Girard-Perregaux 'Mid Size' Chronograph ref. 5070, Silver 'Breguet' Dial

Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke

Girard-Perregaux can trace its roots to 1791, when Jean-François Bautte began producing watches in Geneva, though the name we know came later. In 1856, Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux, and the two joined their surnames into a single company in La Chaux-de-Fonds. Girard-Perregaux wasn't chasing trends, but rather building a reputation on refined movements and serious technical ambition. That ambition produced one of the most iconic pieces in horology: the Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, patented by Constant Girard in 1884. It went on to win gold medals at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1889, cementing the brand's standing among the elite Swiss manufacturers of the era. That is to say, GP has some real chops. Today, they are perhaps best known for the Laureato, the integrated-bracelet sports watch that has been revived in recent years and become a thoughtful alternative to some of the more sought-after pieces in the segment. Even in the world of vintage GP flies under the radar and remain largely overlooked. A shame, because if you dig deep enough into their catalog from the first half of the twentieth century, there are absolute stunners to be found. The piece that we have here is one such example, a chronograph dating to circa the 1940s. The 'mid size' case comes in at 30mm in diameter and remains in fantastic unpolished condition throughout. The flat bezel design, lugs, square pushers, and mid-case all retain crisp factory finishing and show just light wear given its age. The dial inside, however, is no doubt the highlight here... in equally fantastic condition, the silver surface shows only faint wear under magnification and features a two-register layout with stunning enamel 'Breguet' indices with a blued-steel 'feuille' handset tying everything together. As a cherry on top, the Calibre 281 movement powering this is sourced from another, prominent manufacturer of chronographs in this era: Universal Gevève. Even with its 30mm case diameter, this piece offers looks, pedigree, and presence that just exudes special. Thats because it is.