Revisited in 2016 with a line of limited editions, followed by serial production models a year later, the Laureato is Girard’s Perregaux vision of a luxury sports watch. A few months back we covered the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock with a sandwich dial and a case crafted from carbon glass. Now, the Swiss luxury watchmaker celebrates 45 years of the Laureato with a 45-piece limited edition Laureato Ghost watch in collaboration with successful watch customizer, Bamford Watch Department.
Any watch manufacturer attempting a steel sports watch during the 1970s deserves some recognition and Girard-Perregaux happened to have developed a particularly successful one named the Laureato. At the time (1975), Girard-Perregaux was one of the very few watchmakers daring to do so, after Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak of 1972, of course. The concept of the Laureato became an important pillar for the brand, carrying some main attributes; a thin automatic movement, a robust case, textured dial and an integrated bracelet deeming it worthy of its luxury sports watch status.
Girard-Perregaux has been known to play about with different shapes – the tetradecagonal-shaped bezel of its Deep Diver watch in the 1960s, for example. The Laureato Ghost remains faithful to its recognisable mix of a circular shaped dial and an octagonal bezel, but this time uses a new blend of materials with a case crafted from white ceramic. Pushing itself out of its comfort zone, luxury watch customization collaborator, Bamford Watch Department also admits to never using the material before. Having always been recognized for its stealthy black designs, founder of BWD, George Bamford embraces the opportunity to embark on a new challenge alongside the Swiss brand. The signature black colour, instead, is present in the baton hands, inner flange and hour markers. These black details set against a white Clous de Paris dial result in a unisex colour code that joins with a very wearer-friendly 38mm case diameter.
Respecting the aesthetic of the original Laureato, this new 45th anniversary ghost-like design keeps a clean dial with luminescent material added to its hands and hour markers to assist with timekeeping during the night. During the daytime, the anti-glare properties of its sapphire crystal glass front help to provide a clear view of features like the date aperture at 3 o’clock. The white ceramic case of the Laureato Ghost has some beneficial qualities for an everyday wristwatch. For one, it’s both scratch and stain-resistant. Secondly, it’s hypoallergenic. Thirdly, it’s lighter in weight than titanium. In addition to this, its smooth polished surface keeps in line with the sheen-like finish of precious metals and stainless steel materials that Girard-Perregaux has used in its Laureato watches of the past.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost is equipped with the self-winding Calibre GP03300-0139 with high-end finishes that include bevelling, snailing, engraving, circular graining and Cotes de Geneve decoration, which can be seen through a sapphire-backed case. The wearer can choose between a white leather band or white ceramic link bracelet, and the logo-adorned crown at 3 o’clock has been finished in black PVD coated titanium.
Availability & Price
In addition to authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers, the limited edition Laureato Ghost will be sold for one month only at Dover Street Market and Harrods from November 19th 2020. It will retail for GBP 10,300 on leather strap and GBP 12,000 on white ceramic bracelet. More details at girard-perregaux.com.