Built in iconic 1970s style, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato embodied the elan and design flair of its era. Boldly geometric, with a minimally textured dial and brushed surfaces, the Laureato formed part of the first generation of high-end sports watches that accompanied the changing face of luxury.
Over the decades, even as trends evolved, the Laureato proved itself to be an enduring symbol of a period of exuberance and resilience, showing its fundamental versatility when it was relaunched four years ago featuring an updated aesthetic. This year is the 45th anniversary of the original Laureato, and Girard-Perregaux have released a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it limited edition of their flagship sports watch, designed in conjunction with creative studio Bamford Watch Department.
The London-based Bamford Watch Department (BWD), founded by George Bamford, built its reputation initially by customising high-end watches, particularly with all-black surface treatments that became all the rage last decade in the world of watch collecting. Recently, its approach has branched into unusual composites, with its collaborations incorporating materials such as Fordite and even coffee grounds. One can imagine, when a 229-year-old fine watchmaking brand joins forces with a company known for iconoclasm, the results can only be described as… phantasmagoric?
In a stark departure from anything previously associated with the BWD aesthetic, the 45-piece limited-edition Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost is dressed all in white — white ceramic case with a white dial and white strap. While the Laureato has appeared in white ceramic before, that was in a version targeted at feminine wrists, with a diamond-set steel bezel. The Laureato Ghost bears the same 38mm diameter of this earlier model, but its dark accents (crown, rehaut, dial appliques, hands) means that it gives off a more forceful air.
Rehousing the Laureato in materials other than the traditional watchmaking metals (steel, titanium, gold) also allows the modern Laureato to really distinguish itself from its original inspiration and is an ambassador for the Girard-Perregaux in the 21st century. In recent years, the Laureato has been produced not just in white and black ceramic, but also in transparent sapphire crystal and a new hybrid material combining carbon fibre and fibreglass that the brand calls Carbon Glass.
The counterweight of the central seconds hand on the Laureato Ghost is patterned with a black-and-white zebra stripe, evoking nature’s camouflage in a watch that is definitely designed to draw the eye.
While the strict 45-piece limitation of the Laureato Ghost anniversary edition is already enough to give die-hard Laureato fans anxiety, matters are certainly not helped by the fact that the watch is available exclusively in two London locations (Dover Street Market and Harrods) for one months before being made available to Girard-Perregaux retailers worldwide. Gives a whole new meaning to being ghosted by the object of your desire.
