Hands-On: Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold

I enjoy a good retro-revival, but I especially love it when it’s a super-niche piece like the Girard-Perregaux Casquette. First introduced back in the 1970s, the very cool Casquette was brought back in 2022 in the form of the Casquette 2.0. According to GP, something like 8,000 examples of the original Casquette were produced between 1976 and 1978. That unique driver-style case with LED display was basically unchanged for the 2.0, which came in a slick, black ceramic case. Now, we see the release of a new Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold, which I was able to get my hands on and spend some time with. Luxury digital watches are few and far between but I have to say, there is nothing like the Casquette out there. As someone who has seen and handled just about every watch out there, I personally would rather plunk down just shy of five grand on this digital watch over many, many mechanical pieces in that price range.

Where the inaugural Casquette 2.0 was done in a black ceramic and bracelet, this new iteration  opts for a Grade 5 titanium case with yellow-gold GP logo and pushers and a matching titanium bracelet with rubber lining. It is absolutely insane to see this level of quality and finishing on an LED-display watch, but it sparks so much joy in my heart to see a brand have the guts to do so. The case dimensions are spot-on for a piece that needs some wrist presence to properly convey its vibes. The sleek, angular case measures 42.4mm tall and 33.6mm wide but with a upward-sloping hood that tops out at 14.64mm thick (and 50 meters of water resistance). While that would ordinarily make for a “chunky boy,” the Casquette 2.0 looks and wears significantly svelter.

There are a lot of little details here that deserve due credit. The case edge that frames the LED display has some really nice polishing and even something of a inner curve that is almost scalloped as it flows inward towards the display. Then there is the rubber lining on the inner side of the bracelet, which just feels so soft and, more importantly, does not tug or pull on arm hair. This consideration is made more meaningful when looking at the seamless taper and curves alongside the outer edges of the links. Oh, and then there is the gentle, curved caseback that sits snugly on the wrist and does a lot to make even the thicker side of the case appear to shed a millimeter or two.

Inside is the Caliber GP03980, which has far more robust functionality than the original from the 1970s. In addition to hours, minutes, seconds, day, and date, the Casquette 2.0 also displays month and year as well as chronograph, second time zone, and “secret” date function. I know some people grumble about the lack of an “always on” mode (you have to push the button to see the time, which pops up for 2-3 seconds). According to Girard-Perregaux, you can check the time 20 times per day and the battery will last two years.

The Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 Titanium and Gold is one of those "IYKYK" watches that even those who know may be confounded by. But for collectors who have seen, worn, or owned all the standard fare, there is something special about so much quality craftsmanship and personality packed into — of all things — a digital LED watch. Limited to 820 pieces, it is priced at $4,960.