Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Ref. 25932 Review

In 1945, Girard-Perregaux introduced a rectangular watch with Arabic numerals and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock. 




From left to right: Reference 2593 (c. 2004) and a vintage piece (c. 1945).  (Photo courtesy of PeterCDE)

That original watch was inspired by the forms and ideas of Art Deco.  Art Deco is a design movement stemming from the 1925 Parisian exhibition entitled, Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes.  As the title of the exposition indicates, it was an exhibition of modern decorative and industrial arts.  Art Deco is about innovation in materials; strong, bold shapes and geometric lines.  Girard-Perregaux continues to channel those ideas into their line inspired by that original rectangular watch -- the Vintage 1945 collection. 




The beautiful Vintage 1945 Reference 25932-11-162-BA6A I reviewed.

Originally conceived as an anniversary edition celebrating the 1945 original, the Vintage 1945 debuted in 1995.  Today, the collection includes a wide variety of models for gents and ladies, including the reference 25932-11-162-BA6A (hereinafter "Ref. 25932") that I write of now.  While the Vintage 1945 line encompasses many metals, and complications from tourbillons to triple calendars to chronographs, they are all tied by the common design thread of elegant proportion and eminent wearability that has been the hallmark of this collection since its inception.  In many ways, the Vintage 1945 is at the heart of what makes Girard-Perregaux special to me, and perhaps many other collectors.  It's this understanding of their own rich history -- an integrity of purpose that predates the current craze for vintage reissues, and GP's focus on wearability that informs their modern creations, much to the delight of horology lovers everywhere.










From the current Vintage 1945 collection, Ref. 25932 is designated by GP as a model for ladies, but there's a part of me that feel this distinction is only due to modern conceits surrounding the proper (rather large) size of men's watches.  I have a large wrist and it looked perfectly at home on it.  I absolutely think a man could wear this watch, and look great doing so. 




The case dimensions of 28.20 mm x 28.60 mm with a height of 10.45 mm is perfectly elegant under any circumstance from evening dress to jeans.  These moderate measurements, coupled with the watch's curved case almost make it feel as though the steel timepiece is floating upon your wrist.  The initial impression of the watch is one of beautifully-fashioned restraint.





The subtlety of the timepiece means that you have to spend more than a moment with it to fully appreciate all its niceties, like the gentle protrusion of the bolstered lugs at the point of attachment to the case, or the slightly raised bezel that lifts the sapphire crystal up above the remainder of the case like a king on a dais. 










The watch is rectangular, but the entire case, which is completely polished, has a supple curvature.  This is a key aspect of the watch, and one that makes wearing it very, very pleasurable.  The Vintage 1945 fits like a glove.  Clearly, GP kept the comfort of the end user in mind when designing the Vintage 1945. 










If forced to choose a point of weakness about this particular case design, I could only say the pretty little fluted crown is a bit difficult to manipulate for someone with large fingers like myself, but honestly that is being petty.  This is frankly one of the most wearable watches out there and the logo-embossed crown is perfectly functional.




The flair on the watch is largely reserved for the dial, which is beautifully decorated with a flinqué pattern in the center, as well as in the small seconds at 9 o'clock.  Time-telling is facilitated by faceted, radiating indices crowned by Breguet-style numerals at 12 and 6 -- nods to the delicate Arabics on the original watch from 1945.  GP has made the decision to bring the minute markers into the central ring of the dial, instead of placing them around the outside edge, and that was a wise choice in my opinion, as it aids in legibility and doesn't intrude on the hour markers or numerals.  The sharp dauphine hands are well-suited to the dial stylistically, and further enhance the elegance of the timepiece. 







I do have some issues with the presentation of the dial, however.  The first, is the inclusion of the date at 1:30.  This is undoubtedly a consequence of the automatic caliber GP 3290's construction, but I would've preferred either the omission of the date display completely or its move to 6 o'clock.  Other members of the Vintage 1945 family present the date at 6 o'clock and that is a much more harmonious outcome. 




The other issue for me, which, like the positioning of the date is not a deal-breaker, but is not optimal, is the choice to print the word "automatic" on the dial.  The watch has a lovely sapphire display back that showcases the handsomely finished automatic movement.  There's really no need to declare that the watch is self-winding on the dial.  Plus, the choice to print the text all in lowercase seems bizarre.  The company name is printed in all caps; the word "automatic" is entirely lowercase.  At best, this design choice is eccentric, at worst it mars the guillochage on the dial.  I'm never a fan of extraneous text or date displays, so these little irritations probably don't bother others as much as they do me.




Turning the watch over to examine the movement, GP's own caliber 3290, based on the family of in-house movements introduced in the mid-90s at Basel, one finds a nicely finished automatic movement decorated with both vertical and circular Geneva stripes, the Girard-Perregaux hallmark, as well as perlage and blued screws.  I'm sure some of you, just like me, wish for a shaped movement to match the rectangular case, and completely blued screwheads (I hate the unblued slots) on this piece, but aesthetically this movement is quite nicely executed (if not the absolute tops in finishing) and a proven performer.  The watch kept perfect time while in my possession, and the smooth movement of the rotor felt and sounded great.  No complaints from me at all from a functional standpoint, so kudos to GP.







There are certainly other brands with famous rectangular watches in their stables.  Jaeger-LeCoultre with their Reverso, and Cartier with their various tank watches readily come to mind, so Girard-Perregaux does have a fair bit of competition in this segment.  However, if you are looking for a less common choice, crafted by a company with a long history as a manufacture that cares about accuracy and innovation, then this Vintage 1945 is a fantastic choice. 




Spending time with the Ref. 25932 you begin to understand the current Girard-Perregaux tagline of, "Watches for the few since 1791."  Its understated good looks may not wow you right off the bat, but I can testify that the slow burn of affection you begin to feel for this watch turns into an inferno the longer it is upon your wrist.  I urge everyone to try on this watch, or other models from the Vintage 1945 collection if you have a chance.  There's something for everyone in this line, and each watch is firmly rooted in the elegant proportions and design language that Girard-Perregaux has exhibited in rectangular form since 1945! 

The watch is delivered on a black alligator strap with signed Girard-Perregaux deployant clasp.










A short video of this particular Vintage 1945 below: 

Technical specifications
REF : 25932-11-162-BA6A
Material : Steel
Dimensions / Diameter : 28.20 x 28.60 mm
Height : 10.45 mm
Case-back : Sapphire crystal, secured by 4 screws
Water resistance : 3 ATM (100 feet)
Movement : GP03290, automatic
Caliber : 10 ½ ’’’
Frequency : 28,800 Vib/h (4 Hz)
Jewels : 28
Power reserve : min. 40 hours
Functions : Hour, minute, small second, date    
*FTC disclosure: Text by Daos Boonma with photos and video by Anthony Tsai (unless otherwise noted) exclusively for PuristSPro.com.  All rights reserved.  No parties received compensation of any kind from Girard-Perregaux for the review of this watch.



  This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-04-15 09:39:21 This message has been edited by dxboon on 2012-04-18 23:26:22