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Royal Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq spotted wearing Girard Perregaux

On one of the most consequential days in modern Omani history — 11 January 2020 — Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq ascended to the throne of the Sultanate of Oman. Amidst the ceremony, protocol, and global media attention surrounding the proclamation, a single detail caught the eye of horologically minded observers: on the new Sultan's wrist sat a Girard-Perregaux Chronograph Vintage 1945, reference 25840-11-611-FK6A.

The Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 line draws direct inspiration from the manufacture's iconic 1945 cushion-shaped case, a design that broke decisively from the round conventions of its era. Reference 25840 is the steel chronograph variant, housing the GP calibre 3370 — a self-winding movement featuring a column wheel, lateral clutch, and 46-hour power reserve, built on a base derived from the Dubois-Dépraz 2028 module married to an ETA 2892 oscillator. The result is a 39mm steel case with its characteristic tonneau-cushion profile, black integrated tachymetre bezel, and a dial architecture that balances legibility with period-correct refinement. The reference suffix FK6A points to a silvered or champagne-toned dial with contrasting registers — a configuration that reads as quietly formal without announcing itself.

Among collectors, the Vintage 1945 Chronograph occupies a respected but undervalued position. Girard-Perregaux produced the line consistently through the late 1990s and 2000s, and while it never achieved the auction fever of a Vacheron Historiques or a Rolex Daytona, connoisseurs prize it for genuine movement quality, in-house design credentials, and the kind of restrained elegance that rewards proximity over distance. It is, in short, a watchmaker's watch — chosen by people who understand what they are looking at.

Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq, 65 at the time of his accession, was previously Oman's Minister of Heritage and Culture — a background that perhaps explains a preference for a watch with historical depth over conspicuous luxury. Choosing a GP Vintage 1945 rather than a tourbillon or a bejewelled grand complication on the day of his proclamation reads as a considered, even philosophical, statement.

At a UK list price of approximately £10,300 — translating to roughly $13,500 USD at the time — the Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945 Chronograph ref. 25840-11-611-FK6A sits at a price point that represents genuine value for a Swiss manufacture chronograph of this pedigree. On the secondary market, examples trade at a modest discount to retail, typically in the $8,000–$11,000 range depending on condition and box-and-papers status, making this one of the more accessible points of entry into true haute horlogerie.