The latest expression of Girard-Perregaux’s iconic Laureato Chronograph timepiece is the Ti49!
Girard-Perregaux’s iconic reference, the Laureato, is about to turn 50 in 2025. On the eve of this momentous occasion, the luxury watchmaker is introducing a new timepiece, most likely the last few chronographs in the Laureato collection, before the 50th-anniversary editions are released next year!
This latest reference has been astutely named Ti49: Ti for the Titanium material used for the casing and 49 for the number of years since the Laureato began production in 1975. The Laureato was born during the Quartz crisis era, and at the time of its launch, the inaugural watch was called the ‘Quartz Chronometer’.
In Italy, the most important market for Girard-Perregaux during the 1970s, the model soon became known among the cognoscenti as the ‘the graduate (Laureato in Italian).’
Girard-Perregaux on the birth of the Laureato
While the Italians’ name had nothing to do with the timepiece’s case design, coincidentally, the octagonal bezel that sits atop the case looks much like a laurel crown on a laureate’s head. This iconic look has remained unchanged since the timepiece’s 49-year lifespan, with this latest chronograph being no different.
The new Laureato Chronograph Ti49 comes with its signature 3-6-9 sub-dial layout, surrounded by the iconic Laureato Clous de Paris pattern. As mentioned earlier, the model is housed in a grade 5 titanium 42mm case. This is actually the first time that Girard-Perreaux has chosen to use this strong alloy on a classic Laureato reference.
The reasoning behind using grade 5 titanium, compared to the material’s other grades, is that it is composed of almost 90% titanium, 6% aluminium, and 4% vanadium. The material is light and exceptionally strong and has features like corrosion resistance, hypo-allergenicity, and non-magneticity. While the material is beaming with its impressive technical characteristics, it also has useful aesthetic features. Grade 5 titanium can be polished to give a brilliant gleam, one that Girard-Perregaux has made use of to its full extent on this latest Laureato Chronograph Ti49.
Embracing the grey hue of the grade 5 titanium, seen from the case and bracelet of this Laureato Chronograph Ti49, Girard-Perregaux has given the rest of the timepiece monochromatic shades. The beautiful Clous de Paris pattern is made in a dark grey shade, letting the elements of the dial contrast and stand out nicely. The baton-style hour, minute and hour indices have been treated with a lighter shade of grey PVD, offering that contrast against the dark grey background. These elements have also been lined with white super-luminova, which offers excellent readability of the dial day and night.
The sub-counters break up with the Clous de Paris pattern of the dial with its own concentric circular snailing pattern, also done in a dark shade of grey to allow the Arabic numerals in white to stand out. The elevated outer railroad minute track is done in a dark shade of grey, too, with white markings for easy visibility. The raised GP logo at 12 o’clock is finished in a matte grey gradient finish. The last feature of the dial is the date window between 4 and 5 o’clock. While not my preferred colour choice, the date window does stand out compared to the other elements of the dial, thanks to the black date wheel.
The engine inside the Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is the brand’s in-house GP03300 movement. Featuring 419 parts, the movement is able to power hours, minutes, and seconds with a high rate of accuracy as it operates at a frequency of 4Hz (28,800 VpH). The GP03300 movement also has a minimum power reserve of 46 hours. The case back is closed; however, it does feature a mixture of beautiful polished and satin-finished surfaces and “LAUREATO CHRONOGRAPH” engraving.
Final Thoughts
To complement the use of grade 5 titanium for the first time on a Laureato classic, Girard-Perregaux has given the watch a greyed-out aesthetic. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of monochromatic colour themes due to the lack of variation. However, the brand has been able to move past this with the use of more than two different shades of grey on the dial and also the added dial patterns, which are breaking the attention away from the said colour scheme. This colour scheme is also the only monochrome look available in the current Laureato line-up, giving buyers a unique choice.
I also think the date wheel could’ve been designed better to blend in with the overall aesthetics of the timepiece. Having the date wheel between 4 and 5 o’clock, while it’s a signature design of the Laureato Chronograph, makes the overall look appear unbalanced; however, it’s also not possible to put it at 3 o’clock with the placement of the sub-counters. A way to bypass this, however, could’ve been to have the date wheel in a grey, slightly darker tone to the dial, so that the white Arabic numerals can still be easily readable.
While these are subtle quirks, the new Laureato Chronograph Ti49, with its grade 5 titanium, is a welcoming update. Its wearability (lightness and strength of material) and improved aesthetics will help make this timepiece a better daily watch. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Ti49 is a non-limited edition model that will be a permanent addition to the Laureato collection and will be available for purchase in March 2024.
Reference: 81020-21-3263-1CM
Specification
- Case: 42mm x 12mm thickness
- Case Material: Grade 5 titanium barrel-shaped case, octagonal and round bezel, polished and satin-finished
- Dial: Monochromatic grey dial with Clous de Paris stamped pattern, grey PVD-treated GP logo, concentric snailed pattern on the sub-dials, grey PVD-treated indexes with Superlumi-Nova.
- Crystal: Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating.
- Water resistance: 100m (10 Bar)
- Movement: Calibre GP03300-0141 (In-house)
- Movement Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Power reserve: Min. 46 hours
- Bracelet: Integrated grade 5 titanium bracelet with H-shaped links, polished and satin-finished with triple-fold clasp.
Australian Recommended Retail Price: $32,200 AUD
Availability: Non-limited. Available for purchase in March 2024 through Girard-Perregaux boutiques and selected retailers, or through online at www.Girard-Perregaux.com
