Without a doubt, the 2014 Formula One season has been really tough for Ferrari. After eight races, the constructor with the 'Cavallino Rampante' has only gained 98 points and stands in third place right behind Red Bull Racing-Renault and Mercedes. While Fernando Alonso stands in fourth place, his teammate Kimi Räikkönen is way back in 12th place. Regardless, we wanted to bring you this rare bird, the iconic Girard-Perregaux Ferrari Chronograph ref. 8020. This watch is the result of the defunct collaboration between the manufacture and the sports auto maker between 1994 and 2004. This watch fitted with a 38 mm matte sandblasted stainless steel case, a carbon fiber dial and a Kevlar aramid fiber strap with yellow contrast stitching, is in our opinion the best example of the long gone true to the essence 'Ferrari Watches'. Other iterations of this watch include aluminum and titanium cases. The limited edition F1-047 or F1-048 models feature aluminum cases made out of the monobloc of Ferrari F1s. The Girard-Perregaux Ferrari Chronographs fitted with titanium cases present the engraving 'Ti No. XXXX' on the case back while the stainless steel cases usually don't have any preceding letters before the case numbers or in certain instances as in this one the prefix 'MA' before the case number.
This iconic watch from the 90s marked an era for Girard-Perregaux and Ferrari. After their breakup in 2004, Ferrari partnered with Officine Panerai to give birth to one of the most disappointing 'automaker-watch' collaborations we have seen in our watch collecting life, and as expected by many, a big failure. The Girard-Perregaux Ferrari Chronograph ref. 8020 is nothing fancy, but a watch that truly capitalized in the essence of both brands and maximized their partnership. Perhaps the simplicity of this watch, is what makes the Girard-Perregaux Ferrari watches more appealing than others.
Even when the watch presents Ferrari's DNA across different areas of the watch, the end result is flawless and very well executed. The crown, dial, pin buckle and case back feature the 'Cavallino Rampante', but all very tastefully done. This is not a watch that screams Ferrari out loud, but calls out for the roar of the Ferrari engines when you spot it on someone's wrist.
The Girard-Perregaux Ferrari Chronograph ref. 8020 features a 12-hour chronograph with running seconds at 3, 12-hour chrono register at 6, 30-minute chrono register at 9 and a date aperture between 4 and 5 o'clock. This wonderful piece is powered by the automatic calibre GP2280 based off of the ETA 2892A2 with a Dubois-Depraz 2021 chrono module.
On the wrist, the watch wears slightly smaller than 38 mm but with great wrist presence. If you are a true 'Scuderia Ferrari' fan, finding one of these watches is definitely a must.
Sticker Price $2,000-2,500 USD depending on condition and availability of box and papers. For more info on Girard-Perregaux click here.
