Welcome back to another Sunday Morning Showdown! Grab a coffee, take a nibble of your croissant, and warm up your voting finger. Daan and Thomas are back at each other’s throats this week. Today’s theme? Casquette-shaped watches with roots in the 1970s. How about that for a niche? Don’t go complaining that this is apples and oranges this time, Fratelli! How similar do you want them to be?
You may struggle to get your hands on either of these contestants, though. The Amida Digitrend is sold out, and the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 is the final — and limited — version of the model. But that doesn’t mean we cannot let them loose in our fighting cage for a good ol’ Sunday Morning Showdown.
Last week’s Sunday Morning Showdown
Before we get into all of that, we have to look at last week’s battle. It was Daan and Thomas again — the boys are making a decent irregular-hours bonus this month with all these Sunday shifts. The theme was rather different than today’s, though.
Daan brought the Breguet Classique 5177 to the arena. Thomas responded with the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1. Both are high-end platinum watches with black dials and date complications. Thomas did not quite bring his A-game because he neglected to mention that the Lange’s black dial is onyx. It didn’t hurt his case, however. The A. Lange & Söhne absolutely obliterated the Breguet with 75% of the votes. That is an unusually clear vote for the Sunday Morning Showdown.
Many commenters mentioned the date on the Breguet. This feature is controversial because, while some commenters liked it, it seems to have cost the Breguet votes. In any case, we have an inkling that today’s result might be closer than last week’s.
Thomas: Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0
Here we are again, Daan. Best of luck! Let me start by outlining the similarities between our watches. I probably don’t have to point it out, but the case and bracelet shapes are rather similar. Next, we have the angled dial in the driver’s watch style. Both watches’ vintage counterparts saw the light of day at the 1976 Basel Fair, and both modern versions are styled in unmistakable ’70s fashion. Amida and GP both rate their water resistance at 50 meters. Lastly, both are Swiss-made watches that cost less than 5,000 francs. Admittedly, at CHF 3,250, your Amida is significantly cheaper than my GP, which costs CHF 4,750 (around €5,060 at the time of writing).
On to the differences. Your Digitrend is steel, whereas my Casquette 2.0 is titanium with 18K gold details. An automatic Soprod caliber powers the Amida, while the GP houses a digital module. Your Amida is also quite a bit bigger, Daan. It measures 39.6mm (diameter) × 39mm (length) × 15.6mm (thickness), while the GP measures 33.6mm (diameter) × 42.2mm (length) × 14.6mm (thickness).
The Casquette 2.0 is more refined
Just like last week, I like both contenders here. However, if I were spending my money, I would certainly choose the Girard-Perregaux Casquette. Don’t get me wrong; I like the Amida’s flat mechanical jump-hour mechanism, tilted towards the wearer via a sapphire prism. However, I think the Amida is a bit too much of a gadget, especially with the big name and orange details on the dial. I predict you will tire of it much more quickly than the Casquette.
Why? Because the Casquette is equally quirky but has a little more class. The case is narrower and significantly sleeker. It has a richer mix of gentle curves and hard edges. The mixed finishing also looks more mature and luxurious. Speaking of finishing, this is done at a much higher level altogether, as you would expect from Girard-Perregaux.
It’s cool that the Amida is mechanical. However, the Girard-Perregaux is weirdly fancier. Who would have thought I would ever say that about the LED-display-donning option of two watches so similar in design? The Digitrend looks novel, while the Casquette 2.0 looks high-end.
You might as well get some added functionality with the Casquette 2.0
Another benefit of the digital module inside the Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 is its added functionality. You get a day, date, year, chronograph, and secret date complication on top of the time. Oh, and let’s not forget running seconds for those with a taste for precision.
Admittedly, the Casquette 2.0 has a weakness in its lack of an always-on display, especially when paired with a driver’s case. I am sure Daan will mention it. However, the Digitrend doesn’t score many points for legibility either. I reckon you would buy these watches for their quirky nature rather than their ease of use.
In the end, my first point is the decider for me. Both are fun gadgets. However, the Girard-Perregaux also masterfully manages to be a luxury watch. The Amida is stuck in “fun novelty” territory for me. If the Casquette 2.0 cost five times as much as the Digitrend, I could see the appeal in the latter. However, as is, I would have the more mature option. All right, Daan, I will leave it at that. Tell the good folks why I got it completely wrong.
Daan: Amida Digitrend
Thanks, Thomas, I will. First off, let’s talk about your “gadget” argument. My Amida might have the word “digital” in its name, but your Casquette 2.0 is the real gadget here. It even has two push buttons! I also like both contenders today, but those buttons on yours are so inconvenient. When GP brought back the Casquette, the designers should’ve thought about updating it with some kind of accelerometer. That way, the display would simply switch on every time you turn your wrist toward you.
Compared to the GP, the Amida received quite an upgrade compared to its vintage counterpart. As Balazs described in his article on the original Amida Digitrend, it came with a fragile one-jewel pin-lever movement. The re-edition is powered by a robust Soprod Newton P092 automatic movement with 23 jewels. It’s certainly not at the level of MB&F’s Horological Machines, but it’s reliable and fits the price point. In addition, the hours and minutes are constantly visible through its ingenious Light Reflecting Display. There’s no need to push any button.
Bigger and better
Let’s continue with ergonomics. Your Casquette might not be as wide as my Digitrend, but at the same time, it’s longer. In terms of wearability, I much prefer a watch with a shorter tip-to-tip measurement than a longer one. Besides, if this were a planking contest, your Casquette would definitely take home the first prize. Just look at the way it sits on Nacho’s wrist there. It’s a very rectangular and quite long design. The Digitrend has a more rounded and organic shape, making it more attractive on the wrist.
Even the Casquette 2.0’s higher level of finishing can’t convince me here. The finishing on the Digitrend is simpler, but it lets the basic shape do all the talking without too many added frills. I also like the rounder opening around the display. It looks less boxy and friendlier than the Casquette’s.
In conclusion, yes, the GP Casquette 2.0 might have more functions due to its digital module. But how many of those are you actually going to use? By the time you want to time something, you’ll probably already have forgotten which button to push. Was it the one on the left or the one on the right? And whenever you want to check that or see what time it is, you have to push the button again to activate the display. That’s not convenient at all, especially when sitting behind the wheel, the Casquette’s intended habitat.
Vote now!
There you have it — a more unusual battle this week between two watches you don’t see very often. However, it’s no less fun than our regular Sunday Morning Showdowns. Which one are you going for this week? Is it the higher-end GP Casquette 2.0 in titanium, or is it the Amida Digitrend in stainless steel? Vote now, and let us know in the comments below why you voted for one or the other.
Girard-Perregaux Casquette 2.0 vs. Amida Digitrend
