Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph Review
Rectangular luxury watches are few and far between but let's show you why the Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph reviewed here deserves your attention.
From the finely brushed silver dial to the small blued steel hands sub-register and chronograph hands to the almost floral font used for the polished and applied Arabic numerals, this watch, despite its sporty features looks elegant and classic. Mind you, we are reviewing reference # 25883-52-121-bb6c which is in a rose gold case. This model happens to be classier looking than the stainless models within this series and comes in an 18kt rose gold case and has a black alligator leather strap.
There are already two iconic luxury watches with the same rectangular-shaped case. These would be the Cartier Tank and of course, the Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso. So where does Girard-Perregaux stand with the Vintage 1945 XXL Chronograph? How is it any different than more iconic watches such as the Tank or Reverso?
The Girard Perregaux Vintage 1945 series uses applied polished Arabic numerals in a fancy-looking font which Cartier could never do with the Tank or it would lose the very distinct look that it worked about a century to create.
Let's take a look at the back of the case, you will notice that it curves to take the shape of your wrist. Understandably, the JLC reverse could never have this type of curved case design or you would never be able to flip the watch around. So in terms of what makes this watch look different than other similar-shaped watches, this is the option for those looking for a classic rectangular-shaped watch with Roman numerals and a curved back by a highly respected Swiss watchmaker.
The reverse side of the case reveals the in-house automatic movement which is really finished so beautifully that it literally shines in the light! Côtes de Genève striping can be clearly seen on the solid 18kt rose gold weighted rotor. Perlage, a circular brushed finishing process is used on the steel main plate and Côtes de Genève can be seen on the three-quarter plate which is sandwiched between the two.
The contrast between these two finishing techniques combined with the splash of color generated by the yellow balance wheel and blued steel screws and pink rubies bring the Girard-Perregaux Caliber GP03300-064 to life in a way that only an experienced watchmaker can achieve. This self-winding 47-jewel movement oscillates at 4Hz/28'800vph and has about a 46-hour power reserve when fully wound. On the plus side, you can also save a bundle and get one in perfect condition that has only been worn a few times for less than half the listed retail price which is just above $34k.
