Introduced in 1975, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato claims a place as one of its decade’s iconic luxury sports watches, alongside other such ’70s introductions as the Patek Philippe Nautilus and Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Girard-Perregaux has released numerous revamped versions of the Laureato in the years since — with quartz movements, chronograph functions, even tourbillons — but for the latest one, debuting at Baselworld 2016 in March, the Swiss brand returns to the elegantly simple look that first made the Laureato a hit.
The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato — limited to 225 pieces in homage to the brand’s 225th anniversary in 2016 — has the stainless-steel case with octagonal bezel that identified the original timepiece, along with the seamlessly integrated flexible bracelet (updated here with a folding clasp and the use of subtly contrasting satin-brushed and polished finishing on the links).
The case is 41 mm in diameter, a reduction from the larger sizes of recent Laureatos. The dial also hearkens back to the original 1975 model, with its small Clou de Paris checkerboard pattern and baton-shaped hour and minute hands. The hands are treated with Super-LumiNova, and the dial is available in two colors, silver and navy blue.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato – blue dial
Powering the 2016 version of the Laureato — and visible through a sapphire caseback, another concession to modern tastes — is Girard-Perregaux’s manufacture Caliber GP03300-0030 (below), a self-winding movement with 27 jewels, a 28,800-vph frequency, and a 46-hour power reserve.
Both the silvered-dial (Ref. 81000-11-131-11A) and blue-dial (Ref. 81000-11-431-11A) versions of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 2016 are priced at $14,300.
Girard-Perregaux Caliber 3300-0030
