Review
Blomman Mr Blue shares his recent acquisition, the Girard-Perregaux Ref. 9034 Q, affectionately dubbed the "Black, Red and Blue." This post delves into the unique and unorthodox dial design of this specific reference, inviting the community to help coin a fitting nickname for this distinctive timepiece.
Friends,
I promised you a report on my recent acquisition, the Girard-Perregaux “Black, Red and Blue”, reference 9034 Q.
As you may already have understood, this one is related to the 9034 “Dot dial” which we have seen examples from several batches - C, BB, FH and FK.
I think it is safe to say that the Dot dial was included in even more batches.
When it comes to the 9034 “Black, Red and Blue” (we still need to find a cool nickname for this one) I have less information to go on…
Why? Because I didn’t see as many of this dial version as I saw of the Dot dial.
Again, the dial design is a bit “crazy” or unorthodox…
Big white painted hour marks on a black background, hand painted hour and minute hands…
A very interesting detail is the sub-second dial.
It is hard to see in my photos, but the sub-second dial has a very fine circular pattern and on top of that there are the hand painted red markers!
Compared with the Dot dial which lacks the sub-second dial…
On the “Black, Red and Blue” the sub-second dial becomes a central design element!
Interestingly, the both watches share the same calibre inside, the GP Calibre 12.3, based on the AS 1640 movement.
The GP Calibre 12.3 is a manual movement with sub-second.
18 000 bph and a power reserve of 42 hours.
On the Dot dial, Girard-Perregaux choose not to utilize the sub-second.
But the “Black, Red and Blue” is not the only one where the sub-second dial is used.
On the more traditional Sea-Hawk 9034, the sub-second dial is there.
Photo credit: robert11a2001
My watch is from the batch Q which was produced in November 1967, 1 000 pieces.
Would be interesting to know how many of those that had the “Black, Red and Blue” dial…
Side-by-side, the Dot dial and the “Black, Red and Blue” complement each other very well!
One with dots in black, white and grey…
The other with squares in white, red and black!
Sharing the same hands, case and movement…
So very similar but still very different from each other!
Here is the “BB” and the “Q” next to one another:
Needless to say, I love this quirky crazy fun watch!
As mentioned in the review of the Dot dial – several other versions of these hand painted dials exists…
Will report back, once I found another one!
Best
Blomman
PS. You find the review here: Reference 9034 C ”Dot dial” – connecting the dots!
The Girard-Perregaux Vintage reference 9034 is a notable model within the brand's mid-century offerings, recognized for its diverse dial configurations. Produced over nearly a decade, this reference showcases Girard-Perregaux's design versatility during a period of significant stylistic evolution in watchmaking. It represents a segment of the brand's production that catered to varied aesthetic preferences while maintaining a consistent underlying mechanical platform.
This reference features a 34.5 mm steel case, a common dimension for watches of its era, providing a balanced presence on the wrist. The watch is powered by the Caliber GP12.3, an automatic movement based on the AS 1640 Ă©bauche, indicating a robust and widely utilized architecture. The use of a steel case and a reliable automatic movement positioned the 9034 as a durable and practical timepiece for daily wear.
For collectors, the 9034 is particularly interesting due to its wide array of dial variations, including the "moon dot" (also known as "Playboy"), gold-plated, "psychedelic," and "Roulette" or "Flag" designs. This variety makes individual examples distinct and offers collectors opportunities to pursue specific aesthetic preferences within a single reference number. Its production span from 1967 to 1976 further highlights its enduring appeal and adaptability during that period.
So we have the "dots" dial, the "flags" dial...how about the "Lego" dial for this one, the markers do look like Lego blocks.
Lego? Maybe... Let's see what the others say...! Best Blomman
I was thinking the name: Henri Matisse and his "Snail" made of paper patches. Or just "Patch"! Best Clive
Thank you for the input, Clive! Best Blomman
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