Sometimes, the best way to give your wrist game a fresh outlook in modern times is to look to the past. A company like Swiss luxury watchmaker Girard-Perregeaux definitely has the extensive archive needed for a hearty dose of inspiration, and the return of its Deep Diver Watch in partnership with Bamford Watch Department is a welcome refresh of an icon.
As the watchmaker says, the timepiece “makes a triumphant return” with the help of Bamford, which previously teamed with watchmaking giants like Tag Heuer on Japanese racing-inspired watches and Land Rover on a Defender-inspired timepiece. But with this particular limited-edition model (part of G-P’s Legacy Editions series), the inspiration came strictly from Girard-Perregeaux’s extensive archive (not to mention dive watch aesthetics of the late 1960s and 1970s).
At the time, the original Deep Diver pulled from geometric dial shapes and featured a 14-facet bezel, alongside a red dial, while the retooled version appears in vibrant blue and orange. As Girard-Perregeaux notes, the case shape would later be mimicked in the famed Laureato watch model.
With a distinctive cushion-shaped case, the watch simultaneously nods to its 1969 forebear while also drawing on bold colors and cues from a further 1971 offering of the Deep Diver, the company said. The 1969 version of the Deep Diver broke new ground in terms of mechanics, with its highly efficient bi-
directional automatic winding system for added precision and a quicker response to wrist movements.
In today’s edition, an impossibly thin (3.36mm) in-house GP03300 caliber movement boasts a power reserve of at least 46 hours, plus intricate detailing like polished bevels and a trident emblem that can be seen through a blue metalized sapphire crystal caseback,
Crowns placed at both 2 and 4-o’clock offer a further point of design distinction, while the horology company notes that the dial draws on throwback G-P Design cues and also signature Bamford touches, all the while “contributing to an aesthetic that is both authentic and contemporary.” As the watchmaker further notes, “the result is a piece that seamlessly fuses vintage character with contemporary watchmaking expertise.”
Both its blue and orange rubber straps offer maximum utility and can be changed seamlessly through an integrated quick-release system, all the better to enhance wearability of the nicely sized 40.30mm watch. With just 350 editions available worldwide through Girard-Perregeaux and online at Bamford at a handsome price tag of roughly $15,100, this return of an underrated icon is a welcome addition to any watch collection, particularly for those who value high-performance dive timepieces that harken back to the past.