Girard-Perregaux Laureato Collection, which is one of the most successful representatives of the luxury sports watch concept that emerged in the early 70’s, is under the spotlight with the all black ceramic version.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato is actually a very interesting design with an interesting story. The uniqueness of the model is not that clear as it came out after the introduction of Gerald Genta’s iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. However, it should not be forgotten that in the first years when Laureato shared the showcases with Royal Oak, there were no Patek Philippe Nautilus, IWC Ingenieur or Vacheron Constantin Overseas around. Girard-Perregaux has been braver than the others have in its segment in terms of following this new trend, which has seemed quite risky at that time. Unlike Patek Philippe, IWC and Vacheron Constantin, Girard-Perregaux managed to do it all by its own, instead of involving Gerald Genta.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak -
1972
Patek Philippe Nautilus - 1976
Gerald Genta
IWC Ingenieur Jumbo SL 1976
Vacheron Constantin 222
Even though the result was very successful, the model had its own share of difficulties in terms of existence with several updates and temporarily discontinuations due to the changing trends and demands of the watch industry. In 2016, when the concepts of Heritage and Re-Issue peaked, the model was re-introduced once again with a new face that evokes the original version.
The case (and all related components) of the model is made of black ceramic. Measuring 42mm in diameter and 10.9mm in height, the case is water resistant to 100 meters, which is in-line with the “sports” part. The case features the signature detail of the model family the octagonal bezel that is also made of black ceramic. Both sides of the case sport anti-glare coated scratch resistant sapphire crystals. The crystal on the case back is smoked in order to match with the overall black color scheme.
The new model’s dial shares the Laureato Collection’s general design details. The surface of the dial is finished in classic "Clous de Paris Hobnail" pattern. The hands and indices are sword style with Super LumiNOVA phosphor material filling. Black is the dial color for the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Ceramic model. I see that some brands prefer different dial colors in black ceramic or black PVD / DLC coated timepieces. In fact, it is a bit weird for me to see a bright blue dial in an all-black model. Of course, different colors may be applied to dial accents like hands and/or indexes. However, if we are talking about the base color, “black on black” is still my favorite combo. Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Ceramic is a three-hand model with a date display located at 3 o’clock. The dial is quite simple with brand logo and additional texts.
The model is powered by the brand’s in-house movement Caliber Ref. GP01800-0025. 28 jewels self-winding movement beats at a frequency of 4Hz (28.800voh) and offers a power reserve of 54 hours when fully wound. COSC certified movement is enjoyed through the smoked sapphire crystal display case back.
The new model’s bracelet is also made of black ceramic. Being mostly identical with the metal bracelets of other Laureato versions, the model’s bracelet bears a couple of nuances, which are possibly related to ceramic’s specifications. First, one is the folding clasp on the bracelet being wider than the one found in metal bracelets. The second one is about the removable links as the ceramic version’s all links can be removed while the metal ones allow only five links to be removed for size adjustments. Other than these two details, which I think are due to the fragile structure of the ceramic, the bracelet is the same as the other models.
Like the design language that made up the concept, also the luxury sport watch concept players offer a very small amount of variations. While Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus are confronting this concept as signature model families, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato and Piaget Polo S collections are taking their place as alternatives that can actually offer variety without going out of the concept.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak -
1972
Patek Philippe Nautilus - 1976
I find this concept extremely successful as the boundaries that my taste for classic style are exactly drawn with these models. Frankly speaking, I would like to have this watch in 18K yellow gold but if we are looking for a relatively budget friendly one, I still believe the stainless steel version, namely Ref. 81010-11-231-11A, is the best one you can get.
81010-11-231-11A Girard Perregaux Laureato
Personally, I cannot combine the luxury sports watch concept with alternative materials, particularly colored ones. However, considering the demand for those models, I think we should be open to different surprises.
