Girard-Perregaux 1966 Calendrier Annuel et Equation du temps

GIRARD-PERREGAUX 1966 ANNUAL CALENDAR AND EQUATION OF TIME IN WHITE GOLD

The La Chaux-de-Fonds Manufacture has unveiled a new version of the annual calendar and equation of time from its Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection, this time in white gold to beautifully accentuate its discreet elegance.

Inheriting the classic Girard-Perregaux style - sober, traditional yet unashamedly modern, this model features a mechanism which is both ingenious and easy to use. One of the most useful day-to-day complications, the annual calendar displays the date and month while automatically taking into account the different lengths of the months. It requires just one correction per year on the 28th February, for non-leap years.

The model is embellished with a technical yet poetic detail - the equation of time. This rare, astronomical complication uses the hand situated at 4:30 to indicate the difference between the true solar time and the mean time, or meridian time. In fact, the length of a solar day varies daily due to the elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit. In a further touch of sophistication, the calendar can be corrected using the crown in either direction. This makes correction easier, and the absence of a corrector on the case leaves its sublime curves intact.

The purity of the design thus remains unhindered by the mechanism's complexity. The functions are displayed on the dial in an original yet highly readable way. Baton indexes and fine, leaf-shaped hands mark the progression of the hours and minutes. The date, equation of time and small second are indicated by small, blued steel hands, each of a different shape, and the months are displayed in a circular window at 7 o'clock.

The back of the watch reveals the technical  excellence of this model.  The transparent sapphire case-back lays bare the complex architecture of its movement, which comprises 287 separate components, as well as its intricate finishes, each realised by the Manufacture's master watchmakers.

Girard-Perregaux Microvar variable inertia balance
The result of Girard-Perregaux's chronometric research, the Microvar balance features six adjustable screws and two balance weights on its rim, used respectively to set the balance's equilibrium and enable fine adjustment of the movement rate. This exclusive development ensures increased precision and more stable adjustment.