Casquette 2.0 is here….but with a Twist
Girard-Perregaux collaborates with Saint Laurent to release another version of the Casquette 2.0, check it out here.
44 years ago, watch enthusiasts were left saddened when Girard-Perregaux (GP) decided to stop producing the GP Casquette. This changed last year, when GP released the Casquette 2.0 and now GP has collaborated with the fashion house Saint Laurent (YSL) to launch the ‘Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Saint Laurent 01’.
In 1976, GP unveiled the original Casquette which was revolutionary at that time, considering that the world was filled with two-hand/three-hand watches and here was something that was completely out of the world. The Casquette came with a tubular LED display which not only had the looks but also the functionality; this was a watch that was convenient for drivers who did not need to rotate their wrist to check the time. GP produced the Casquette between 1976 to 1978 and around 8200 pieces were released which made it one of the most sought-after digital watches, and it can be confidently said that the re-release was much awaited.
This collaboration with Saint Laurent where the Creative Director, Anthony Vaccarello is interesting as the Casquette is a retro piece and would be good to understand how it fits into the YSL’s Rive Droite collection. The way I take it is that the Rive Droite is an ode to the Rive Gauche collection which equalized fashion and luxury for all in the 60’s, and considering the Casquette also changed the way we saw watches in 70’s, this collab does make sense. If you go to the Rive Droite stores, you will also get an understanding how the watch fits in with the other items showcased there; you can the tribute to retro pieces and how it’s back in fashion. This version of the Casquette 2.0 is limited to 100 pieces and is available at the Paris as well Los Angeles YSL Rive Droite stores in addition to online purchases.
The watch has a case diameter of 42.40mm and a thickness of approximately 14.64mm, and of course, the first look (in pictures) highlights the tubular LED display as well as the black finishing of the watch. The case is made of high-tech ceramic with PVD-treated titanium logo as well as pushers. This watch comes with the modern quartz calibre GP 3980-1474 that can provide hours, minutes, seconds, date, day, month, year, chronograph, second-time zone and secret date, which is way more than the what the original calibre 395 offered (With the push of a button provided the hours, minutes, seconds, day and date only). This has a PVD-treated titanium caseback held in place with four screws and highlights the YSL and GP names. The tubular LED display has sapphire glass, and the watch offers 50m of water resistance. The bracelet is made of black ceramic with a rubber interior that has a titanium folding buckle (with micro-adjustments) having the GP logo and the bracelet completes the whole stealthy look that the watch has. It’s hard to put it in words, but this is an eye-catcher that is also subtle in the way it expresses itself.
It would be great to get my hands on this one to feel and understand the visual pleasure of the piece, but for now, my comments are based on what I see in the pictures. For me personally, this is something I would want in my collection and the only contender that I feel comes close is the Hamilton PSR which is iconic in its own right. The question though, would you be willing to pay over $6000 for what is essentially a digital watch, but one has to consider the watch’s history, legacy and also the fact that this is a collaboration between two big names in their specific product lines?
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