Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar And Equation Of Time Watch

Soon after the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar watch was given the title of best watch of the year for 2008 by a Japanese watch magazine, Girard-Perregaux introduced a follow-up model, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time at SIHH 2009.

The new watch, while having a very similar name, holds the same in-house made movement (the automatic caliber GP033M0), but removes the moonphase in favor of an 'equation of time' dial. This indicator shows the difference between the solar time and the time displayed on your wrist. The deviation is never more than plus or minus 15 minutes. Further, the layout of the dial is dramatically different than the 1966 Annual Calendar. What remains is the annual calendar's functionality with a new asymmetrical layout. The design reminds me more of Maurice Lacroix than Girard-Perregaux, but retains a simplicity that I can attribute Girard-Perregaux's traditional looks.

Case diameter is 40mm and is made of 18k rose gold. The gold leaf-shaped hands contrast well against the blued steel hands of the subdials. Like I said, the design is very avant garde for a classic watch, but remains clean and elegant - the most important aspect of any Girard Perregaux watch these days.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.