Girard Perregaux

At the instigation of brands like Hublot and Audemars Piguet, soccer has become in recent years much more present in the strategy of communication of the watch industry: partnerships with national associations, with clubs, with players, celebrations of special competitions, we can find a lot of examples. However, despite its positive image and its so often praised values, rugby does not seem to arouse the same interest. Rugby doesn't have obviously  a media impact or a geographical scope similar to soccer but the reasons for such a situation can be found elsewhere. Rugby highlights the collective dimension of the game, the team spirit, the taste for effort, a sense of sacrifice and as well, with very few exceptions, the discretion of its actors. These principles are, admittedly, remote from the communication goals of many brands which seek visibility and quickly accessible notoriety. And it is easy to understand that the fierce battle of the packs on a muddy field can never embody the glamorous side of luxury. Thus, a few months ago, only the Endurer Chronosprint All Blacks from Bulgari came to my mind as a recent example of a watch from a major brand which has a relationship with the world of rugby.


This Endurer Chronosprint is no longer the only piece (to my knowledge) to occupy this niche since the JEANRICHARD Terrascope Racing Métro 92 was unveiled at the end of the summer 2013 as the official watch of the famous Parisian rugby club founded in 1882 in the context of a limited series of 130 pieces. For JEANRICHARD, this partnership comes at the right time and highlights the work done by Michele Sofisti who aims to give to the brand a stronger and more visible identity. For many years, the cohabitation between Girard-Perregaux and JEANRICHARD seemed a bit strange and not optimized due to the lack of a clearly defined frontier between the two brands. In some cases, they could even be in competition, the "manufacture" dimension of JEANRICHARD could confront the Girard-Perregaux one. Fortunately, the relationships between the two brands were reviewed and their own collections and objectives are now more distant. If Girard-Perregaux continues to embody the watchmaking tradition, the classicism and the technical innovation of one of the most prestigious manufactures, JEANRICHARD now targets customers looking more for versatile watches with affordable prices and less motivated by the  exclusive dimension of the movements.

In fact, apart from the 1681 line, the JEANRICHARD collection uses calibers provided by companies which don't belong to Sowind. For example, the Terrascope Racing Métro 92 is powered by the JR60 caliber with a 4 Hz frequency  and a power reserve of forty hours which is actually the Sellita SW200. The image conveyed by rugby and by the Racing Metro 92 is finally consistent with the new JEANRICHARD strategy. The brand benefits from the absence of its competitors in the rugby context to find a particular position in the watch world and to gain notoriety in France without the need for a frenzied media projection given the limited production. In addition, the design of the Terrascope, maybe the JEANRICHARD model which best embodies  the new style of the brand, is a blend of power (a diameter of 44mm with a thickness of 12.6 mm) and subtlety (the cushion case is complemented by a round bezel which allows to play with the difference between the shapes ) as any true rugby team!


This limited edition is distinguished by the coat of arms of the club at 6 am which is nicely integrated on the matt black dial despite its rather large size. The hand with the red end, characteristic of the Terrascope style reminds me more of a GMT display but it is indeed the second hand. It animates efficiently the dial thanks to its color. The whole of the watch is very well finished and I appreciate in particular the quality of the coat of arms, the long applied indexes and the combo between polished and satin parts. The legibility is optimal thanks to the size of the hands and their distinct shapes.


To be coherent with its objective (to be a daily beater for the adventurers of the contemporary times), the watch has a waterproofness of 100 meters, the caseback is solid which is good news due to the fact that the movement, despite its efficiency doesn't have a stunning beauty. Unfortunately, the Terrascope Racing Métro 92 shows the usual pattern on the caseback and I would have wished to find a specific "engraving" for this limited series. The personalized side of the limited edition can be found on the strap. The watch features a calfskin strap with a "shrunk" effect and a Racing Métro blue stitching. This strap enhances the interest of the watch and it is a real pleasure to find, thanks to the blue color, a common point with the coat of arms.


Despite its size, the Terrascope Racing Métro 92 can be worn without any problem thanks to its very short lugs. The watch has a strong presence on the wrist without "overflowing" which is very positive. It features a folding clasp, welcome in this sports context. The  Racing Métro coat of arms stands out clearly occupying the entire area between the axis of the hands and the index. The date is however much more discreet, almost invisible at 3 o'clock what doesn't bother me. The Terrascope Racing Métro 92 is very comfortable to wear and we tend to almost forget its size due to its limited dial opening. So I enjoyed this watch that, even if it doesn't bring anything new compared to the Terrascope of the permanent collection, finds a large part of its interest in this unusual sports context .

Pros :
+ the watch is finished with care
+ the Terrascope is a good base for a "sport chic" watch dedicated to the world of rugby
+ it is comfortable on the wrist and has an excellent legibility
+ a pretty applied coat of arms and the strap with the blue details

Cons:
- the solid caseback would have  deserved a specific decoration
- the Racing Métro 92  is really struggling during this season and the results don't meet the expectations of the fans... and JEANRICHARD can't do anything!

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