The Laureato has undergone many transformations over the decades from iridescent chronographs to sapphire skeletons, but the core of the collection will always be the three hand. Typically the time and date models feature Clous de Paris dials but for the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Infinite Grey, they’ve swapped it out for a fresh texture.
Specifically, the new version features a Grand Feu enamel dial that makes use of a style known as flinqué. What that means is it features enamel over the top of guilloché, combining the two artisanal techniques and enhancing both. It obviously carries a lot more risk as well because the undulating pattern of the guilloché exposes any weaknesses in the enamel. However, when successful, the result is astonishing.
The smooth enamel in a rich grey colour allows you to pick out every line of the texture with clarity. The pattern is radial with widening wedges between each of the main spokes of the design. It’s basically a non-limited interpretation of the vibrant blue dial of the Aiiro Japanese edition.
Beyond the dial, this is the 42mm Laureato as we already know it. Octagonal bezel, brushed steel case, integrated bracelet and all. The design dates back to 1975 and the boom of integrated steel sports watches, the Laureato being quite possibly the most famous non-Genta design from the period. It’s also water resistant to 100m, making it durable enough for daily wear and protecting it from heavy rain.
Inside the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Infinite Grey is the in-house GP01800 automatic movement with 54-hour power reserve. It’s finished as immaculately as the dial with perlage, Côtes de Genève and a gold rotor. You can view it through the exhibition caseback. It turns the Laureato 42mm Infinite Grey into a tour de force for finishing across the entire piece, from the dial to the case to the movement.
It really takes the core idea of the Laureato and pushes it to an even higher artisanal level without deviating from that classic time and date design. Though the price reflects that at £15,200.
Price and Specs:
More details at Girard-Perregaux.
This is a beautiful watch from a very underrated brand, that somehow doesn’t receive the respect that certain other watch brands receive.
Not really any negatives from me, it’s classy and understated, and a watch that falls into a few normally separate areas (dress and sports / utility) so sits well in many scenarios – almost a single watch ownership situation.
The only drawback is the price.
Would I buy it, well yes, if I could afford one.
There aren’t many bracelet watches that look right with a suit, but in my opinion, this is definitely one of the few.