Viola Armonia, Giallo Luce, Blu Infinito, Turchese Purezza, Rosa Prezioso... the names of the watches in the new Laureato summer collection for women resonate with the warm, refined accents of Italy, like a hymn to the dolce vita. This sports watch collection is a child of the 1970s, its name a suggestion by Girard-Perregaux’ Italian distributor, but never before has it offered such a vibrant palette of colours, or such a bouquet of Italian names. Since the Laureato’s triumphant comeback in 2016, Girard-Perregaux has largely focused on technical, masculine models featuring chronographs, skeletons, tourbillons and skeletonised flying tourbillons. For women, the 34 mm and 38 mm versions in white ceramic offered classical styling and understatement with silver, anthracite and midnight blue dials, the 34 mm Laureato Royalty an exception with its bold royal blue dial.
This year, boldness is what it’s all about: the Laureato Summer Edition 2018 comes in five vibrant colours with steel cases, matched with either steel bracelets or colourful rubber straps. In total, the Laureato Summer Edition 2018 collection has ten variations, limited to 75 pieces each. The purple, blue and yellow models have a diameter of 38 mm and house a self-winding mechanical movement. Around the octagonal bezel the 56 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling approx. 0.90 ct) bring out the vivid colour of the dial with its hobnail “Clou de Paris” motif. The graded stones, with the largest set at the eight corners of the bezel, draw the eye. The sapphire caseback reveals the GP03300-0146 calibre, manufactured entirely by Girard-Perregaux, with Geneva striping, circular graining and bevelled finishes. It provides hour, minute and second functions, along with a date in a window at 3 o’clock, and beats at 28,800 vph with a power reserve of 46 hours.
Price: 14,400 CHF (rubber strap) and 15,200 CHF (stainless steel bracelet)
The turquoise and pink watches, with their more dainty 34 mm diameter and slimmer strap (7.75 mm compared with 10.2 mm), are driven by a high-precision quartz movement. The GP13100-0008 calibre boasts the same refined finishes as the mechanical movement driving the 38 mm models. The same number of diamonds, totalling 0.82 ct., adorn the bezel. These two smaller models have no second hand, however, and they are water resistant to 30 m, compared with 100 m for the other three. But that’s a secondary consideration. After all, these Laureato Summer Edition 2018 watches, for women who make style a lifestyle, are more suited to the Trevi Fountain than the ocean depths.
Price: 9,300 CHF (rubber strap) and 10,100 CHF (stainless steel bracelet)
