Casquette 2.0 Titanium & Gold

It’s with a sad heart that once we’ve enjoyed this Girard Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium & Gold, we may never see another. Girard Perregaux has announced that once this limited edition model sells out, they won’t produce any more. With just 820 pieces available, these watches are bound to disappear quickly. Back in the 70s, they made around 8,200 units across three different versions, making them equally rare and sought after. Stainless Steel, Gold & Makrolon, and although not too many are still around, I own a gold 9931 PF from 1977, powered by their Cal. 395 quartz movement.

They did have a few foibles, namely, having to press the side button to show the time, and you’d better be quick as it soon disappeared. Another issue was that the LED modules were rather battery-hungry, making battery changes more frequent than their competitors. Thankfully, they have addressed some of these issues in the modern versions.

This new iteration has the same design Q’s that its predecessor had when the Casquette 2.0 was first released in 2022. A more refined and angular design than the 70s model, it’s now made from titanium, so incredibly light and robust. The new calibre offers an on-demand time display, cleverly conserving battery life. While honouring its predecessor’s classic features—hours, minutes, seconds, day, and date—this updated model steps up with added capabilities.

These include month, year, a stopwatch function, dual time zone tracking, and a unique personal touch: a hidden date feature. This allows the wearer to store a special date and have it appear daily at a chosen time, adding a layer of personalisation to the experience. Its dimensions are slightly bigger than its predecessor, and the titanium bracelet has a comfortable rubber lining and a micro-adjustment, thus allowing for a perfect fit. Priced at $4960.00, these have already sold out, so maybe I should hang on to this press piece, as it looks great against its gold older brother, 37 years its senior.

Although this may be the last we see of the Casquette 2.0, it’s a fitting end to the line in this new titanium and 18kt yellow gold version. This watch incorporates subtle touches of 18kt gold, with the recessed logo on the case and the pushers on either side showcasing this luxurious finish, even though it isn’t truly a two-tone piece. Powering the LCD unit is a backwards-compatible GP3980-1474. This will allow owners of the original Casquette the ability to drop in this module as a replacement.

Dubbed a driver’s watch, the wearing experience will differ greatly from a conventional watch, as the display faces you side on, so there is no need to rotate your wrist. The watch sits incredibly light and comfortable on the wrist, but it surprises me that even in this modern version, you still need to press the side button to activate the time display. I’m not sure why this couldn’t have been a movement-activated module, similar to the Pulsar P4, which would have made much more sense.

Owning one of these already, I can vouch for the unique wearing experience. It’s a watch that instantly ups your cool factor. While it harks back to the 70s, checking the time feels fresh and exciting, especially with the bold, super-bright red LED display. Unlike traditional watches, there’s no ambiguity; the time is right there, loud and proud. When it first debuted in the 70s, it flew off the shelves. Here we are, nearly 50 years later, seeing history repeat itself. Girard-Perregaux’s decision to retire this model again is puzzling, but at least it means they’ve created another instant classic.

If you’re lucky, you might still snag one on the secondary market, with “fair to middling” odds, as the saying goes. Every time I strap mine on, it turns heads and sparks conversations. For those of us who remember these displays from the 80s, it’s like a nostalgic time capsule on the wrist. My vintage piece shows its age, as the bracelet’s gold plating is worn thin. Telling stories of a well-loved and well-lived life. Still, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. That said, the modern iteration is tempting, and I wouldn’t rule out adding it to my collection one day.

Girard-Perregaux has stated that the GP3980 movement can be retrofitted into the original 1976 Casquette, a move they proudly describe as “sidestepping obsolescence.” This ensures the Casquette remains one of the longest-serviceable quartz watches available today. That makes me very happy should my unit fail.

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