Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition
All Revved Up: The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition
The Swiss watch brand and British carmaker join forces to present a racing-inspired, green-dialed limited edition of the Laureato Chronograph, the first ever to boast a transparent caseback.
By Steven Rogers
Contributor
Earlier this year, we saw the first collaborative timepiece to emerge from the Girard-Perregaux x Aston Martin partnership: the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition. An 18-piece limited edition priced at just under CHF 130,000, this reworking of one of the high-end Swiss watch brand’s classics was all about fluid lines, physical lightness, visual airiness, and the use of innovative, comfort-enhancing materials.
Today, the two luxury brands have announced the second piece in their collaboration, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition.
While this fresh offering involves revisiting another G-P icon, this time, the emphasis is on dial details and colors, as well as offering an unprecedented peek under the “hood” of the Laureato Chronograph. What’s more, this latest joint effort is more accessibly priced and available in a more ample limited edition compared to the first one.
British Racing Green Dial
The first thing that catches the eye here is the green tint of the dial, an obvious nod to the now-emblematic racing color of the British luxury carmaker.
From the DBR1 that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959 to the colors of the current Aston Martin Cognizant F1 team, Aston Martin’s racing hue has traditionally been a verdant tone, the company’s own take on “British racing green.” The same green has been replicated on the dial by applying no fewer than seven separate layers of paint.
The dial is also remarkable for its pattern of diamond-like, linear engravings, inspired not only by the cross-hatchings of Aston Martin’s AM logo from the early 1920s but also by the quilted seats in many of its sports cars.
Pared-Down Hands
The striated green dial forms an eye-catching backdrop to the indications: hours, minutes, and small seconds, accompanied by chronograph seconds, minutes, and hours, as well as a date function.
The hands of the central hours and minutes, chronograph sub-counters, and small seconds are all partly openworked. This removal of extraneous material is supposed to bring to mind the same practice in race car design, all to optimize performance.
And the central chronograph seconds hand features a counterweight that looks like one of the side strakes from the 1958 Aston Martin DB4.
Distinctive Steel Case
Of course, the Laureato wouldn’t be the Laureato without its distinctive stainless-steel case with octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet that harks back to the original 1975 version of this luxury sports watch. Here, the diameter is 42mm, so not the smallest of the Laureato steel case sizes, but still highly wearable on slim wrists, as our live pictures show.
And the grade of steel used is 904L which is more resistant to corrosion and scratches and has, according to Girard-Perregaux, a more luxurious appearance than, say, the more common 316L stainless steel.
Transparent Caseback
Turning over the watch, the sapphire crystal caseback with the Aston Martin logo emblazoned on it affords views of the in-house GP03300-0141 Calibre inside.
This sapphire crystal marks the first time that a Laureato Chronograph has featured a transparent caseback. However, the watchmaker justified its presence by making sure the movement was well decorated with Geneva waves, perlage, and blued screws, accompanied by concentric stripes on the winding rotor.
Meeting of the Minds
Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux, believes the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition is yet another example of how these two high-end brands are very much on the same wavelength.
In a press release for the new collaboration, he stated: “Not only has our partnership with Aston Martin yielded two exceptional timepieces, now, it is indeed a meeting of the minds and marks the beginnings of a true friendship between both brands and our teams. The Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin edition is evidence of that mutual understanding and shared philosophy.”
Aston Martin Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman echoed Pruniaux’s sentiments, citing the “common design ethos” of the two brands, which is “geared towards discreet luxury.”
Pricing & Availability
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition will be limited to 188 non-numbered pieces and priced at CHF 17,300 each.
For more details, please visit the Girard-Perregaux website.
(Photography by Pierre Vogel, images by Girard-Perregaux)
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