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Girard-Perregaux 1966 Blue 40mm Mens Watch
Ref. 49555-11-434-BH6A
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Stepping up in Girard-Perregaux's range
At 40mm wide and just under 9mm thick, the 1966 sits close to the wrist with the lean profile of a proper dress watch. The polished stainless steel case is round and uncluttered, with a sapphire crystal front and a transparent caseback through which the movement is visible. The sunray blue dial has a gradient quality and carries applied silver-tone baton indices alongside leaf-shaped hands. A date window sits at three o'clock. Inside, the in-house GP03300 automatic runs at 28,800vph, offers 46 hours of power reserve, and features an oscillating weight finished with Côtes de Genève. The black alligator strap closes with a stainless steel pin buckle.
- Reference
- 49555-11-434-BH6A
- Brand
- Girard-Perregaux
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 8.9mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- GP03300
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 30m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Black
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 46 hours
Learn more about Girard-Perregaux
The company traces to Jean-François Bautte, who was making watches in Geneva by 1791, and takes its name from the 1854 marriage of Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux, which joined two watchmaking families.
Its signature is a bridge. Constant Girard's Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges, developed from 1867 and patented in the United States in 1884, arranged the barrel, gear train, and tourbillon in a line beneath three parallel arrow-shaped bridges — turning the movement architecture itself into the design. Most decorative watchmaking hides its structure; this made structure the ornament. It remains the house's defining object.
Girard-Perregaux also has a serious claim on modern quartz: in 1971 it developed a quartz wristwatch calibre oscillating at 32,768 Hz, and that frequency became the industry standard used in essentially every quartz watch since.
The company supplied precision pocket watches to the German Imperial Navy in the 1880s, an early example of the wristwatch being taken seriously as a professional instrument.
Modern collections include the Laureato, an integrated-bracelet sports watch dating from 1975 that predates most of its rivals, and the Free Bridge and Neo lines, which rework the bridge architecture in contemporary materials. The house is owned by Kering.
- 1791
- Jean-François Bautte begins watchmaking in Geneva.
- 1854
- Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux marry, uniting the names.
- 1867
- The Three Gold Bridges tourbillon is developed.
- 1971
- Develops the 32,768 Hz quartz standard.
- 1975
- The Laureato launches.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,782), Automatic Watches (1,540), Leather Strap Watches (910), Blue Dial Watches (758) and Dress Watches (475).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A slim watch on leather, made for wearing with a shirt.
Strengths
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 8.9mm is unusually slim for a 40mm case
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Sits in the lower half of Girard-Perregaux's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 30m means keeping it away from water
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Blue alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 49555-11-434-BH6A | YA163321 | 168619-3001 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £7,900 | £8,130 | £8,480 |
| Case size | 40mm | 40mm | 40.5mm |
| Water resistance | 30m | 30m | 50m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 46 hours | 60 hours | 54 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
No. At 30m it will survive rain and handwashing, but not submersion of any kind.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 46 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 40mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths is the only UK retailer we track stocking this reference, so there is nothing to compare it against today.
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