This Girard-Perregaux Laureato traded below €40k, now it’s over €100k
Zach BlassEditor’s Note: We recently partnered with @watchanalytics to crunch the numbers and dig into the horological market trends and value fluctuations for the references that matter. Last time, we delved into the first generation A. Lange & Söhne Datograph watches, and whether or not they are seriously undervalued today. Today we are going to dive into the market status of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton, and how it is suddenly rocketing in value in 2022.
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The Laureato has long been on the radar of enthusiasts, and while its design predates the Nautilus by one year (1975) it had been dismissed in the modern era as what you buy if you cannot get hold of what you really wanted: the Nautilus or Royal Oak. But, whether through frustration or education, more and more people have been waking up to the value of the offering, realising it is not a compromise. In fact, it is a viable alternative. We recently discussed the Laureato Chronograph in a previous Watch Analytics Wednesdays column, and we have recently heard reports that the time and date Laureato watch is becoming more competitive on the secondary market and not as readily available at retail. However, @watchanalytics has pointed out that a new champion has risen within the collection: the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton.
The Laureato Skeleton comes in four configurations: stainless steel, black ceramic, black ceramic with a blue dial, and rose gold. Each of the watches are 42mm in diameter, 10.68mm thick for the metal cases and 11.3mm thick for the ceramic cases, 100m water-resistant, and executed with cases and bracelets that feature nice mixed finishes. Unlike the standard 42mm Laureato, the Skeleton does not have a date complication, nor does it have a running central seconds hand. It does, however, boast a skeletonised caliber that allows you to see the elegant satinated and chamfered openworked bridges – as well as many other components, such as the escapement and mainspring, from the dial side.
The market analysis
Based on the figures supplied by @watchanalytics, this time last year the Laureato Skeleton was not the strongest secondary market performer. This, however, was great news for those already alive to the quality of the timepiece. In March 2021, the four configurations could be sourced for approximately half their retail value. Up until January 2022, values would incrementally increase – but it remained a watch you got for quite a steal, proportional to retail, till then. The new year, though, marked a huge turning point for the lineup in terms of value, abruptly rising across the four configurations. Of the four, the real rocket is the rose-gold variant. In March 2021, the rose-gold Laureato Skeleton 81015-52-002-52A was trading under €40,000 (€33,800 at retail). Today the few listings you can find on the secondary market boast asking prices near €100,000. While the other models have increased in secondary value as well, their less meteoric rise has resulted in market values that are now just above their retail prices instead of being well under retail.
The takeaways
I have said it before, and I will say it again: watches that fill the voids that unobtanium pieces leave in the market have incredible promise to be realised. We’ve seen this before. The Gevril Tribeca in the wake of the Paul Newman Daytona sale. The Vacheron Constantin Overseas in the wake of the inaccessibility of the Royal Oak and Nautilus. But now, as demand races to find viable market options, the Overseas has become quite unobtanium in its own right. So, perhaps, this is one logical explanation for the greater attention the Laureato is receiving today. Perhaps it is the Laureato’s time to shine now. The January 2022 turning point, however, leads me to an even stronger correlation. In January we were introduced to the 50th anniversary Royal Oak collection from AP, and amongst these releases were openworked Royal Oak Jumbo that watches collectors were drooling over.
We have also seen AP enjoy immense success with previous openworked designs, like the Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked – which have had a ton of popularity in pop culture with celebrities such as Stormzy and Dave. This has drawn greater attention and desire to other worthy openworked, or skeletonized, designs, and the numbers reveal that more and more buyers are heading to Girard-Peergaux for the answer.
The other interesting note from @watchanalytics is the fact that market listings are decreasing across the four Laureato Skeleton watches, suggesting that not only are people buying up what is available, but also keeping them in their collections. This highlights that sometimes buying what you love, versus following the herd, can really pay-off. People forget that sometimes lower asset quality and market performance is the most interesting space to inquire within. Worst-case scenario, you get a stellar deal on a piece you plan on keeping for life. And you never know, someday other buyers may wake up to the party that you arrived early to.