Each SIHH session brings its share of dream watches. The Richard Lange Pour Le Merite from Lange or the Vintage 1945 Tourbillon with three gold bridges from Girard-Perregaux are such watches. The bad aspect of such watches is that they will remain a dream for most of us!

Fortunately the show also offers watches of great interest for the wish list!

Some may be tempted by the Vacheron Constantin American 1921, like I happen to be, or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Diving Navy Seals Alarm. In that area of watches that are not so affordable, but still not impossible to reach Girard-Perregaux launched a watch that you've already seen here. I want to come back to that watch with you.

The new Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time is my favourite revelation of this year!

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time

This 40mm pink gold watch uses the already known 1966 case. The case is quite thin and very classy.

It is fitted by the GP calibre GP033MO. This automatic winding mechanical calibre uses the proprietary Microvar variable inertia balance, providing better stability of rate and increased precision. This balance brings the watch to the technical level of a Patek Philippe Calatrava for instance.

Still the best is to come! 

This watch incorporates the annual calendar developed by Girard-Perregaux. This ingenious design is based on a yearly rotation of a month wheel. The rotation of the wheel dictates the date wheel, taking into account the length of the months (except for February of course, set for 29 days).

The other ingenious outcome of this yearly rotation of the month wheel is the indication of the equation of time. The equation of time lever uses the month wheel as a cam indicating the time difference between the solar time and the mean time!

Of course we've seen annual calendar or equation of time watches for years. The pleasing aspect of this 1966 is that the combination of the two is smartly engineered and so efficiently that the watch is offered at a very appealing price point.

The smart yearly device

We all dream of extraordinary complicated watches but isn't it particularly pleasing to finally see a romantic and rare complication coupled with the most practical annual calendar?

This watch has instantly appeared to me as the most appealing watch of the last SIHH because it is a full success. The design is pure and beautiful, the dial is highly readable, yet indicates all useful information, hours, minutes, seconds, day and month. The equation of time is the cherry on the cake, the little touch that transforms a tool into a magical and philosophical object of desire. The fact that this superb watch comes from a known and highly appreciated maker as a possible choice is the best surprise!

Girard-Perregaux is a very creative company and I have no doubt that we will see other nice surprises from them in the next years.

I won't wait so far to put this new 1966 on my wish list! No doubt I won't be alone.

Cheers

Dje