An icon in the watch world, Girard-Perregaux has been making time-telling devices since the 1700s. However, in the mid-’70s, the Swiss brand decided to hedge its bets on quartz with the retro-futuristic Casquette, a digital timepiece with an angular display. The Casquette was revived a couple of years back with the Casquette 2.0, swapping the case to a black ceramic material with some grade 5 titanium accents. There’s also been an all-black version in collaboration with Saint Laurent. However, for its latest edition, GP switched up the case material to a titanium-dominant construction with some yellow gold in tow.
The Elusive Driver’s Watch
With the advent of quartz technology in the late ‘60s and its dominance in the 1970s, watchmakers started exploring the possibilities of this new type of movement. For one, without the relative limitations of a mechanical movement, you could toy with things like case structure and display. And then after Hamilton’s Pulsar became the first digital quartz timepiece in 1972, all bets were off.
One such idea that came out of this was the angular “driver’s watch,” which put the time on the side of the case so that you didn’t have to take your hand off the steering wheel to see the time.
Popular examples of this were the Bulova Computron, the Amida Digitrend, and, of course, the Girard-Perregaux Casquette — all debuting in 1976. GP was actually the first of the iconic Swiss watchmakers to adopt quartz tech, but even this felt way out of its wheelhouse. It was produced until 1978 with a total production run of around 8,200.
Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold Basics
The overall design of the new titanium and gold edition is the same as previous Casquette 2.0 models but with slightly different dimensions. Made from grade 5 titanium with the pushers and logo at the top of the case in 18k yellow gold, the case stretches 33.6mm across with a 42.4mm height and a 14.6mm thickness at its thickest point.
The vibe this time around blends an elevated look with a decidedly retro aesthetic. We love the unique two-tone pairing of titanium and gold, whereas normal two-tone watches combine stainless steel and gold instead. For uniformity, the strap here is a rubber-line titanium to match the case.
It’s powered by the GP3980-1474 quartz movement, which is backward-compatible for owners of the original Casquette, which is pretty cool. Showing up in red LED numerals, the time can be cycled with a secondary time zone, a full calendar, and a chronograph timer — which the original didn’t have. There’s also a “secret date” function that lets you appoint a time each day to commemorate an important date in your life (e.g., if you’re anniversary is July 22, then 7:22 will flash for 20 seconds every day).
If you’ve been on the fence about buying a Casquette 2.0, this might be your last chance since GP said it won’t likely be making any more after these limited-edition watches are all sold out. Perhaps we’ll see some sort of 50th-anniversary release in 2026, but here’s to hoping.
Spec Sheet
Case Size: 33.6mm x 42.4mm
Case Thickness: 14.6mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium with yellow gold
Water Resistance: 50m
Movement: GP3980-1474 quartz
Band: Rubber-lined grade 5 titanium
Limited Edition?: Yes, 820
Pricing & Availability
Limited to just 820 pieces — one-tenth of the original run in the ‘70s — the Casquette 2.0 in titanium and gold is priced at $4,960. Owners of a GP watch get priority access until November 14, when it goes on sale to the rest of the general public. Head over to Girard-Perregaux’s website to learn more.
Recap
Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold
Girard-Perregaux’s Casquette reissue from the ’70s has now been decked out in titanium with 18k yellow gold accents.
