Girard Perregaux

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GP Abarth has arrived

Friends,

It finally arrived today. I’m excited to have the GP Abarth in my hands.

As usual, I had to beg the original owner (a reclusive and profilic collector) to let me have it. 😅

It’s on its orginal bracelet and I’ll be trying it on its leather strap soon.

A brief summary of the Girard-Perregaux Abarth:

Ref 4946
38 mm
50 pieces made
Double signed dial

Made specially as a limited edition for Abarth Gallery, Japan 🇯🇵

The “regular” GP ref 4946 is a beauty in itself. (See attached pic) Not seen often in the wild and one that I have admired often.

But the folks in Japan requested both dial and movement to be customised even further.

From a 3-register chronograph, it was customized to be a bi-compax with date removed. Running seconds on the right sub-dial and a 30 minute chronograph counter on the left. Perfectly balanced, no partially eaten numbers.

We also seee the white metal applied Breguet numerals on the sand colored dial. Perhaps “milk chocolate” might be a good description for the dial color.

We see “Abarth” on the display caseback with the individual LE number engraved.

Off catalog, this was provided as a special order for specific clients in Japan in 2003. Both fans of GP as well as fans of Italian performance automotives.

Gino Macaluso, born in Turino 🇮🇹, was himself once a champion rally car driver and the Fiat Abarth 124 took him to many titles. Macaluso would one day become the owner of GP (circa 1990-2010)

So to show his appreciation and love for both the Abarth and his friends in Japan, Gino bent the rules when approached to make a special timepiece.

One of the many reasons I especially love the neo-vintage era. Some special pieces with significance and back-stories behind the timepiece.

As always, questions and comments are welcomed. Let’s continue to appreciate the heritage and the hidden gems of this brand we so love.




















Gino Macaluso


The ref 4946





The iconic Abarth scorpion logo🦂


A sketch of Gino in his Abarth. Internet

#NWA 🤝