Girard-Perregaux Laureato: from 1970s Elegance to 2020 Futurism

Is there something of the elegant and intellectual 1970s Girard-Perregaux in the Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock models that have just been released? If you take a closer look, you can see some of the family traits.

This new watch has held onto the original octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, which differs somewhat, although it does have the same folding-buckle fastening system. On closer inspection, they have a lot more in common. The original Girard-Perregaux model was an exquisite accessory conceived in the mid-1970s, at the peak of the quartz revolution in watchmaking technology, with a streamlined contour, drawing the eye to the integrated bracelet. 

This year's new release is 15.15 mm thick, but the specification worth talking about in terms of minimalism is just how light it is, weighing in at only 94 grams! The weight of the watch was scaled down by using the material Carbon Glass. This is the same material used to make the Laureato Absolute Rock case that debuted at the SIHH-2019.

This high-tech material combines layers of carbon fiber and fiberglass, which are exposed to high temperatures and pressure to form a homogeneous material. Once the revolutionary semi-manufactured material has been created, it then needs to be milled into the desired shape.

 Is it too much of a shock divergence from the classic style of the historic original timepiece? Not really. The steel used 45 years ago in premium watches looked just as daring at the time as the new material does now, and the appearance of each piece always is always unique due to the randomly aligned uneven strata created by the constituent layers within the material.

Let's move on from the appearance of the watch to talk about its movement. The Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock is equipped with the self-winding mechanical Calibre GP03300-1058 with a chronograph function, which the watch brand has already used in its Laureato collection chronographs.

This caliber consists of 419 components and has a 46-hour power reserve. It runs at a frequency of 28 800 vibrations per hour. The Laureato collection's original quartz movement was swapped for a mechanical movement in 1995, which has held its ground to this day.

Legend has it that the Laureato watches were named after the 1967 film the Graduate, or 'Il Laureato' in Italian. The name was suggested by Girard-Perregaux's Italian distributor. The elegant quarz chronometer was designed to suit the film's starring sex symbol Dustin Hoffman, who played the role of 21-year old graduate Benjamin Braddock. Times have changed, and it is easier to image today's self-confident graduate leaving a prestigious university wearing the new Laureato Absolute Crystal Rock.