Girard-Perregaux has revealed the second watch in its new partnership with Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph – Aston Martin Edition, the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition.
The 42mm chronograph plays on both the “Aston Martin Green” shade that has been a signature of the British supercar marque since it won its first Le Mans 24 Hours in 1959, and the “AM” diamond crosshatch design, still used for the stitching of its quilted upholstery.
Girard-Perregaux’s dial makers engraved the crosshatching pattern before applying seven layers of paint.
The case and bracelet are machined from 904L stainless steel, which is the same alloy Rolex used for its steel watches before adopting the Oystersteel name, rather than the more commonly used 316L alloy.
It is also the first Laureato Chronograph to feature an exhibition sapphire crystal caseback, here revealing the automatic in-house Calibre GP03300-0141 chronograph movement and displaying the Aston Martin logo.
“Our Manufacture has a long history of collaborations,” says Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux. “Beginning with our founder Jean-François Bautte who brought different “établisseurs” together under one roof, effectively creating one of the first Manufactures as we know them today. Not only has our partnership with Aston Martin yielded two exceptional timepieces now, it is indeed a meeting of the minds and marks the beginnings of a true friendship between both brands and our teams.”
Aston Martin’s racing green looks astoundingly on the latest creation from Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Girard-Perregaux. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph – Aston Martin Edition timepiece is a collaboration between the two iconic brands and is now available worldwide.
Ever since the early 1900s, Aston Martin adopted green as its color for its racing cars, with the famous DBR1 being just one of the iconic examples from the past. It is a color that gave the watch manufacturer a lot of trouble as it applied the paint 21 times to the dial to form seven distinct layers.
Other Aston Martin influences can also be found in this equally functional and exquisite timepiece, such as the familiar diamond-like pattern seen in the car brand’s logo between 1921 and 1926 and in many of the quilted seats of its sports cars.
With three-dial counters (two chronograph registers and a small seconds display) and a small date display positioned at 04:30, the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition is housed in a 42 mm (1.6 in) 904L stainless steel case, which offers improved corrosion and scratch resistance. It is also brighter and more luxurious in appearance, as explained by the manufacturer.
The limited-edition watch is a mixture of different shapes, finishes, textures, and hues meant to be a celebration of the past while simultaneously embracing the future. Both companies come with extensive know-how in their fields, an experience spanning over three centuries, but while they respect one another’s heritage, they also share a forward-thinking outlook.
Haute Horlogerie watchmaker Girard Perregaux just announced today the release of the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition, an absolutely stunning version of their already popular Laureato Chronograph. In this case GP has teamed up with Aston Martin Lagonda to create this new offering.
Chronographs in general are in very hot demand this year, along with trending green coloured dials, the combination of both is certainly a winner in watch enthusiast circles. I’ve personally been eyeing the Laureato Chronograph as an alternative to the Rolex Daytona, after all you’re getting haute horlogerie craftsmanship at about half the price of a grey market stainless steel Daytona 116500.
When I saw the new release today from Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph – Aston Martin Edition I was blown away and ready to purchase, but I came to find out this new limited edition is only available in the larger 42mm size, which would be too large for my 6.5 inch wrist. This is literally the only drawback for me personally, but anyone with at least a 6.75 inch wrist and larger should be able to pull this one off just fine.
There’s one massive upgrade on the new Aston Martin limited edition that enthusiasts will love, and that’s the open exhibition caseback which is finally now showcasing the beautiful in-house caliber GP03300. On the regular production models this has always been with a closed caseback.