SIHH 2009: Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation Of Time Watch

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time watch is a technically brilliant addition to an exceptional collection of classical luxury timepieces, which already encompasses a complete calendar model with moon phases, as well as a simple watch with time and date.

Within a graceful 40mm case in polished 18-karat pink gold, the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time watch presents a curved opaline dial with polished baton indices and leaf hour and minute hands. The two prestigious complications--an annual calendar and the equation of time--play out on an idiosyncratic but charming arrangement of displays. Small seconds are shown via blued hand at 9 o'clock. The annual calendar--whose mechanism automatically corrects for every month but February--shows the date by means of a blued hand at 1:30, and the month in a semi-circular aperture between 6 and 8 o'clock. At the lower right side is the equation of time scale, whose accompanying blued hand moves to and fro to indicate the difference between true solar time and civil time.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time watch is animated by the self-winding GP033M0 caliber, an ingenious mechanical movement produced "in house" by the Manufacture Girard Perregaux. Featuring a power reserve of 40 hours, and a balance frequency of 28,800 alternations per hour, the GP033M0 hosts several prestigious technical elements. Chief among these are the proprietary Girard-Perregaux "Microvar" variable inertia balance, and a specialized cam that accurately mimics the elliptical movement of the earth around the sun--an indispensable component for the rare and ingenious equation of time complication.

A strap in fine alligator leather, and an ardillon buckle in 18K pink gold completes the Girard-Perregaux 1966 Annual Calendar and Equation of Time watch. Water resistance of the model is 30 meters.