The sporty Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is the first-ever titanium Laureato reference
Jamie Weiss- Ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, Girard-Perregaux drops a lithe new take on their integrated luxury sports watch.
- Its grey Clous de Paris dial gives this chrono a utilitarian, monochromatic look.
- Unlike some titanium variants of rival integrated luxury sports watches, it’s not a limited edition – which is welcome news.
It’s the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix this week in Melbourne, which means F1 fans (myself and Borna especially) are currently in full hype mode. As I’ve discussed previously in the pages of Time+Tide, watches and F1 go hand in hand, with just about every F1 team having a Swiss watch brand as a timing partner, and brands often use the occasion of different Grands Prix to release and promote new watches.
Girard-Perregaux is the timing partner of Aston Martin, and has previously produced a variety of collaborative models with the British F1 team/car marque – however, I have it on good authority that Girard-Perregaux will not be releasing a collaborative Aston Martin wristwatch this year. However, the new Laureato Chronograph Ti49, while it might not be explicitly a motorsports-inspired or collaborative piece, is easily one of the sportiest watches the 172-year-old brand has ever produced and a highly appropriate watch to wear to an F1 race.
So, as the headline states, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is the first-ever Laureato in titanium: grade 5 titanium, to be exact, which is a material commonly used in motorsports and especially F1. And of course, there’s no watch complication more closely associated with motorsports than the chronograph. However, because the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 lacks any explicit motorsports connection, it has more general appeal than something with Aston Martin branding on it, for instance. Something else that adds to its general appeal is its weight: at just over 100 grams, it’s 60 grams lighter than its steel siblings.
One of grade 5 titanium’s advantages – other than its strength, lightness, anti-magnetism and corrosion resistance – is that it can be polished to a brilliant shine. This is something Girard-Perregaux has taken advantage of with the Laureato Chronograph Ti49, which features a pleasant array of alternating brushed and polished surfaces, with a brushed octagonal bezel sitting atop a polished circular plinth, itself sitting atop a brushed 42mm case, cascading down into a brushed integrated bracelet with polished centre links. The bezel and case edges as well as the chronograph pushers and crown are also polished.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 features a monochromatic look, sporting a grey Clous de Paris dial with azuraged subdials and a colour-matched date window at 4:30. Under the hood beats the in-house Calibre GP03300-0141, which features a reasonable power reserve of 46 hours and is finely finished with Côtes de Genève, circular graining chamfering, mirror polishing, snailing, satin and sunray finishes as well as blued screws… Although you’ll have to take GP’s word for it, as unlike other Laureato chronos (like the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition, for instance), the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 features a closed caseback.
It seems titanium is all the rage among high-end Swiss watchmakers at present. However, unlike other titanium variants of popular luxury sports watches – titanium takes on the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak or the Vacheron Constantin Overseas Everest Chronograph spring to mind, as well as the A. Lange & Söhne Odysseus Titanium – the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is merely titanium rather than unobtanium. Also, unlike those last two watches, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is not a limited edition.
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I also think at this price point, the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 can be genuinely cross-shopped against the Rolex Daytona, a watch that has never been fashioned out of titanium (something I also said about the recently released Zenith Chronomaster Sport Titanium). Comparisons aside, I think the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is a compelling watch and a standout among the increasingly expansive Laureato range.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 pricing & availability
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 will be available from March 2024 and will be available worldwide in all Girard-Perregaux retailers. Price: US$19,400.
| Brand | Girard-Perregaux |
| Model | Laureato Chronograph Ti49 |
| Reference Number | 81020-21-3263-1CM |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 12mm (T) |
| Case Material | Grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Anti-reflective sapphire |
| Dial | Grey with ‘Clous de Paris’ pattern, azuraged subdials |
| Lug Width | Integrated |
| Strap | Titanium integrated bracelet with butterfly clasp |
| Movement | GP03300-0141, in-house, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 46 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Available now for enquiries |
| Price | US$19,400 |