1966 is an important date in the history of Girard-Perregaux. It’s the date when the super Gyromatic calibre with its high frequency first appeared (36,000 vibrations per hour). The milestone year was then used to name an understated and elegant watch collection. The La Chaux-de-Fonds brand has stepped outside its comfort zone and given one of its iconic watches, usually in rose or white gold, a steel case. It has a mechanical self-winding GP 03300-0030 calibre fuelling a 46-hour power reserve. The silver lacquer dial only features the bare essentials: hours, minutes, seconds and date. The embellishment-free dial is adorned by bevelled metal indices interspersed by a subtle pearlescent minute track. Two rounded leaf-shape hands tick time down alongside a slim central seconds hand and the date display at 3 o’ clock. Price: 7,600 CHF. Sharmila Bertin

The iconic watch inspired by a piece from 1945 (hence the name of the collection) is wrapped in thirty diamonds and its eye-catching dial is coated in silky smooth cocoa. A square of chocolate edged by 42 brilliant-cut diamonds in the centre of the dial houses the dauphine-shape hour and minute hands whilst three applied Arabic numerals (3, 9 and 12) and a black-on-white date display at 6 o’ clock lie on a caramel background. The 28x27mm steel case is true to the Vintage 1945 collection’s signature rectangular shape and Art Déco style; a self-winding movement made by Girard-Perregaux brings to life the time and date functions along with a 36- hour power reserve. This piece in warm tones is available with a chocolate alligator strap or steel strap. Price: 13,800 CHF (leather strap) – 14,800 (steel strap)

A pair of self-winding watches has just joined the classic Girard-Perregaux 1966 collection. The delicately sculpted rose gold case comes in two diameters: 39mm for men and women alike or 30mm for finer wrists. The dial on both pieces glitters with opalescent silver wrapped in a sloped bezel. The centre of the case glows like the sun or a flower. The almost hypnotic effect comes from the circular translucent enamel guilloché (flinqué technique) forming a pattern of 12 petals. Each petal is marked out by a baton-shaped applied or painted indice. The larger model displays the hours, minutes and seconds in the centre with leaf-shape hands and the date appears at 3 o’ clock. The smaller model only displays the hours and minutes within the bezel paved with 60 diamonds. Price: 16,100 CHF (38mm model) – 18,350 CHF (30mm diamond model)

“This is my favourite time. They call it blue time when everything is so beautiful, so smooth and so bright,” sang Françoise Hardy in 1969 and it’s that very calm and glowing blue that radiates from the latest in the 1966 collection. This timeless piece is named after the year the first high frequency movement was designed by Girard-Perregaux. Its precious rose or white gold case houses a self-winding movement which provides a 54-hour power reserve and brings to life the hour, minute, second and date functions. These functions lie on a blue delicate sunburst dial with slim baton-shaped indices and applied quarter markers. Leaf-shaped hands and a slim central seconds glide above whilst the black-on-white date display at 3 o’ clock features the sole Arabic numeral on the piece. Price: 15’200 CHF (rose gold) – 16’300 CHF (white gold)

Brilliant-cut diamonds wrap around the feline and feminine white gold Cat’s Eye. Almost 300 gems hug the curves of the oval sides, bezel and lugs totalling approximately 3.60 carats whilst a rose-cut diamond adorns the crown. The diamond dazzle highlights the gleaming mother-of-pearl dial engraved with a floral pattern. Two gold leaf-shaped hands match the sculpted design and track the hours and minutes. The seconds count down in the lower half of the dial with a view of the tourbillon spinning at 6 o’ clock on a white gold bridge engraved with delicately baroque scrolls. The time functions are brought to life by the manual wind Girard-Perregaux calibre nestled in the heart of the 37.30×32.30mm case. The movement provides a 70-hour power reserve. Price: 196,100 CHF

Two worlds collide as an Art Deco body meets a starry heart: this timepiece is as unique on the outside as it is on the inside. Transparent and sheer features blend in a magical performance showcasing the self-winding movement which proudly lies in the rectangular case with curved sides, beautifully edgy lugs and elongated fluting. The applied Arabic numerals interspersed with a printed minute track lie beneath two dauphine-shaped hands whose brushed metal stands out on the smoky sapphire dial. The dual date display at 12 o’ clock has two discs: a see-through one with numbers written on the back and a black one. The moon phase indicator inside the small seconds presents two moons partly hidden or revealed by a game of peek-a-boo in a starlit sky. Price: 15,900 CHF (steel) – 33,500 CHF (rose gold)

The round and chubby, delicately scented, hot cerise or blushing pink peony symbolises love and feminine beauty. Girard-Perregaux has woven this delicate flower into silver or gilded lace before weaving it onto the opaline mother-of-pearl or ivory dial on the Cat’s Eye Bloom. Both versions have a steel case with 64 round diamonds set on the bezel. The oval watch’s dimensions (37.8×32.8mm) are ideal for showcasing the delicacy of a woman’s wrist. The case houses the self-winding Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0097 movement which brings the time functions and 48-hour power reserve to life. The iridescent dial conceals its changing reflections beneath a lace veil adorned with several interwoven peonies. Seven successive layers of embroidery create floral patterns to add volume and depth to the dial. Two slim silver-toned hands gracefully point to the hours and minutes. Price: 16,100 CHF

It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful watches presented at Baselworld 2014: a mini-masterpiece of watchmaking architecture by Girard-Perregaux with a new take on its famous tourbillon with three bridges. The 45mm rose gold case is more streamlined than previous models. It’s simple; there’s no bezel. The case houses an automatic calibre which, if it follows the symmetrical design of its predecessors, has a completely new concept. The titanium tourbillon completes one revolution per minute and has been designed in a modular way for easy assembly and maintenance. The dial showcases three black PVD-coated sandblasted titanium skeleton bridges standing on tilted rods incorporated in the platinum. 3D and depth are key to the design and give the piece a look which is as near as you can get to divine perfection. Price: 156,600 CHF

Since the dawn of globalisation and the standardisation of air travel almost a century ago, it’s easier for us to get around and we travel more and more often either for business or pleasure. The Traveller WW.TC designed by Girard-Perregaux is the perfect travel companion for jumping between planes and time zones. There’s a choice between an opaline or black dial featuring the “basic” time functions (hours, minutes and small seconds at 3 o’ clock), chronograph functions (seconds in the middle, 30-minute and 12-hour counters at 9 and 6 o’ clock respectively), calendar (at 1.30) and world times with day/night indicators. The latter appear on a rotating ring which completes its revolution in 24 hours and enables the wearer to view the 24 time zones at a glance. All these features are brought to life by the self-winding GP03300-0084 movement in the 44mm rose gold case. Price: 35,600 CHF