Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 Watch Review
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is the latest expression of the über-desirable sports-chic watch that first won hearts back in 1975. A magical marriage of shapes, textures and finishes, this new model is housed in a highly desirable Grade 5 titanium case. Angus Davies gets hands-on with this lightweight timepiece and reflects on its wonderfully nuanced composition.
Girard-Perregaux watch
What differentiates the work of a great artist from that of an absent-minded doodler is that the artist is blessed with both an innate talent and has often amassed many skills over a number of years.
The finest expressions of art masterfully demonstrate a well-developed sense of form, proportion and perspective. Artists wonderfully replicate the contradistinction between light and shadow. They invariably play with texture to augment allure; something evident with an impasto oil painting. Everything is carefully considered. Indeed, seldom is a masterpiece the product of haste.
For many horophiles, a watch is a ticking expression of art that’s no less valid than a canvas or a sculpture. The finest examples consider the relationship between different shapes, ratios, materials and finishes. However, the work of the watch designer goes further. They must also give thought to readability, robustness, water-resistance and wearer comfort; a task that is easier said than done.
Girard-Perregaux released the first Laureato in 1975
In the world of fine watchmaking, some artists are more accomplished than others. The names of the finest sports watches readily roll off the tongue and are familiar to legions of horophiles. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato is one such example. Born in 1975, the inaugural Laureato featured an octagonal bezel, located atop a circular plinth which in turn sat upon a tonneau-shaped case. Employing several contrasting forms, it could have looked fussy or incoherent; however, no such criticisms could be directed towards the Laureato. It was on point from the get-go.
When it was released, the Laureato was in tune with the prevailing period, courtesy of its quartz movement. Four years earlier, in 1971, Girard-Perregaux launched Switzerland’s first serially produced quartz watch. It was at the vanguard of quartz technology and set the frequency of 32,768 Hz, a frequency subsequently adopted as the universal standard for quartz watches.
Girard-Perregaux Quartz Chronometer
Originally named the ‘Quartz Chronometer’, the Laureato was one of the first ‘sports chic’ timepieces to appear on the market. It soon came to the attention of the cognoscenti, especially in Italy, one of GP’s biggest markets at the time. The model subsequently became known as the ‘graduate of the school of Girard-Perregaux’. Watch aficionados used the Italian word for ‘graduate’, namely ‘Laureato’, a moniker the Swiss Maison ultimately chose to adopt.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato variants
Over the years, the brand has released numerous mechanical versions of the Laureato. These have been executed in various materials and have featured differently hued dials and case sizes, while sometimes incorporating an array of complications.
A few weeks ago, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 featuring a lightweight Grade 5 titanium case. Eager to appraise the watch, I recently obtained a press sample from the brand and gave a brief overview of the model on our YouTube channel. In this article, I provide additional information to supplement said video.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 dial
The inaugural Laureato of ’75 featured a Clous de Paris dial motif, a pattern that has adorned most Laureato models ever since, save for a few notable exceptions eg the Laureato Infinity Edition. While Clous de Paris is a traditional dial motif, it imbues the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 with a contemporary appearance. Formed of tiny pyramidal structures, the grey dial juxtaposes small pockets of light and shadow.
Baton-style hour and minute hands, along with matching baton-style indexes, incorporate Super-LumiNova, expressing meaning in a highly legible form. The Manufacture has, yet again, tastefully played with depths, augmenting the dial’s visual appeal. The indexes project from the flange over the Clous de Paris dialscape and the GP logo sits proud of the main dial epidermis.
The 3-counter dial layout subscribes to a monochromatic palette, with tonal contrast being conferred with the use of different patterns and heights. While the counters are snailed, an approach adopted by many brands, GP has introduced a delightful twist by spacing the concentric rings further apart. It may sound like a small detail, but the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 repeatedly employs small details again and again, successfully conferring wearer delight.
An angled aperture, located at 4:30, reveals the prevailing date. White values are presented atop a grey disc, matching the main colour of the dial, as horological etiquette dictates.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 case
A sports watch must be practical, a brief this watch admirably fulfils with its sturdy construction and 100 m water resistance. But what makes the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 special is that it meets such functional requirements while always looking notably stylish. It is this duality that makes the watch an ideal companion for daily life.
One of the Laureato’s multifaceted talents is its sophisticated case design. The combination of different shapes, stacked in series, could have proved disastrous, culminating in a muddled look. However, the Laureato’s appearance is unequivocally harmonious with each component singing in tune with its neighbour.
Such a complex marriage of shapes is difficult enough to realise in stainless steel 316L but GP has made life even harder for itself. The new Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is executed in supremely hard Grade 5 titanium, arguably one of the most challenging materials to work with.
Grade 5 titanium has a low ductility, making cold forming (stamping) unsuitable. To produce the case and bracelet in the lightweight alloy, the material has to be milled using a CNC machine, a costlier process than simple stamping. Furthermore, Grade 5 titanium can be adversely affected by heat, hence milling speeds must be reduced, once again, heightening costs. Lastly, when milling Grade 5 titanium, the process has to be paused more often as the tools wear out more readily, necessitating replacement, further increasing the cost of production.
Unlike cheaper Grade 2 titanium, the case material used for the Laureato can be polished to a resplendent shine. Grade 5 titanium, an alloy comprising 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, 4% vanadium and small traces of iron and oxygen, is also stronger. The lightweight metal is also stiff, corrosion-resistant, non-magnetic and hypoallergenic; all useful attributes for a watch.
Girard-Perregaux has repeatedly juxtaposed brushed and polished surfaces throughout. When viewed from above, the upper surface of the octagonal bezel is brushed, the circular plinth beneath is polished, while the main body of the case is also brushed. But this is not the whole story. Indeed, the sides of the bezel are polished, the edges of the case are bevelled and polished, while the central bracelet links evince a brilliant sheen. The repeated use of contrasts proves delightful and reinforces the perception of luxury. Interestingly, while sumptuous finishes abound, the pain and effort to polish the supremely hard alloy cannot be underestimated, quite simply it’s a nightmare to polish.
Girard-Perregaux Calibre GP03300
It may come as a surprise to learn that the self-winding movement within this watch sits behind a solid caseback. I use the word ‘surprise’, because I have seen an uncased Calibre GP03300 and it is beautifully formed.
The Calibre GP03300 is adorned with Côtes de Genève’, in both circular and straight forms, and features polished sinks, perlage, chamfering, thermally blued screws, snailing, mirror-polishing and engravings. Rest assured, the tried and tested engine within the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is beautifully finished.
Like many watch obsessives, I often talk extensively about integrated movements, column wheels and vertical couplings. However, I was somewhat humbled by my hands-on experience with the Laureato Chronograph Ti49, a watch fitted with the modular Calibre GP03300.
In theory, when a chronograph is actuated on a modular movement, there can be a slight pause before the central chronograph seconds hand commences its journey, something I often mention on ESCAPEMENT. But, despite repeatedly pressing the pushpiece at 2 o’clock, I NEVER detected so much as a trace of hesitation or wobbling. Indeed, on every occasion, the central chronograph seconds hand takes flight as slickly as Usain Bolt leaving the starting blocks.
Another criticism of modular chronographs is the so-called ‘notchy pushpiece feel’. While the Calibre GP03300 lacks the buttery smoothness of some fully integrated chronographs, I did not feel shortchanged and it certainly did not diminish my fondness for the watch.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 – closing remarks
Founded in 1791, Girard-Perregaux is a name synonymous with Haute Horlogerie and the creation of fine watches. It is a brand that has repeatedly shown its inventive mindset. For example, in the 18th century, the Maison conceived its Tourbillon With Three Gold Bridges. As stated earlier, in 1971, Girard-Perregaux launched Switzerland’s first serially produced quartz watch. Most recently, the esteemed Manufacture released the groundbreaking Neo Constant Escapement, an innovative watch made possible by using cutting-edge silicium technology.
Beyond its technical achievements, Girard-Perregaux has also demonstrated its mastery of design, inventively combining shapes, finishes, textures, proportions, heights, etc. It has honed its creative talents over 230 years, embracing new materials along the way when these have conferred advancement.
With a vast body of work to its name, Girard-Perregaux has created several masterpieces over the years, but with the release of the Laureato Chronograph Ti49, the Manufacture has created a wonderful addition to an already impressive collection.
Technical specification
- Model: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49
- Reference: 81020-21-3263-1CM
- Case: Grade 5 titanium, diameter 42 mm, height 12 mm; water resistance 10 ATM (100 metres), sapphire crystal to front, solid case back.
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph
- Movement: GP03300, self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 63 jewels; power reserve min. 46 hours, 419 components.
- Bracelet: Grade 5 titanium bracelet with titanium triple folding clasp
- Price: £16,500 (RRP as of 7.5.2024)