We love quartz watches at Worn & Wound. For many of us, they were the first watches we ever wore, and represent a foundation of enthusiasm that has stretched on for years. There are many, many facets to quartz, and if you think of quartz watches simply as “affordable” alternatives to mechanical, you’re missing out on a lot of history, unique design, and special movements that simply aren’t possible with a mechanical caliber. One of my favorite little quartz rabbit holes is the output of traditional, high-end Swiss brands during the earliest days of the technology, leading up into the period often referred to as the “quartz crisis.” It’s fascinating to look back and see how these brands handled such a major shock to a centuries old industry, and the quartz watches produced by the most storied Swiss brands during this period are almost always significant, carrying with them design attributes that effectively distinguish them from traditional mechanical watches.
The Girard-Perregaux Casquette is one of my favorite examples of a storied Swiss brand experimenting with quartz at the very beginning. The Casquette first appeared in 1976 and was brought back as the Casquete 2.0 in 2022 in a limited edition that quickly sold out to some degree of fanfare and acclaim. The watch has what is now frequently referred to as a “driver’s style” orientation, with an LED display that displays the time digitally when viewed from the side. In the mid-1970s, this certainly would have felt futuristic, and it still kind of does today, even if the tech inside is somewhat antiquated.
The latest edition of the Casquette is a limited edition made in partnership with Saint Laurent, the French fashion house. Technically, this watch flys under the banner of Saint Laurent Rive Droite, a retail outpost and lifestyle brand run by Saint Laurent with locations in Paris and Beverly Hills. I suppose that makes this a “fashion watch,” a term that is loaded with complexity in 2024 and is a worthy subject for an article of its own. In any event, this is the second time Girard-Perregaux has partnered with Saint Laurent on a Casquette. The first was a sleek black version with a case crafted from ceramic and titanium, and this edition is very much the inverse: silver and gray tones dominate, with a case made fully from Grade 5 titanium, which allows for a variety of finishes to be applied.
The Casquette case measures 42.4 x 33.6mm and is 14.64mm tall, and features alternating brushed, polished, and sandblasted surfaces. The bracelet is titanium (with a rubber lining, for comfort), and the watch runs on the Calibre GP3980 quartz movement. This is a full featured, multi-function quartz movement, which displays the time (of course), as well as the day, date, month, and year. For good measure, it also includes a chronograph and the ability to display a second time zone. It’s most whimsical feature is the movement’s ability to remember a “secret day” of the owner’s choice, such as a birthday or anniversary.
There’s no denying that as a throwback quartz watch from a luxury brand known primarily for their mechanical offerings, the Casquette is a seriously niche watch with an extremely limited appeal. The Saint Laurent association probably narrows that appeal even more. But for people who love early quartz watches, and for people who really love early and unusual quartz watches made by watch brands that trace their roots back to the 18th century, the Casquette checks a lot of boxes. Girard-Perregaux is only making 200 of these, so it’s not hard to imagine finding eager would-be quartz historians to snatch these up.
The retail price of the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Saint Laurent 02 is $7,500. They are available at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite retail locations in Los Angeles and Paris, as well as on ysl.com. Girard-Perregau
