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Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest watch manufactures in the world, with origins tracing to 1791 in Geneva. In 1852, Constant Girard established Girard & Cie in La Chaux-de-Fonds; two years later, he married Marie Perregaux, and Girard-Perregaux as we know it was born. From the outset, the manufacture balanced engineering rigor with aesthetic ambition. In 1867, Constant Girard presented the Tourbillon under Three Bridges, a movement of such visual and technical audacity that it won the gold medal at the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris and is still considered one of the most beautiful mechanical constructions ever made. That same spirit of visible beauty, of engineering worn as art, has informed every generation of Girard-Perregaux watchmaking since.
Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945: Key References
| Reference | Period | Movement | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Original 1945 model | 1945 | Manual wind | Curved rectangular case, Arabic numerals, Dauphine hands |
| Vintage 1945 collection | 1995 - present | In-house automatic | Dual-axis curved case, 18k pink gold and steel options |
| XXL Large Date and Moon Phases | Current | In-house automatic | Patented large date display, moonphase, two-axis curved case |
1945 - The Original Moment
At the end of World War II, as Europe was recalibrating and the Art Deco era was giving way to a new sensibility, Girard-Perregaux created a watch that stood as a quiet masterpiece. The 1945 model, angular, gently curved, resolute in its geometry, was a product of its time in the best possible sense. Its case was rectangular but not rigid: it curved from top to bottom and from side to side, echoing the contour of the wrist with a subtlety that demanded skilled case-making to achieve. Its dial carried Arabic numerals in a period cursive font, Dauphine-type hands, a railway-style minute track. It was everything a mid-century dress watch should be, and it became the foundational reference for one of the brand's most important modern collections.
The Vintage 1945 Collection - Reviving the Legend
In 1995, Girard-Perregaux launched the Vintage 1945 collection as a formal tribute to the 1945 original, and the timing was perfect. The mid-1990s saw a broad resurgence of interest in mechanical watchmaking and vintage-inspired design, and the Vintage 1945 arrived as an authentic answer from a brand with genuine historical justification. Long before "vintage-inspired" became a lazy marketing category, Girard-Perregaux was drawing directly from its own archive, from a specific watch, in a specific year, with specific design codes that it had every right to claim.
All Vintage 1945 models share a coherent design vocabulary: the characteristic curved rectangular case, the Dauphine hands, the Arabic numerals in cursive, the railway minute track. The case and sapphire crystal are curved in two directions simultaneously, a convex profile that is significantly more complex to manufacture than a flat-sided case, but that produces a wearing comfort and a play of light across the case flanks that flat construction cannot replicate. Most models were produced in 18k pink gold or stainless steel, with the former representing the collection's finest expression.
Vintage 1945 XXL Large Date and Moon Phases - The Collection's Crowning Piece
Among all the references in the Vintage 1945 family, the XXL Large Date and Moon Phases stands as the collection's most complete expression. The large date, displayed through two extraordinarily thin overlapping discs, one for the tens and one for the units, that change at the speed of one ten-thousandth of a second, is protected by a Girard-Perregaux patent and is as technically elegant a complication as the brand has ever produced in a rectangular case. The moonphase sits beside it, completing a picture of astronomical romance framed in Art Deco geometry. Powered by the manufacture's in-house automatic movement, it is a watch that does everything a great rectangular timepiece should: it tells the time beautifully, it tells a story with depth, and it earns its shape.
A Manufacture at Home in the Rectangle
Girard-Perregaux is a full manufacture, it designs, builds, and finishes its own movements, in-house, from La Chaux-de-Fonds. That this capability has been applied to the rectangular form, with such consistency and over such duration, speaks to how seriously the brand takes its commitment to the Vintage 1945. In a landscape where many rectangular watches are aesthetically charming but mechanically anonymous, the Vintage 1945 is something rarer: an angular watch with a genuine soul.
For the full story of how rectangular watches evolved across the major houses, see the complete history of rectangular watches. For the best rectangular watches at every price point, see the best rectangular watches in 2026. For the definitive category reference, see The Definitive Guide to Rectangular Watches.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945?
The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 is a rectangular watch collection launched in 1995 as a formal tribute to a specific 1945 model from the brand's archive. All references share a dual-axis curved rectangular case, Dauphine hands, Arabic numerals in a period cursive font, and a railway-style minute track. The collection is produced in La Chaux-de-Fonds using in-house movements and represents one of the most technically and historically authentic rectangular watch collections available at the luxury tier.
What makes the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 case special?
The Vintage 1945 case curves in two directions simultaneously - both along its length and across its width. This dual-axis curvature is significantly more complex to manufacture than a flat-sided rectangular case but produces two distinct advantages: exceptional wearing comfort as the case follows the wrist's natural contour, and a distinctive play of light across the case flanks that flat construction cannot replicate. The curved sapphire crystal follows the same geometry, adding further complexity to production.
What is the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 XXL Large Date and Moon Phases?
The XXL Large Date and Moon Phases is the most technically ambitious reference in the Vintage 1945 collection. It features a patented large date display using two extraordinarily thin overlapping discs - one for the tens digit and one for the units digit - that change at one ten-thousandth of a second. A moonphase complication sits alongside the date. The movement is an in-house automatic calibre. It is the clearest demonstration of Girard-Perregaux's full manufacture capability applied to the rectangular case.
Is Girard-Perregaux a full manufacture?
Yes. Girard-Perregaux designs, produces, and finishes its own movements in-house at La Chaux-de-Fonds. This distinguishes it from brands that use third-party movements in proprietary cases. The Vintage 1945 collection uses in-house automatic calibres developed and produced by the manufacture. The brand's watchmaking heritage extends to 1791, making it one of the oldest continuously operating watch manufactures in the world.
How does the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 compare to other luxury rectangular watches?
The Vintage 1945 sits at the upper-mid luxury tier, above the Oris Rectangular and Longines DolceVita but below Cartier and Jaeger-LeCoultre on pure brand recognition. What distinguishes it is the authenticity of its archive connection - this is not a vintage-inspired design in the generic sense, it is a direct tribute to a specific 1945 model - and the technical ambition of its complications, particularly the patented large date display. For the full category context, see the best rectangular watches in 2026.
Where can I buy the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945?
The Vintage 1945 is available through authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers and the brand's own boutiques. Pre-owned examples are available through Chrono24 and specialist auction houses including Phillips, Christie's, and Sotheby's. For buyers approaching the rectangular watch category for the first time at a more accessible price point, the best rectangular watches in 2026 covers the full category from entry level to ultra-luxury.
