What we do know, however, is that the Girard-Perregaux Laureato was the only member of that trio to feature a quartz caliber, the only to be officially chronometer-certified, and the only one to be produced fully in-house. So, for those questing after pedigree, the Laureato lays out a pretty compelling case. Looking at the modern post-crazed age of integrated bracelet design, the Laureato still stands as the most approachable of the three, and is often found available and ready to buy from authorized dealers. I know, crazy. The design has been refined, the dial dramatized, and the movement technology upgraded with the times. Girard-Perregaux has kept this model family in flux allowing for innovations, materials, and complications to grace the lineup unencumbered by the masses who scream for purity of design when speaking of the Nautilus and Royal Oak.
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It’s not fun to start a review sifting through the inevitable baggage that comes along with watches in a similar category or at a similar price point. It leaves you with a sense that the watch can not stand on its own. Let me reassure you, it absolutely can. In my initial time with the piece, I found myself falling prey to the noise wondering exactly who the customer was for the Laureato Chronograph only to have some passerby stop and take notice of the light catching its dial. No shortage of compliments was thrown my way regarding the watch during my time with it, fully reinforcing its balanced design and eye-catching characteristics. So with everything out of the way, let’s talk about the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph 42mm.
By far the star of the show has to be the silver panda-style dial. Below the slightly dommed sapphire crystal flush mounted with the bezel is an unobstructed view of the dial surface thanks to how well the crystal handles reflections. At its perimeter, a matte black ring holds printed white minute marks while supporting the base of the blued and polished indices extending over the primary dial surface. The blued finish is carried over to the sharpened pencil hour, minute, and needle chronograph hands with only the chronograph hand being void of any lume application. While in most instances the bluing is subtle, when in direct light it shines in a vibrant hue bringing pops of color to the dial design. The main dial surface features a silver tone that shifts depending on the lighting from an almost white to a reflective grey. Decorated with the Clou de Paris (or hobnail as it is sometimes referred to) pattern, the dial seeks out any source of light to make its surface come alive. At 3, 6, and 9 we have black subdials with thin white hands for running seconds, hours, and minutes textured with concentric circles. At 12 sits the applied GP logo with a Girard-Perregaux 1791 flat plate resting just below. A somewhat contentious date window is cut out at the 4:30 position, though it goes mostly unnoticed thanks to the reflective nature of the surrounding dial stealing your attention.
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I found myself setting the watch down in lesser-lit environments, shifting my head back and forth to see the light play across the dial’s textured surface. At times it has the appearance of emitting its own light due to the extreme reflection at certain angles which can at times hinder legibility but ultimately adds charm. The design feels simultaneously restrained and flashy, allowing the dial to be the peacock’s tail while the otherwise simpler appearance tones it down. While there is a solid amount of lume application lending to the sports watch classification, I will admit that it performed adequately but did not blow me away in terms of brightness.
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Crafted from 904L stainless steel, the case and bracelet feature a blend of finishing techniques elevating the overall appearance while measuring in at a large yet wearable 42mm in diameter. The radially brushed anterior surface of the octagonal bezel makes way to polished side walls and a polished round base. Fine horizontal brushing continues down the integrated lugs, halted at the edges where a fine polished facet bridges the gap to vertically brushed case sides. Crown guards protect the large yet flat screw-down crown flanked on either side by screw-down pushers. The horizontal and vertical brushing divided by the facet continues down the H-link bracelet holding polished center links. Beginning at roughly 26mm, the bracelet tapers down to 18mm terminating at a butterfly clasp swamped with the GP initials. Due in part to the design and the 50.5mm lug-to-lug, the Laureato Chronograph has significant wrist presence but wears extremely well thanks to its crafted balance and 12.3mm thickness.
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Inside beats the automatic in-house chronograph caliber GP03300. Unfortunately, the movement is hidden beneath the screwdown caseback, which does achieve 100 meters of water resistance, but hides the higher level of finishing you might typically want to admire. Girard-Perregaux claims that the caliber is decorated with Cotes de Geneve, chamfering, and straight graining, along with perlage on its base. At a height of just 6.5mm, the automatic caliber beats at a frequency of 4hz operating the chronograph, date, and small seconds complications while still achieving a power reserve of 46 hours. In my testing, it was keeping time at a solid -4 to +3 seconds per day despite not specifically being called out by the company and this being a well-loved sample piece.
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Overall, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm has grown on me during my time with it. I am very lucky to have potentially the perfect wrist size for this piece at 7.6 inches where I could see those with small wrists struggling to cope with its dimensions. I do wish that they would have stuck with either the brand name or the logo at 12 rather than opting for both thus removing a small portion of the hobnail pattern to do so. The price is an inhibiting factor for most people out there, but if you are in the market and in search of a sporty tool watch with legitimate heritage then the Laureato Chrono makes for a great “in the know” pick. Girard-Perregaux
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