annual calendar

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.

Watch lovers in Japan voted the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Full Calendar as the watch of the year in Tokyo recently. The result signals a distinct love of classic styles with desirable complications. The layout of this retro styled calendar watch cannot be solely attributed to Girard-Perregaux, as it has been seen in countless luxury creations. Regardless. this interpretation of particularly clean. The annual calendar's day and month windows are faceted and subtle, while the date dial with moonphase is effective and clean. A full seven complications are available at a glance, but with an almost minimal, uncluttered look.

The 18k rose gold 40mm wide case is a thin 10.7mm high, while the Girard-Perregaux GP0330M0 movement is an automatic, making this watch fall into the thin watch range. It looks dashing with an alligator strap, just as it did in 1966. The award by Tokyo's "Sekai no ude tokei" (World Wrist Watch) magazine is not the first time this style has been appreciated. Ian Fleming's James Bond "From Russia With Love" novel had the villain wearing the original version of this watch that was released in 1966 as described by Fleming in the book. I agree with Japan's Sekai no ude tokei that this watch is sublime for what it is, though I'd reserve the "best" watch of the year for something a bit more charismatic.

Ariel Adams publishes the watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.