is a classic looking watch, BUT, it is not a classic under the radar watch. This is a STATEMENT watch!

There is one expression that I find very suiting here: Show ’em if you got ’em!

 Now the size makes sense, IMO! To avoid falling into the same category as many other similar watches from GP and from other brands… Here is a watch that shows off what it got!

The enhanced case, the wide bezel makes you look! The centered complications give room for both 12 and 6 index. Without any minute track the dial looks very clean and gives room for the enhanced leaf hands to really stretch out.

Yes, the word “Automatic” feels redundant here… But have you ever questioned the “V 70” on the back of your car (or whatever car you drive)?

At least the text is quite small…

Another interesting detail is that while “showing off” the logo is not in focus. On the contrary, the broad leaf hands obscure the Girard-Perregaux text quite a lot between ten to and ten past each hour and even more between 10 – 14 and 22 – 02.

A quick look on the back shows the same caliber GP 03300-0110 but framed by a Pink Gold case back.

On the wrist I selected again, two shots showing the character of the watch. Focus on the complications, the four quarters enhanced, easy to read time…

Up close, notice the reflections on the hands… In my On-the-wrist review I will talk more about these hands…

As CrownComfort picked up from yesterday’s announcement shot… Yes, there will be an On-the-wrist review Blomman-style!

Girard-Perregaux had again the kindness to let me have this watch for a deeper experience.

But I wanted to ease you into to this watch the same way I “discovered” this GP 1966 Large Date with Moon Phases…

So I will stop here and let you take in and digest your first impressions, which I hope you will share with us here now…

Once everybody had a chance to have a closer look on these two watches I will come back with even more thoughts about one of them in my “On-the-wrist review”…

Best

Blomman