Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost
Why The New Girard-Perregaux x Bamford Laureato Ghost Is A Lesson In Collaboration
As in the music industry, when you put two creative souls together, new and wonderful things tend to happen.
By Sophie Furley
Contributor
According to the British music royalty company PPL, 40% of radio’s most-played songs in 2019 were the result of a musical collaboration, up from 22% in 2017, proving that collaborations make commercial sense. Yet, watch collaborations are still quite rare, even though they have proven to be very successful.
Independent brands such as MB&F and H. Moser & Cie. have had some fun reinterpreting each other’s designs, as have Urwerk and De Bethune. So, why does this seem to be something that we have been neglecting in the watch industry?
Bamford Watch Department
One individual who is blazing a trail with watch collaborations is George Bamford, Founder of Bamford Watch Department (BWD). Bamford is like the DJ Calvin Harris of the watch industry, making partnerships the key to his success. Where Calvin Harris has teamed up with star vocalists Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, and Dizzee Rascal, to name a few, BWD has worked with top brands such as TAG Heuer, Bulgari, Zenith, and now Girard-Perregaux.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost
To celebrate the 45th anniversary of its iconic Laureato collection, Girard-Perregaux decided to call upon Bamford to create a unique timepiece to mark this special occasion.
“In this first true collaboration between Girard-Perregaux and Bamford Watch Department, we have come together and created something forward-thinking and neoteric, a model ideally suited for today and beyond,” shared Patrick Pruniaux, CEO Girard-Perregaux, in a press release. “The Laureato Ghost respects the spirit of the Laureato but looks new, fresh, and original.”
Switching Black For White
Bamford’s signature colors are black and light blue, but for the Laureato Ghost, he decided to try something completely different. “I am known for my black watches and loving everything black,” noted Bamford. “I wanted to push the boundaries by designing a white watch this time.
“Whenever I collaborate with another company, I always look to achieve a synergy where both parties create something they probably wouldn’t produce on their own.”
Premium Ceramic
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost is housed in a 38mm white ceramic case and comes with a matching ceramic buckle, which is quite rare. The grade of ceramic used in the creation of this timepiece offers a perfectly vitrified surface that is both uniform and lustrous in its appearance.
This premium ceramic can be finished much like stainless steel or gold and is polished with alternating satin and polished surfaces, giving it a luxurious feel.
All the Details
Other details include a black PVD titanium crown, a white Clous de Paris dial, baton hour and minute hands, a black minute track, and a central sweeping seconds hand that has a counterweight featuring a zebra motif.
The movement is the brand’s self-winding Manufacture Caliber GP03300-0139, which gives the hours, minutes, seconds, and a date at 3 o’clock. The timepiece comes in a choice of a white calfskin strap ($13,900) or a matching ceramic bracelet ($16,100).
Finally, the Laureato Ghost is limited to 45 pieces.
Just Released
The timepiece is on sale now through November in London’s Dover Street Market and Harrods, exclusively. From December onwards, it will be available worldwide through authorized Girard-Perregaux retailers – that is, if it doesn’t sell out first, which it very well could. But like all good tunes, there is always the possibility of another GP x BWD remix!
(Photography by Pierre Vogel)
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Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost
