SpotlightUltramarine And Sage—The New Dials Of The Pink Gold Girard-Perregaux Laureato

The history of the Laureato watches by Girard-Perregaux runs deep. Born in 1975, the collection is now a staple in the world of luxury sports watches, and the two new iterations—the Laureato Ultramarine Blue and the Sage Green in 42mm, crafted in pink gold—bring a fresh, more luxurious look to the collection.

Small Changes That Go A Long Way—Now Sage And Ultramarine

The Laureato watches don’t just bring with them gorgeously executed, meticulously crafted timepieces; they bring with them a story. This is a story of its birth in a time when sports watches were all the rage. The much-anticipated rebirth of the collection in 2016, the bold look of the integrated case and bracelet, the details of the bezel, and the pattern on the dial—it’s all worth a conversation, and then some.

A lot of crazy renditions of the Laureato have graced us since its rebirth, especially with the Absolute Laureato watches. We’ve seen Laureatos with different materials, different sizes, different movements, and everything under the sun. However, the two recently launched versions don’t change much, and it’s the subtlety of it that counts.

If we are to sum up these watches in a nutshell, it seems that the Swiss watchmakers Girard-Perregaux wanted to introduce colourful options for those who may prefer them, anc chose to introduce these hues in the pink gold time-and-date Laureato.

Brand-New Dials—In Sage Green And Ultramarine Blue

Apart from the new dial colours and the use of a pink gold for the case, and a bracelet rendered in the same material, there isn’t much else that’s new in these watches. Nonetheless, it doesn’t mean that the details of these watches are not worth admiring. Of course, the obvious attractions are apparent—the unique circular and octagonal case shape and the signature clous de Paris motif on the dial that seems to change shade when viewed from different angles—there’s a bunch else going on. There’s the gorgeous interplay between polished and satin-finished surfaces, which is made even more apparent with the use of pink gold. The golden baton-style hour and minute hands, along with the baton-type indexes, impart the iconic design codes synonymous with the Laureato.

It’s the minor details of the Laureato that make the watch such a delight. The central seconds hand features a ‘GP’-themed counterweight, and the date window at three o’clock employs white numerals sit atop a disc that matches the colour of the dial. The Gold ‘GP’ initials reside at 12 o’clock, while the brand’s name and GP logo—both executed in white—are located below.

The Gold ‘GP’ initials reside at 12 o'clock, while the brand's name and GP logo—both executed in white—are located below

The watches are powered by the in-house calibre GP01800. The main plate is adorned with circular graining, while some components feature beveling, mirror polishing, a satin finish, and multiple engravings

The watches are powered by the in-house calibre GP01800—a self-winding movement that has been as gorgeously decorated as the dial. The main plate is adorned with circular graining, while some components feature beveling, mirror polishing, a satin finish, and multiple engravings. Straight Côtes de Genève are visible on the bridges, and the rotor is decorated with a circular Côtes de Genève. The movement provides these watches with a power reserve of 54 hours.

With next year marking 50 years since the birth of the Laureato, perhaps we’ll see renditions of the timepiece that are a bit more daring than the ones we see above. For now, however, Girard-Perregaux seem to have followed the old adage: don’t fix what isn’t broken.