I knew it was coming and I am glad that it is finally here. Similar to brands such as Jaeger-LeCoultre, Girard-Perregaux makes (or made) really good sport watches that it does not really market that much. You just sort of need to know about them. For a while, the last remaining sport watch Girard-Perregaux made was the Sea Hawk – a high-end diver with a personality complex not knowing whether it was a serious sport watch meant for action or a luxury lifestyle watch meant for cocktail hour. And when was the last time you even heard about the Laureato collection?
At the end of 2012, Girard-Perregaux brings them both back into the limelight under a single collection – the Hawk. While the Laureato collection is retired for the time being, its design DNA has been incorporated into the new Sea Hawk and Chrono Hawk models. You can see the familiar design of the lugs and the octagonal bezel in there. Of course, it has been mashed together with elements from the last generation Sea Hawk models. Together they make for a pretty good looking new collection of sport watches, albeit a collection that does not scream “new.” At launch there are going to be two new models and a few versions of these new Girard-Perregaux sport watches. The diver is the Sea Hawk, while the Chrono Hawk is well, the chronograph.
My top pick is the diver, probably because I really like divers a lot. While it is easily recognizable as a GP Sea Hawk, there are a lot of style changes throughout the design. The steel case is 44mm wide – which is a typical size for a watch in this segment. It has large and tall lugs along with that cool crown-guard which integrates with the lug at 4 o’clock. The older design did this a bit more gracefully, but it still looks nice. Ignoring all the GP design DNA for a minute, the new Sea Hawk case looks like a philosophical mix between the Omega Ploprof and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
Compared to the older Sea Hawk models the new ones have a more modern looking and distinctive case. I like that. The dials are similar, and more high-end looking. Girard-Perregaux borrows from the most recent Sea Hawk 1000 Meters watches by having a dial that has the time with subsidiary seconds dial, date, and power reserve indicator. This combo of elements is attractive, and most importantly, useful. However, some sport watch enthusiasts will lament the subsidiary seconds dial for being hard to read in “crucial” situations, especially as it lacks luminant. I find the addition of a power reserve indicator to be very useful.
The dial has a sort of honeycomb texture and now has large raised hour markers that extend into the curved flange ring. They should be extremely easy to view and there is a lot of luminant on them. The depth of the dial looks pretty great, and I love that GP has mixed high-end elements with a serious tool watch look. At launch there will be three dial color versions. The black and red is my favorite so far. You also get two bezel options, one in just steel, and done with inlaid vulcanized rubber. Once again, the Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk is water resistant to 1000 meters. How about that white strap with the embroidered alligators on one version of the Sea Hawk? Sorta sweet. It is actually a special version of the Foreverglades – hence the alligators.
Then there is the Chrono Hawk – a similar model that features a bi-compax chronograph dial and slightly different look within the same theme. I am happy that Girard-Perregaux made two distinct models as opposed to simply a Sea Hawk Chronograph. I am a bit confused about the movements used in these watches. Girard-Perregaux claims that they are both the in-house made GP3300 automatic movements. That isn’t possible given that they don’t do the same things. What I think they mean is that both the Sea Hawk and the Chrono Hawk movements are built on the GP3300 as a base caliber.
Using a similar case that is also 44mm wide in steel, the Chrono Hawk removes the rotating diver’s bezel opting for a more simple brushed bezel. You can really see the Laureato in the Chrono Hawk design right? By the way, the new custom case-fitted strap is pretty nice. More and more we are moving to a world where buying a third-party strap just isn’t possible anymore as each high-end watch tends to have their own custom strap or bracelet. Having said that, the design benefits are often worth it. On the dial, the Chrono Hawk offers a similar style as the Sea Hawk, but with different hands, hour markers, and a unique set of chronograph sub dials. While the hands are richly lumed, the chronograph hands are not. As a sport watch, it would have been nice to be able and read the chronograph in the dark. Compared to the diver, this model is water resistant to 100, versus 1000 meters. Look for the new Sea Hawk and Chrono Hawk watches from Girard-Perregaux in 2013. Prices are $11,350 for the standard Sea Hawk models, $12,500 for the Foreverglades Sea Hawk, and $14,800 for the Chrono Hawk
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk
Refs. 49960-19-631-FK6A and 49960-11-131-FK6A
Case in steel
Bezel: rubber or steel
Diameter: 44.00 mm
Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back: screw-down
Water resistance: 1,000 meters
Girard-Perregaux GP3300
Self-winding mechanical movement
Caliber: 11 ½ ’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Jewels: 27
Functions: hour, minute, date, small second, power reserve indicator
Strap in black rubber
Steel folding buckle
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS – Girard-Perregaux Chrono Hawk
Refs. 49970-11-231-HD6A and 49970-11-131-HDBA
Case in steel
Diameter: 44.00 mm
Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal
Water resistance: 100 meters
Girard-Perregaux GP3300
Self-winding mechanical movement
Calibre: 11 ½ ’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve : min. 46 hours
Jewels: 61
Functions: hour, minute, date, small second, chronograph
Strap in rubber encased in brown or black leather
Steel folding buckle
