Girard-Perregaux adds Sage Green & Midnight Blue to its steel 38mm Laureato
Zach Blass- Two new Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm models in steel have been launched.
- One has a midnight blue dial, while the other gets a sage green with rose gold accents.
- Both of these precise colours are strictly available in steel for the 38mm size. Price: US$14,900.
‘Tis a tale I have told a few times here on Time+Tide, but here goes a refresher. The Girard-Perregaux Chronometer, now known as the Laureato, was first introduced in 1975 – notably three years after the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and a year before the Patek Philippe Nautilus. If you look at the modern Laureato, a clear throughline can be seen between the original watch and its present form. For example, a clous de Paris dial and octagonal bezel have been signatures since the beginning. A later development was its H-link bracelet we see today, with a broader mirror-polished link in the centre. It was also first equipped with an automatic movement and branded with the Laureato name in 1995.
With this later bracelet, which has similarities to the Nautilus’ bracelet, and the octagonal bezel that frames a textured dial many associate with the Royal Oak, the modern marketplace has, at times, mistakenly thought of the contemporary Laureato as a third wheel within the integrated bracelet luxury sports hype train. But amongst the trio, the Laureato was the only watch of the three to be born with a quartz calibre, the only to become chronometer-certified, and the only to be produced fully in-house. This established a distinct sense of pedigree in the ’70s when these designs were all first launched. In the present, the Laureato has the distinct benefit (and silly superficial detriment) of being the one that’s lower in price and more readily available at retail. At a time of peak frustration with Holy Trinity brands and a more educated marketplace of watch consumers, the Laureato is increasingly closing the gap – a clear destination for those who are seeking an integrated bracelet design and brand with a strong heritage. Earlier this week, Girard-Perregaux expanded its Laureato offering with two new dials for its 38mm stainless steel models in sage green and midnight blue.
Blue and green are the most popular dial colours beyond the obligatory white, black, or silver, so it could be understandably tough to see the novelty in these new Laureatos. But while the Laureato 38mm has been sold with a blue dial previously, it’s been since been dropped from the brand’s website in favour of the new midnight blue. It’s my understanding that the sage green presented alongside it is the first appearance of the colour in a 38mm steel Laureato, and it has the quirk of rose gold accents for the dial’s GP logo and central seconds hand. Both get a tip of the hat from purists with their perfectly colour-matched date windows.
The 38mm size is the middle ground dimension of the current “Classic” collection of Laureato watches, sandwiched by 34mm and 42mm options. It measures 38mm in diameter, 10.02mm thick, and 44.5mm lug-to-lug, and it is equipped with 100 metres of water resistance. The bezel still has the distinct GP Chronometer-like stepped bezel, with a radially brushed octagonal piece situated on a polished circular ring. The horizontal brushing and chamfered edges on the front and shoulders of the case extend down to the bracelet.
Inside and exhibited is Girard-Perregaux’s in-house automatic GP03300 with 46 hours of power reserve and a solid 18k rose gold rotor that offers more efficient winding given its greater mass. Vertical striping can be seen on the bridges at the centre of the movement, with circular striping on the gold rotor. You’ll also find perlage, blued screws, and thinly bevelled edges.
While this is no major update for the 38mm GP Laureato, it is a welcome expansion – who would ever complain about blue or green dial options for a watch? It simply offers more opportunities: more options to meet the tastes of watch buyers looking for an elevated, high-quality integrated bracelet watch. My one suggestion for growth would be that, while suitable and nicely fabricated, I would like to see Girard-Perregaux introduce a next-gen calibre for the Laureato 38mm that has increased stamina and an architecture that fills out more of the caseback. As it stands, the watch is very good. With this next step, however, it could be great.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Sage Green & Midnight Blue pricing and availability
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 38mm Sage Green & Midnight Blue are both available now. Price: US$14,900
| Brand | Girard-Perregaux |
| Model | Laureato |
| Reference | 81005-11-3407-1CM (Sage Green) 81005-11-3460-1CM (Midnight Blue) |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 10.02mm (T) x 44.5mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal, front and back |
| Dial | Sage green or midnight blue, Clous de Paris patterned |
| Bracelet | Integrated stainless steel bracelet, butterfly clasp |
| Movement | GP03300, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 46 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | US$14,900 |