Comments:
Looking forward to the reports!
.. the Gyromatic HF could well be D'Artagnan !
- Congrats, that you again assembled the Troika - very nice !
2 Qs be allowed: - Were the 3 versions produced in parallel or more sequentially,
with overlap, of course ??
- Secondly, did only one part of the batch/ Refs 8444 and 8485( date) - or conversely,
did a fraction of batches of all 3 types go to COSC or similiar ?
Again another interesting step of your GP journey ;
Thank you, for letting us participate !!
Best, hs
.. But at the same time I like some others from GP..
Hmmh .. enough to chew on !
Best & Thx for sharing,
hs
.. LoLLL !!
Best, hs
The Richeville history - Intro
Friends,
Earlier this year I promised you to talk about the Richeville family and the origin of the line...
As you know, my autumn/winter was quite stressful and the time for deeper research was not allowed.
But, a promise is a promise, so I would like to share with you the information I got so far.
The Richeville name and logo was registered by Girard-Perregaux in 1964.
The Richeville logo: Interesting is that on the initial logo Richeville was spelled with only one “e”.
[Sorry for the small pic]
But on the watches it was spelled Richeville, with two “e”.
The first series of Richeville was only produced during a couple of years before it was stopped. The reason GP stopped the line was that they got aware of the American expression “coming from Richville” which is not very positive…
Which reference that was the very first Richeville I am not sure and also not how many different there were. Hope to find out one day…
One of the first, if not the first was the reference 8444.
It was released in 1964 and produced during a couple of years.
Silver burst dial with applied steel makers, also applied Tower logo and the name. Automatic movement, no date.
Total production was 5000 in steel, 500 in gold plated and 100 in solid gold.
First batch had the Caliber GP 31-09, based on the caliber AS 1649 and later on the Caliber GP 31-19, based on the AS 1737, was used.
Another interesting detail is that on the dial it says “Automatic” instead of “Gyromatic” which was much more commonly see on automatic GP’s from this time. But even if it says "Automatic" on the dial, on the movement it says “Gyromatic”.
The reference 8444 also came with Chronometer certification.
Unfortunately there are no records of how many that was Chronometer certified. Different dial design with “pie-pan” dial and luminous on the hands.
Same movement inside, Caliber GP 31-19. You see the extra Chronometer number below the balance wheel in this shot.
There were a Richeville with date as well, reference 8445.
I have no production numbers, but the watch was produced at the same time as the reference 8444.
Same dial design as the no date Chronometer which leads me to suspect that the pie-pan dial was used for the Chronometers while the “flat” dial design was for the non-Chronometers. Another detail I have not been able to confirm…
Another guess is that the reference 8445 also existed as non-Chronometer… I still have to find one to be sure!
Inside is the Caliber GP 32-19, based on the Caliber AS 1738.
So, my Richeville story so far, Automatic, Automatic Chronometer and Automatic Date Chronometer.
As you can see, they all share the same case shape.
The evolution of this watch/case we all know very well… The Chronometer HF!
You see the resemblance clearly. The C-shape has come to a full C on the Chronometer HF.
Please see this post as a first step in uncovering the Richeville history. I will return when I found out more…
FYI, the modern Richeville line was introduced in 1993, another chapter in the Girard-Perregaux history we will for sure discuss here in the future!
Best wishes for the year end
Blomman
This message has been edited by blomman on 2014-12-29 01:08:59
Thank you
my friend for all those details you found. Another report to print out and store in my archive.
I have had a few attempts to get a steel vintage Richeville, even one Chronometer, but did not get it at the end. I do have my gold-plated Richeville. The only thing, I'm now fairly sure the hands are not orginal on my watch (I already know the crystal is a replacement).
Best,
CC
The Richeville is hard to find....
Especially in good condition. Like many other vintage GP's...
Hopefully I will find more information during 2015!
Best, my friend
Blomman
Agreed on the difficulty
to find one of those vintage Richevilles, but as always patience will pay off in the end. My very last buy this year was a vintage GP, not a Richeville but with the same classic case. I'm very thrilled on that but I will not say more for now.
One of my other last 2014 purchases was a Richeville, but a modern Richeville Lady with a lot of bling bling for my daughter. Will also report back when it has arrived.
CC
Intriguing! :)
So, you started to influence your family!
Best
Blomman
For sure!
if anything there's got to be something to learn from Dad
First daughter already was given a Vintage 45 Lady this year, and in May the second one will receive her first GP!
Steel automatic richeville GP
I got from my grandfather a watch hè bought near Brussel. No box, no wristband. He was a pensioned director of Philips and worked in Brussel. The watch says : Girard Perregaux automatic ...it has a tower beneath with Richeville written... is it valuable ?
Thank you Siebe Kooystra
Thank you Siebe Kooystra
Excellent, Blomman. That is a great trio to get!
The two no date are, of course, my favourite, but the Date version is very nice, too, and I would not complain finding one.
1964, you said?
Hmmm....
Best,
Nicolas
No date from 1964...? Are you trying to tell me something...?! ;)
If I understand it correctly, the Richeville series was only manufacture during 1964-1965 or 1966.
But I am still trying to get confirmation on that detail, that is why I didn't put it in the review.
Personally I prefer the more classic case shape of the Richeville before the C-shape of the Chronometer HF.
But I think for a GP lover there are room for both!
Best, my friend
Blomman
Trying? No... You are too smart for that. :))))
Agreed on your preference, my friend. The more classic, the better, in this case.
Best,
Nicolas
But if you really insist, I can send you my details...
Silly me, you already know my détails.
Best,
Nicolas
LOL! Not even close....
I guess I need 15 years to get even...
But then again, my pace is faster now than it was before....
So maybe in 5-7 years?!
Thank you, my friend!
Best
Blomman
Terrific readout & pictorial !.. Richeville(s) like the 3 Musketeers.. And ..
.. the Gyromatic HF could well be D'Artagnan !
- Congrats, that you again assembled the Troika - very nice !
2 Qs be allowed: - Were the 3 versions produced in parallel or more sequentially,
with overlap, of course ??
- Secondly, did only one part of the batch/ Refs 8444 and 8485( date) - or conversely,
did a fraction of batches of all 3 types go to COSC or similiar ?
Again another interesting step of your GP journey ;
Thank you, for letting us participate !!
Best, hs
I think parallel....
Definitely the non-chronometer/chronometer ref 8444 was parallel.
Of the 5600 ref 8444 a unknown number was COSC certified.
I don't know the production number of the ref 8445 and I don't know if it existed in non-chronometer, but I suspect it did.
Thank you, my friend.
Hope this clarifies it a bit...
Best
Blomman
Thx for Info .. I'm quite in love with these Richevilles.. Have to look for one, I think..
.. But at the same time I like some others from GP..
Hmmh .. enough to chew on !
Best & Thx for sharing,
hs
One to add to the GP hunt list for sure! ;)
Hard to find, the sweeter the find!
Best,my friend
Blomman
Yes, I can imagine..Started looking yesterday..But if you ever get tired of 1, let me know
.. LoLLL !!
Best, hs
Great report! Thanks for this terrific info, and these are really niece pieces!!! [nt]
No message body
Bellisimi !!!
Davvero bellissimi orologi, complimenti
Lodevole anche l'iniziativa di studiare referenze e caratteristiche di questo interessantissimo Gp.
Non mi risulta che qualcuno l'abbia mai fatto prima con il rigore e la passione di Blomman.
Ho trovato una scatola ed ecco il mio contributo di dati alle ricerche del " nostro eroe ".
dall' alto a sinistra:
1- Automatic , Acciaio, flat dial , ref 8444 , mov 31.19
2- Automatic date , GF rose ( rare ) , flat dial , ref. 8445A , mov 32.19
3- Automatic date , Acciaio , flat black ( rare) , ref 8445 , mov 32.4
4- Automatic date, 18KT . pie pan dial , ref. 8445, mov 32.19
5- Chronometer , GF yellow,pie pan dial, ref 8445A , mov 31.19
in basso da sinistra
6- Chronometer date, Acciaio, pie pan dial, ref. 8445, mov 32.4
7- Automatic , Acciao, flat dial , ref. 8444, mov. 31-19
8- Chronometer date, flat dial, ref 8445, mov 32.4
Gli altri due orologi non sono Richeville
Credo di avere altri 2 o 3 richeville tra cui uno abbastanza raro senza la torre applicata sul quadrante .
Volendo descrivere la linea Richeville si potrebbe dire che Gp ha cercato l'eleganza e la portabilità . Il modello braccialato è di tipo " estivo " molto leggero e gradevole al polso.
Anche la scelta dei movimenti montati e l'abbandono, sia pur sul solo quadrante , della linea Gyromatic descrive il tipo di acquirente a cui era destinato Richeville.
Un modello estremamente interessante e sottostimato, ancora possibili sorprendenti trouvaille.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Lodevole anche l'iniziativa di studiare referenze e caratteristiche di questo interessantissimo Gp.
Non mi risulta che qualcuno l'abbia mai fatto prima con il rigore e la passione di Blomman.
Ho trovato una scatola ed ecco il mio contributo di dati alle ricerche del " nostro eroe "
.dall' alto a sinistra:
1- Automatic , Acciaio, flat dial , ref 8444 , mov 31.19
2- Automatic date , GF rose ( rare ) , flat dial , ref. 8445A , mov 32.19
3- Automatic date , Acciaio , flat black ( rare) , ref 8445 , mov 32.4
4- Automatic date, 18KT . pie pan dial , ref. 8445, mov 32.19
5- Chronometer , GF yellow,pie pan dial, ref 8445A , mov 31.19
in basso da sinistra
6- Chronometer date, Acciaio, pie pan dial, ref. 8445, mov 32.4
7- Automatic , Acciao, flat dial , ref. 8444, mov. 31-19
8- Chronometer date, flat dial, ref 8445, mov 32.4
Gli altri due orologi non sono Richeville
Credo di avere altri 2 o 3 richeville tra cui uno abbastanza raro senza la torre applicata sul quadrante .
Volendo descrivere la linea Richeville si potrebbe dire che Gp ha cercato l'eleganza e la portabilità . Il modello braccialato è di tipo " estivo " molto leggero e gradevole al polso.
Anche la scelta dei movimenti montati e l'abbandono, sia pur sul solo quadrante , della linea Gyromatic descrive il tipo di acquirente a cui era destinato Richeville.
Un modello estremamente interessante e sottostimato, ancora possibili sorprendenti trouvaille.
Ciao
Giuseppe
WOW! Giuseppe, thank you for joining! :)
What a great Richeville collection you have!
Thank you for your kind words and for adding your data here.
Very helpful!
Observations:
4- Automatic date, 18KT . pie pan dial , ref. 8445, mov 32.19
Pie-pan, non Chronometer.
8- Chronometer date, flat dial, ref 8445, mov 32.4
Flat dial, Chronometer.
This proves my theory about Pie-Pan only for Chronometer wrong.
Thank you for the confirmation.
Please feel free to post more shots of your beauties!
Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo
Blomman
Flat dial - Pie-pan dial
Si , penso che non ci sia una relazione tra quadrante e movimento.
Ecco la brochure del concessionario Gp della Martinica ( una cosa secondo me fantastica ) che lo dimostra
Non ci sono molte varianti di quadrante in Richeville e anche la shape della cassa è solo una ( cambiano solo i materiali ).
Data la tendenza della maison a realizzare molte versioni diverse ( un fatto positivo dal punto di vista collezionistico ) è altamente probabile che non ci sia relazione vincolante tra quadrante e movimento.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Ecco la brochure del concessionario Gp della Martinica ( una cosa secondo me fantastica ) che lo dimostra
Non ci sono molte varianti di quadrante in Richeville e anche la shape della cassa è solo una ( cambiano solo i materiali ).
Data la tendenza della maison a realizzare molte versioni diverse ( un fatto positivo dal punto di vista collezionistico ) è altamente probabile che non ci sia relazione vincolante tra quadrante e movimento.
Ciao
Giuseppe
Great document!
Yes, this shows clearly that there is no connection between dial type and Chronometer.
Thank you very much, my friend!
Best
Blomman
What a feast for the eye..
the black dial Richeville is to die for.
The translation said that you "found a box" LOL. Since this post I have been roaming in my apartment looking for boxes...
Arghh, nothing so far.
Best Regards,
CC