As you probably noticed, 2025 is filled with anniversary. Whether it’s a brand or a watch, many of them are celebrating this year’s milestone moment of existence. Turning 50 is a huge milestone. Guess: This year, Girard Perlegault Leureat is now 50 years old. Yes, the integrated bracelet debuted in 1975 and shows no signs of aging. Or is that possible? The winners still have timeless good looks, but it also lies hidden by the vast amount of “kindness” that brand Girard Perlegut used to compete closely. Winners’ anniversary is the perfect time for GPs to plot a sophisticated sports watch and another course across the brand. Here are heartfelt and unsolicited advice, including a plea to reclaim the sea hawk.
See, I know I’m taking risks here, but my love for the brand makes me do this. I know that unsolicited advice feels like a judgement and is useless. I also know that the path to hell is paved with good intentions, but I will continue with this article, even if it could damage your relationship with the brand. But trust me, people at Girard-Perregaux, I don’t want you to feel underestimated. I just feel that I need to help, without knowing the grand plans that could blow the watch community and blow the market. The following words come from a place of love for the brand.
Girard-Perregaux laureato 38mm in Steel
Girard-Perregaux Laureato turns 50 this year. The best moment to reinvent your brand
When I first became interested in watchmaking, Girard Perlegaw was a brand I admired and recognized as one of the true icons of Haute Hollogary. In my formative years, GP is forever near my mind, as I have read about brands that have a history dating back to 1791 and have had a series of interesting/intricate watches underneath its belt. But that position comes with consequences. What you care about can rely on attention, close observation and scrutiny. With a history of 234 years, Girard Perlegu has a story to tell. I’ll leave it to the brand and focus on more recent events. I want to deal with two things. The first is the lack of Seahawk Dive Watches in the current collection, and the second is the position and perception of the winners.
Girard-Perregaux Neo Bridges Aston Martin Edition
It’s five collections, but six collections are required
The current GP collection includes five product lines: Raureato, Bridges, 1966, Vintage 1945, Cat’s Eye and women’s watches. The 5 Watch Vintage 1945 collection includes curved rectangular watches, the 1966 watch is a round classic model, and the Bridge Collection shows 46 watches performing on the three bridge concepts that Constant Girard invented in 1867. The winners collection features 44 watches, including a variety of Aston Martin models.
Raureato Ti Chrono
The five collections cover most categories, but there is no collection of dive watches anywhere. The recently released Deep Diver Legacy Edition, a collaboration with Bamford, is an exception that proves my point. The GP collection has a lonely diver, and even worse, it’s collaboration and limited edition. In my view, the sole purpose of a retro-style colorful and funky dive watch is to point out that Sea Hawk needs to return to the GP lineup.
Deep Diver Legacy Edition
Why did the sea hawks disappear?
Anyway, what happened to the hippocampus? The last sighting on the Fratello website was in 2013! RJ practiced the Sea Hawk III ref. 49960-19-631-fk6a, not the last generation, but the last 44 x 17.1mm watch. In the 1940s, Girard Perlegault introduced a collection of sea hawk watches that were not nearing the final iteration in terms of design, but were already water-resistant. These 31-32mm watches had a utilitarian military aesthetic. Postwar hippocampal design shifted from military looks to bridge the gap between tool and dress watches.
A sturdy member of the Seahawk family, Deep Diverline debuted in the late 1950s. Made by the 1970s, these watches are equipped with a geiromatic automatic movement, and can be considered the founders of serious Seahawk dive watches. In the 1960s and 1970s, the GP produced more dressy hippocampal models equipped with manual movements. Sea Hawk’s name disappeared from the GP catalog for a while, but returned in 1988 as the Sea Hawk 7000 and 7100. These Sea Hawks were made until the mid-1990s and their names disappeared again.
Sea Hawk 7100 – Image: Chrono24
Macaluso Year
Sea Hawk II debuted in 2002. Former navigator of the Fiat Rally team in the early 1970s, Sowind Group (the holding company of Girard-Perregaux), and watch designer. Makaruso won the Grand Prix in 1989, and his achievements created many internal autohorology movements, Ferrari watches, and Seahawk II designs and introductions. The 42mm dive watch had a unique crown arrangement at 4 o’clock, with a case and a unique crown protector that was washed away. This is a sea hawk for me. Although it is difficult to choose a specific reference, the steel “John Harrison” Tribute Limited Edition model with a blue dial (Ref 4991) and the regular gray dial version (Ref 49920.0.11.2042) are both very useful for my preferences.
Sea Hawk II “To John Harrison” – Image: eBay
Seahawk II Flying Tourbillon
Other hippocampus II of that era featured a flying tour byoon peering through holes in the carbon fiber dial, with the 44mm Seahawk II Pro 3000m able to withstand water pressure at 300 atm. Introduced in 2013, the Sea Hawk III was able to showcase its depth rating of 1,000m. This was a more angular, more angular version of the II, which was only produced for two years. In 2015, Makaru Somily sold its shares in Sowind Group to Kering (formerly PPR), and Sea Hawk was x. Ten years later, there is no Kaiba IV yet.
Sea Hawk III – Image: Watchuseek
Rescue to Sea Hawk IV
The Kering era lasted for seven years. In 2022, the French luxury group announced the finalization of the management acquisition of Girard-Perregaux and Ulysse Nardin. The business is run by Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of both brands, and is currently chairman and CEO of two brands within the Sowind Group. This guy has some serious experience in the watchmaking industry. He started with Tag Heuer and later worked on the launch of the Apple Watch. He also has to deal with the current clock climate cooldown. To warm things up for the GP, he hired Marc Michel-Amadry, former chief commercial officer of IWC, as the new managing director who will lead day-to-day operations at La Chaux-de-Fonds headquarters. This is because, according to estimates by Morgan Stanley, GP generated around 7,900 watches last year, with sales of around 63 million, a revenue decline of about 23% since 2023.
Could the introduction of Sea Hawk IV be a useful tool to boost both production and revenue? This places too much emphasis on the issue, but I think a diving watch is a must in the GP catalog. That’s especially true if you can head straight to your head with 50 Fathoms from Blanpine and 300m Seamaster Diver from Omega. The GP Sea Hawk II and two competitors share common roots in design shapes that show the atmosphere of the late 1990s/early 2000s. The audience who wanted after these sporty watches out of reach have the financial means to make that teenage dream come true. If the GP stays close to the recognizable asymmetric style of the Sea Hawk II and puts it between 50 Fathom and Seamaster in terms of price, I would predict the winner.
Pink gold Leureat 38mm
Last but not least, praise
This year, Girard-Perregaux Laureato will turn 50 and everyone in the watch community is hoping something special comes out. I have some ideas and I have unsolicited advice, so here is a couple. What about the exact copy of the 1975 Bimetallic Quartz Chronometer, an octagonal bezel and admiring foresightful Tonno-shaped watch, and a 2025 build quality and solar-powered movement? On the other side of the spectrum, I imagine a hero product like Aloreato, featuring Neo Constant Escapement, the evolutionary successor to the constant escape LM, who won the 2013 Aiguille D’Or. Not only is it new for Nautilus, Ingenieur, and pre-overseas watches, it also serves as a recognizable platform for the GP’s autohorological capabilities.
Bridges Neo’s constant escape
Less choices, more luxurious
Girard-Perregaux divides the 44 Raureato references from the current collection into six subcategories. Many of these various compliments headed to Fratero headquarters for practical reviews and were well received. Still, 44 references are a lot for brands that produce less than 8,000 watches a year. A more condensed Laureato catalogue ensures people don’t get lost in collections and subcategories and concentrate them. Less references are the show of confidence. “Lesser choice, more luxurious” is an idea that matches the “paradox of luxury.” This theory suggests that limiting options can increase satisfaction and create a sense of exclusivity. Too many options lead to paralysis of decision-making, increased anxiety, regret, and ultimately lower overall satisfaction. That’s not something you’d want in a significant anniversary at a challenging time for a gorgeous watch.
Raureato 8Tech Chronograph
With his praise now turning 50, is there any unsolicited advice for Girard Perleguu? If so, please write it down in the comments section below.
