ReviewThe New Breed: Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato Absolute Collection Breathes New Life Into The Luxury Sports Watch Collection

Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato collection, which dates back to 1975, reflected some of the most defining traits of the era. These were times when watches were almost always purely round and you couldn’t tell one from another from afar. A few companies such as Girard-Perregaux and Audemars Piguet started experimenting with angular polygonal bezels, linked bracelets and radical designs. This shift in culture inadvertently led to a new genre called the luxury sports watch—a genre that soars in popularity even to this day. Unfortunately, after nearly three decades of roaring success, the Laureato wilted out of the Girard-Perregaux catalogue. However, the brand revived the collection in 2016. And the year 2019 brought along with it the much-needed evolution of the collection, which came in the form of the bold, sporty and very modern Absolute.

Absolutely Striking

The Absolute edition comprises three timepieces—a simple time-only variant with a date display, a chronograph version, and a world timer—with a shared case silhouette. However, each of the three watches has its own distinct flavour. The watches come in a 44m brushed and polished PVD-treated titanium case and are characterised by an octagonal bezel with the same treatment. What immediately stands out to us is that gorgeous sunburst dial with a colour gradation running from dark blue in the centre to deep black around the rim. The dial also features cut-outs at the hour positions that lend it a pleasing visual depth. Other details such as the Super-LumiNova-applied hour markers and baton hands, and the company-branded black rubber strap remain consistent throughout as well.

Absolutely Precise

The three-hand Laureato Absolute features the in-house GP03300-1060 movement that operates at 28,800vph giving the watch a 46-hour power reserve. It also includes a date feature, which can be seen at six o’clock on the dial. This is a fairly traditional looking timepiece, save for the bright red seconds hand that adds a bit of flair. If one had to nitpick, I’d say this red hand is a little jarring against the otherwise harmonious black-blue-and-white colour palette, and it might not be to everyone’s taste.

All the watches in the Laureato Absolute collection share the same distinctive 44mm black PVD-treated titanium case, including this time-only variant

₹13,10,000

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The time-only Absolute is a fairly traditional looking timepiece, save for the bright red seconds hand that adds a bit of flair

₹13,10,000

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The dial features a colour gradation running from dark blue in the centre to deep black around the rim along with cut-outs at the hour positions that lend it a pleasing visual depth

₹13,10,000

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One commendable feature though is the presentation of the water resistance on the dial. If you look closer, you’ll see the numbers ‘985ft/300m’ rather than ‘1,000ft/300m’. This is something that almost no one’s going to notice. But for the people who do, this small detail will make them love the brand more. Because instead of following the norm of other watchmakers and rounding the water resistance rating off to an even 1,000ft, Girard-Perregaux manages to distinguish itself by being more accurate. From this manufacturer of precise time-telling tools, it is clear that accuracy must be paramount, in every little aspect. The chronograph variant is my pick of the lot and features the manufacture GP03300-1058 movement with a 46-hour reserve. The overall design looks superbly balanced in this version and embodies the sportiness of the collection—best reflected through the timepiece’s newly revamped pushers and its angular, ergonomic design.

The Absolute Chronograph features the manufacture GP03300-1058 movement that beats at 4Hz, giving the watch a 46-hour reserve

₹17,00,000

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The closed caseback, along with the screw-down crown, gives all three watches an impressive water-resistance rating of 300m

₹17,00,000

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And finally, the Laureato Absolute WW.TC explores one of Girard-Perregaux’s best-known complications: the world-timer. This marks the debut of the manufacture’s famed WW.TC in a Laureato watch. The model houses Girard-Perregaux’s GP03300-1056 automatic movement with a complication that allows you to monitor the passage of day to night around the globe and simultaneously tell the time in the 24 major time zones, represented by major cities. The calibre offers a 46-hour power reserve. The sporty nature of the collection continues as you flip it over revealing a closed caseback, which along with the screw-down crown, gives all three models an impressive water resistance rating of 300m.

The Laureato Absolute WW.TC marks the debut of the manufacture’s famed world-timer movement in a Laureato watch, and is one of the best complications the manufacturer is known for

Absolutely Modern

All three models have an exceptionally bold presence on the wrist and the array of functions each watch offers suits every customer’s unique needs. The age-old design of the Laureato has properly evolved with the Absolute collection, and has been brought effortlessly into the modern era.