The Luxurious Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm in Pink Gold & Onyx

It might come as a surprise to newcomers to the watch scene, but the Girard-Perregaux Laureato was one of the precursors of the luxury sports watch and appeared in 1975, just three years after Audemars Piguet’s trailblazing Royal Oak. With its raised octagonal bezel, sleek lines, hobnail dial and integrated bracelet, the Laureato was Girard-Perregaux’s interpretation of the luxury sports watch. In tune with the times, the Laureato was fitted with a slim, ultra-precise COSC-certified quartz movement. Following a period of hibernation, the Laureato was reanimated in 2016 with limited editions, followed by a fifth-generation line-up in 2017. Today the Laureato 42mm family expands with the arrival of a new model in a luxurious 18k pink gold case with a sleek black onyx dial and in-house automatic movement.

Geometry

The Laureato is all about juxtaposing shapes inspired by its 1970s forefather. With everything from time-and-date to chronographs and from perpetual calendars to the more robust Laureato Absolute  (the Royal Oak Offshore, if you like), the Laureato is fast becoming a fully fledged collection. Signature features of the Laureato case are the octagonal bezel mounted on a circular ring, which in turn is positioned above the angular tonneau-shaped case. Designed to highlight the juxtaposing shapes, the finishings of the 18k rose gold case and integrated bracelet alternate between brightly polished and satin-brushed areas.

Semi-precious gemstone dial

It’s not the first time a Girard-Perregaux Laureato gets fitted with a black onyx dial. In 2020, the “Infinity Edition” for Wempe featured a steel case and a handsome black onyx dial. Given its sleek glossy good looks, black onyx has also appeared in Girard-Perregaux’s gent’s dress watch collections, the 1966 and Vintage 1945,  consolidating a very handsome black-tie look.

Pink gold and black onyx work exceptionally well together; the warm hue of the pink gold underscores the luxurious spirit of the model, while the black onyx adds a contrasting cold sleekness. The black onyx is crafted by hand and has to be cut into a very fine and even sliver before being shaped and polished to a mirror-like sheen. According to the brand, no fewer than 15 operations are required to achieve the glossy smooth dial. Matching the pink gold case, the applied indices and GP logo at noon are also crafted in 18k pink gold, and the baton-style hands are gold plated. Last but not least, there is a date window at 3 o’clock with a black background and white numerals, matching the inscriptions on the dial.

In-house automatic

Inside the case of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm is the in-house, self-winding GP01800 movement (30mm x 3.97mm) with its gold oscillating weight decorated with Côtes de Genève. Other refined finishings, which can be appreciated through the sapphire crystal caseback, include the perlage on the baseplate and the Côtes de Genève on the bridges. Beating at a steady 4Hz, the movement delivers a maximum power reserve of 54 hours. Functionality is limited to time and date only.

Availability and Price

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx is available on an integrated pink gold bracelet or a black alligator strap, both with a triple folding clasp. It is not a limited edition and will be available in September 2022. The retail price of the model with an integrated pink gold bracelet is CHF 51,800 / EUR 54,500 / USD 54,300.

For more information, please visit Girard-Perregaux.com.