This High-End Brand’s Coolest Watch Is Also Its Most Affordable By Far

The new release is almost half the price of the brand’s next cheapest watch.

an affordable girard perregaux casquette digital watch seen from the side

Published November 1, 2024

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Updated November 1, 2024

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It’s not often that a quartz watch sends enthusiasts into a frenzy, but then again, not many quartz watches can hold a candle to the Girard-Perregaux Casquette.

The sci-fi-inspired original from 1976 was one of the world’s first digital watches, and its retro-futuristic design still looked just as radical and exciting when GP revived the watch as the Casquette 2.0 in black ceramic and titanium two years ago.

Now, the Casquette 2.0 is back once again, this time in bare titanium with its applied logo and pushers all in solid 18K yellow gold. It looks cool as hell, and its radical design sticks out like a sore thumb among the usual luxury watches we see from storied brands like Girard-Perregaux.

In fact, I think you can easily argue that this is the coolest watch Girard-Perregaux makes. And perhaps the best part of all is that it’s also the brand’s most affordable watch by a mile.

a girard perregaux casquette digital watch — The reborn Girard-Perregaux Casquette looks like nothing else the brand makes. It’s also priced like nothing else in the brand’s catalog.

A Luxury Bargain

Let me get the price out of the way right up front. The SRP on the new Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold is $4,960. At first blush, that is radically expensive for a quartz watch, especially a digital quartz watch.

But let’s look at the bigger picture here. First, we need to realize who Girard-Perregaux is. This is one of the most storied names in luxury watchmaking. The company traces its origins back to 1791, making it one of the oldest watch brands. It has created true icons like the Three Bridges and the Laureato. And all of its current watches are powered by in-house movements, including this new quartz model.

What’s more, Girard-Perregaux watches are expensive. The brand’s average watch retails for $15,500, and outside of the sub-$500 Casquette, GP sells just one other watch below $10,000: The 1966 dress watch in stainless steel, which starts at $9,100.

So for about half the price of the brand’s next cheapest watch and for less than a third of the cost of their average watch, you’re still getting a true Girard-Perregaux watch with the brand’s trademark luxury-level fit and finish, an in-house calibre, and even some precious metal to boot. The new Casquette is a bargain no matter how you slice it.

The Cool Factor

OK, so the Casquette 2.0 is very affordable for a Girard-Perregaux watch, but is it really the brand’s coolest watch? Well, that’s subjective, but I will say that the wearing experience and overall vibe of this watch is something special.

First of all, the way it looks is hard not to love. If you’re a fan of retro-futurism like I am, then you’ll likely find the Casquette’s sleek, streamlined, sci-fi shape pretty alluring. I also like the use of gray titanium for the case and bracelet this time around, as it gives the watch more of a high-end look than before.

The digital display is also very unique and instantly makes the watch a conversation piece. It’s angled toward you, leaving the top part of the case — where the dial would normally go — empty save for the gold GP logo. This type of layout is often referred to as a “driver’s watch” as it makes reading the time easier while your hand is gripping a steering wheel.

a girard perregaux casquette digital watch on a mans wrist — The unique angle of the display makes the watch a joy to use.

The LED tubular display’s numerals are in red, further upping the retro vibes. It also requires input from the user to be activated. Most of the time, the display is blank to conserve battery life and only shows the time briefly when you press the left pusher.

Pressing the right pusher cycles through the various functions of the in-house GP3980-1474 calibre. The watch features a date, day, month, second time zone and chronograph, along with a unique “secret date” function that allows you to save a date you need to remember and have it appear at a certain time each day.

Finally, there’s the bracelet. It’s comparable to the tapered bracelets you find on trendy integrated luxury sports watches in both style and finish, but it goes a step further by including an unusual rubber lining for increased comfort. Wearability is further enhanced by the clasp, which features a micro-adjustment system.

a girard perregaux casquette digital watch seen from the back — The watch’s bracelet is outstanding and wouldn’t be out of place on any integrated luxury sports watch.

Pricing and Availability

As I already mentioned, the Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold is a rare bargain within the Girard-Perregaux catalog with an SRP of just $4,960. But that doesn’t mean you’ll suddenly be seeing these watches everywhere.

The Casquette is a limited edition, and GP is making just 820 examples. Not only that, but current Girard-Perregaux watch owners will have first dibs at buying the watch during an exclusive window lasting from now until November 14. This is meant to reward loyal fans of the brand, but it also feels like a missed opportunity to expand the brand by letting new customers buy a GP at a price that’s basically unheard of.

Assuming the “GP Lovers” — the brand’s term, not mine — don’t gobble up all of these limited-edition watches during their exclusive purchasing window, you’ll have the chance to pick up a Casquette 2.0 from Girard-Perregaux in mid-November.