Earlier this year, Girard Perregaux showed off their haute horlogerie chops with the launch of the fully sapphire cased tourbillon Quasar Light. It’s an impressive piece of watchmaking, though these things are usually heavily restricted. Now it’s back in blue in the aptly named Quasar Azure.
In terms of technology, this is more or less the same watch as the Quasar Light, but with a different finish throughout – and the way it’s finished. The biggest difference is obviously the case, which has shifted to blue rather than pure transparency.
There are actually quite a few fully sapphire watches out there – Bell & Ross is a great example – but far fewer in colour. That’s probably because getting a uniform shade throughout is like convincing a Floridian that masks are good – it’s easy to drive people crazy. There’s a good reason this case took 200 hours of work to create.
It certainly looks the part, especially next to those impressive titanium bridges and the tourbillon of the skeletonised GP09400-1035 automatic movement. The transparent, very open case lets in plenty of light so you can see every detail, which is well worth taking advantage of.
The tourbillon cage itself is noteworthy, as the low-energy arrangement means it’s less prone to depleting the mainspring, resulting in a solid 60-hour power reserve. It’s also much lighter than you’d think, weighing just 0.25 grams.
The blue might be a nice change, but I’m personally more excited to see what else Girard-Perregaux can do with it. Green would be a good start, and the available color combinations would make this a limited edition that they’ll continue to offer if they choose to do so.
Speaking of which, the Quasar Azure is even more limited than the Light, with eight pieces reduced from 18. It comes with an anthracite strap, which, from what I’ve seen so far, is a little too dark to really work well. Luckily, it also comes with a blue number, which sounds like a better option.
As for the price, the Quasar Azure will cost you 274,000 Swiss francs, no small feat. But then, a unique sapphire tourbillon is never going to be cheap.
Price and Specs:
Model Name: Girard-Perregaux Quasar Azure Limited Edition
Ref: 99295-43-002-UA2
Case/Dial: 46mm diameter x 15.25mm thickness, blue sapphire
Water Resistance: 30m (3 bar)
Movement: Calibre GP09400-1035, skeletonized automatic movement, “Neo Bridges” tourbillon, 260 components, 27 jewels
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power Reserve: 60 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, tourbillon
Strap: Metallic anthracite fabric with DLC titanium triple folding clasp and additional blue alligator leather strap
Price & Availability: CHF 274,000 / $274,000, limited to eight pieces
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