The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm in Pink Gold and Onyx is a true luxury watch! A luxurious piece that exudes elegance and subtle charm.

The Laureato, a masterpiece that originated during a difficult period for Swiss watches, has matured over a long period of time to become a staple of Girard-Perregaux's collection. In recent years, the demand for luxury sports watches has boosted its popularity, leading to a wide range of variations. Among these, the Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx retains the refined and delicate allure of the first model from 1975, while also achieving a high-precision exterior thanks to modern processing technology, making it a truly luxurious watch.

The Laureato: A High-Precision, Dressy Watch with a Bracelet

　The first Girard-Perregaux Laureato, released in 1975, is now considered one of the forerunners of luxury sports watches, but when it was first released, the emphasis was on its "high precision" and "dressy design."

　This is no surprise, as the Cal. 700, which was installed in the first Laureato model by Girard-Perregaux, one of the first Swiss watchmakers to successfully develop its own quartz movement, already achieved such high levels of precision and reliability that it was awarded a certificate by the Neuchâtel Observatory.

　Furthermore, because the movement diameter is extremely small at 21.5mm, the case diameter is kept to 30mm, making it a much smaller watch than the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak (case diameter 39mm) released in 72.

　In addition, with its narrow, geometrically shaped gold bezel and sharp, delicate bar hands and bar indexes, the watch has the appearance of a dress watch that is highly compatible with traditional outfits, and in this respect it stands out from other watches with integrated bracelets.

The universality and evolution of Laureato design

　The geometric bezel, consisting of a perfect circle and a regular octagon superimposed on it, has been a consistent feature of all Laureato models to date and is an important design identity for the model, but the basic design of the case and bracelet has undergone two major changes to date.

　 The first model, released in 75, had a silhouette similar to the current shape, but had an extremely simple design with no separate links connecting the bracelet links.

　However, after a minor change in 84, the case became larger and small links were added between the links, giving the design a more jewel-like impression.

　Furthermore, starting with the model equipped with the automatic movement Cal. GP3100 released in 1995, links were added to the connection between the extended lugs and the first link, and the width of each link and the bezel was increased, resulting in a modern, sporty impression.

　 The current model, which was released in 2017, retains the basic exterior structure from the 1995 model, but has been modified to be more practical, with the case now larger and the bezel wider, and the dial layout adjusted to prioritize visibility.

A return to delicate and dressy designs

　The Laureato collection has evolved into a more robust and sporty design with each generation, but the Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx stands out among them with its refined and elegant sexiness.

　 The lustrous black onyx dial that stands out against the 18K pink gold case is not just a regular dial material replaced with natural stone and gold; the design itself is completely renewed.

　First, the minute marker ring that was located on the outer edge of the Clous de Paris has been eliminated, and the baton indexes have been placed closer to the outer edge, resulting in the same layout ratio as the first model, which made extensive use of the dial surface.

　Furthermore, compared to the stainless steel three-hand model, the width of the indexes has been reduced by approximately 40% and the width of the hour and minute hands has been reduced by approximately 30%, giving the watch a more delicate and dressy look.

　Modern watches generally tend to have too much space on the dial, but by reducing the occupancy rate of each element, the dial appears wider and the texture of the black onyx stands out, making this a modification that is perfectly suited to the concept of this piece.

Highly crafted dial that accentuates elegance

　Generally speaking, black mirror dials are made of brass with a thick coat of lacquer and polished finish, but the onyx used on this model's dial is a white-striped natural stone known as agate in Japan.

　 The dial is made from a 4mm thick onyx plate that is dyed black and dried in a vacuum for over a week, then cut to the shape of the dial, and then milled and polished to a thickness of 0.4mm.

　The surface is polished to a perfect flatness, so unlike lacquered mirror dials, which produce an exquisitely distorted mirror image, the hands, indexes, and even the surrounding scenery are reflected sharply and without distortion.

　If you look at the printing on the disc, you'll notice that the ink is not just white, but a slightly silvery color, with a granular shine.

　Although the serif font is typically unsuitable for fine printing, it is printed clearly without losing its shape down to the finest details. Moreover, because it is thickly printed in three dimensions, there is no part where the black background shows through.

The skillfully finished pink gold case combines elegance and glamour

　The Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx is made of 18K pink gold, from the case to the smoothly connected bracelet, and its finishing is also distinctive.

　The top of the case and the top of the H-shaped links of the bracelet have horizontal grain similar to that of the original model, the top of the bezel has circular grain concentric with the dial, and the edges of the case and the links in the center of the bracelet are mirror-finished, resulting in a combination of an extremely delicate hairline and polished finish.

　The surfaces of each part are either flat or uniformly curved, and the overall design is of high quality, but what was particularly surprising was the attention to detail.

　There are two things worth noting: the first is the bezel.

　The bezel, which is a symbol of the Laureato, has a complex design that combines a perfect circle with a regular octagon, and there are no visible seams.

　It is thought that it was molded as a single piece by cutting, but in that case the top surface of the circle and the side surface of the octagon would be adjacent, making it an area that would be extremely difficult to polish without affecting each other's surfaces.

　However, the bezel of this watch has been polished to a distortion-free mirror finish without any sagging on either side. This is no longer the craftsmanship of a mass-produced item.

　And the other is the finish of the bracelet.

　 In the 1995 model, the links in the center of the bracelet were three-dimensional curves with gentle curvatures in both the vertical and horizontal directions, but in this model they have been changed to mirror-finished links with a gentle curvature only in the vertical direction.

　In addition, the sides of the link are polished to a completely flat surface, allowing you to enjoy a distortion-free reflection, with the horizontal lines of the H-shaped link appearing to continue in a straight line.

　 The H-shaped frame itself has a uniformly curved surface, which alone gives it an incredibly luxurious feel, but this piece is packed with even more detail, and you'll find new joy in viewing it for extended periods of time.

In-house automatic movement with pink gold rotor

　The movement used is the Cal. GP01800, developed and manufactured in-house. It is a unidirectional automatic movement featuring delicate finishes such as Côtes de Genève and circular graining.

　 The stainless steel model's Cal. GP01800 is equipped with a heavy metal rotor, but the Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx is fitted with an 18K pink gold rotor, as befits a luxury sports watch.

　Although there is a slight vibration when turning the hands, the movement has a consistent weight and a smooth feel. Since the rate adjustment is performed using a regulator, care must be taken not to shake the watch too violently, but few users will subject this watch, which features a natural stone dial, to excessive shocks.

A modern dress watch with an integrated bracelet that captures the essence of luxury

　Girard-Perregaux's Laureato, both the stainless steel and ceramic models, generally have a high quality feel, but the finish of the Laureato 42mm Pink Gold & Onyx, which combines a precious metal exterior with a natural stone dial, is in a class of its own.

　When I noticed that even the folding clasp, which cannot be seen from the outside, had a distortion-free, mirror-like finish, I honestly thought, "They've gone to such lengths," but the essence of "luxury" is the enjoyment of excess.

　In that sense, this watch can definitely be called a luxury watch.

　Furthermore, the elegant and dressy design reminiscent of the original model will blend in naturally with party scenes and will be a great addition to any modern dress watch with an integrated bracelet.