Post by timelessluxwatches on Apr 9, 2016 1:43:29 GMT -6
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato was released in 1975, part of a generation of watches that were either designed or inspired by Gerald Genta. A great deal of time has passed since 1975, but this all-new version, reaching us in 2016, stays true to the original while tastefully updating its size and movement.
Interestingly enough, the original Laureato was designed to be a vessel for their new high-tech quartz movement. I doubt that GP could have predicted then that the version it released in 2016 wouldn't be available in quartz, but a good 'ol fashioned high-end automatic movement. Whether or not they saw it coming, I'm glad it worked out that way.
On the current versions of the Laureato, two in all, quartz isn't even available. While the movement has pleasantly regressed, technologically speaking, the case size has been updated in all the right ways. At 41mm it's a near-ideal contemporary size, but it manages to avoid the pitfall that many other new watches stumble into: it's not too thick. In fact, it's surprisingly thin for an automatic.
The look of the Laureato will be instantly familiar to any longtime watch collector: this thing is all about Genta. As far as I can tell, the Laureato wasn't actually a Genta design, but was designed internally by GP themselves. There can be no doubt, however, where the watch takes its inspiration. The timing is right for a Genta revival at GP. Vintage watches, but particularly those of Genta-heritage, are extremely popular right now. There are even all new Genta-esque watches being released these days, like the excellent Tudor North Flag.
As per the name, Laureato, this apparently was inspired by the iconic movie The Graduate, which, in Italian, translated to Il Laureato. I'm not sure if the name was just to capitalize on the popularity of the word following the European release of the movie or if there was some design element that caused them to make that connection, but if you happen to drive an Alfa Spider, this might be a great complement.
The Laureato comes in two versions, blue and silver, the exclusive difference being the dial.
Both dials have a glossy sheen to them, but this is more apparent in the blue dial.
Depending on the lighting and angle of the watch, the dial can change from a very definite, but not over-saturated, blue to a much darker navy or nearly black.
Thankfully, breaking with the trend of watches as of late, GP decided not to finish that novel they've been meaning to write on the dial. Text is minimal.
The date window is white and has no frame. Thanks to their use of an hour marker at 3:00, I don't find a frame important for purposes of symmetry, but a matching blue date ring with white writing would have been nice to see here. Still, it is at least very easy to read.
The blue dial offers the best legibility against the very well-polished stainless hands. I've seen these described as sword hands elsewhere, but in my book, these are definitely baton hands, a fitting match to the baton markers around the dial.
If blue isn't your thing, try the silver dial. Despite the stainless hands, it remains very legible, I suppose because the silver comes off more as white than anything.
I find the date to be more pleasing on the silver dial, where the white date ring blends in nicely. You can also more easily see the beveling done here, in lieu of the frame.
The silver dial also lets us better appreciate the fine clous de Paris texture (oddly, the direct translation of this is "nails of Paris"), a pattern of intersecting pyramids. This has a very dynamic character to it because, assuming that there isn't a single light source perfectly perpendicular to the dial, part of the pyramid will be in shadow, adding a lot of depth to the dial.
That slight shine to the dial is still present in the silver dial, although a bit less obvious.
Whichever dial color you choose, the lume is surprisingly superb. It's actually very uniform and very bright. I'd say it's near the top of its class in this regard.
The case is one of the most interesting parts of the new Laureato, in part because of its dimensions, in part because is the area where we find the Genta influences.
At 41mm, it's nearly my favorite modern watch size. That sweet spot, from 38-42mm, seems to fit in very comfortably in modern fashion without giving in to the trend of massive watches.
The biggest clue to its Genta heritage is, of course, that 8-sided bezel, but there are others.
The lugs, for instance, have a strong resemblance to the Patek Nautilus.
My favorite part about the case, however, has to be its thinness. In an age where 14mm thick cases are unremarkable, it's so nice to have a 10mm case on an automatic. It's not advertised as an ultra-thin, but based on 2016's standards, it might as well be. It's particularly striking because of its 41mm size, making it look unusually thin in contrast. The watch wears very comfortably.
It's really difficult to show you the fine case finishing in photographs, but I'll try. Set aside the high-polished bezel, for a moment and take a look at the horizontally brushed lugs, which are perfect. My favorite part, however, is the very finely polished and beveled edges along the case (most visible in the bottom right of the case in this photograph). The watch in general, but the case specifically, is just very well made.
I find the crown to be very unusual, however. It's not because it looks odd, it looks perfectly fine. It's that it screws down. That much is unremarkable, this isn't a dress watch after all, but why bother on a watch with 30 meters of water resistance? It's nothing to fret over, but it's a puzzling choice nonetheless.
Although it's not really part of the case, I'd like to take a second to talk about the bracelet. It looks great and it's very comfortable. I particularly like the Rolex-style screws used here, which ultimately just means that you don't have to take out two separate screws and a pin. Like a Rolex or Tudor, the pin is the screw, so it greatly simplifies adjustment.
The overall effect of the watch is to give it a 1970s look, which people are either going to love or hate. Although I'm not a big 1970s watch guy, I'll admit that the more time I spend with it, the more I find myself appreciating the little details throughout. It's a watch that kind of needs to be seen in person to really get the full effect, but when you try it on it really comes alive.
The movement is the GP03300, the core of Girard-Perregaux's modern lineup. That should not be taken to mean that it's mundane, however. It's certainly not that.
For one thing, it's absolutely gorgeous. The finishing isn't particularly unusual, unlike, say, an Omega 8500 or a Journe (pick one, they're all great), but it is beautifully executed. It's definitely a watch that you're going to be glad has an exhibition case back, despite the break with its 1970s heritage. It's more than just a pretty face though.
Here we take a look at the functional unit of the watch, the escapement, or the balance wheel at least. Like almost all modern watches, the GP3300 beats at 28.8k but it does so with an above average 46-hour power reserve, or about 6 hours more than the industry standard. We can see that, like virtually all Girard-Perregaux watches (and watches in general), they've gone with a smooth balance wheel/regulator approach, popular among ETA movements, but also among other elite watchmakers like Grand Seiko, Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Sohne, although the latter two do have a small number of free sprung movements as well. There are advantages and disadvantages to each approach, but the big advantage for the regulated design used here is that they're relatively easy to adjust, so they have some noteworthy benefits from the service and maintenance perspective.
Getting really, really close now, we can learn a few things about the movement. First off, GP has gone with a Triovis fine adjustment system instead of the more common ETA style. This system is most often seen on Vacheron Constantin and Nomos watches, but a small number of other manufacturers use this approach too. The actual means of regulation, that is, the effective lengthening and shortening of the hairspring, is not meaningfully different between systems, but the Triovis style is far more compact. Its small size is due to the way it works and no part of the regulator rests on the balance cock, unlike say in a Grand Seiko for instance, causing many to confuse these with free sprung movements. We can also see they used a Kif shock, generally more associated with high-end watches than the Incabloc system, and if you're really observant, a flat hairspring. Flat hairsprings are pretty much universal these days, with Breguet and Rolex being the only widespread exceptions, but this design actually plays an important role in this movement.
That's because this movement is, insanely enough, just 3.2mm thick. That's the same as Nomos' new DUW 3001 ultra-thin automatic, but the GP adds a date! To achieve such a thin watch, most manufacturers, even in the heyday of Breguet overcoils, opt for flat hairsprings which are, by hypothesis, thinner than their three dimensional counterparts.
The automatic winding system is a bit unique too. Girard-Perregaux has long been a fan of unidirectional winding, claiming that, in their tests, it's even more efficient than bidirectional. I lack the equipment, or expertise, to put that to the test in any scientifically rigorous manner, but I will say that, even in the winding direction, the rotor encounters very little resistance.
Check out our new video of the silver dial here and the blue dial here!
The new Laureato is essentially the ideal way to do a vintage reproduction. It retains every visual element that made the original a success, but at the same time tastefully updates them.
The basic design is still there, but it's been made larger. Fortunately, it hasn't been made too much larger. For the most part, it still looks like a model that could have been released back in 1975.
The movement is quite stunning and contributes a lot to the watch design. It's not just that it's a reliable, accurate movement, it's also amazingly thin, and that allows for a very thin watch.
The Laureato has generated more excitement for GP than any other watch, excepting their really wild creations like the Constant Escapement of course. We get a lot of calls and e-mails about this one, and I see a variety of threads on the forum about it too. It's something I can relate to, but at the same time, it's kind of difficult to point out exactly why. What is it about this watch that makes it so endearing? The hands? The movement? The dial? The case?
It is, I suspect, subtler than any one element could explain. The thing works together as a whole, seamlessly. The textured dial, the shape of the hands, the angular bezel, the thin case--it's coherent. It comes together in a way that conveys a vintage 1975 design, but it updates everything just enough to make it work seamlessly in 2016.
One of the things that this medium cannot express, unfortunately, is how comfortable these watches are. They're thin and the bracelet molds to the wrist well. The weight is about right too. The broad, flat case sits great against my wrist. When I first saw the watches in photos, I was quite surprised because I found myself more attracted to the silver dial despite my love of blue watches. That feeling continued when I saw it in person.
But after spending some time with them, I, rather predictably, returned to the blue dial. There's just something about the way its surprisingly powerful lume contrasts against the darker dial. The lume is bright enough that, walking in from a sunny day, you can see it glow in a well-lit room for a little while. So it's the one I'd pick, but it's a virtual tie. I don't want to say these watches are "like" Grand Seiko, because they really aren't, but they have a similar effect in person--they just exude quality, and the more time you look at them, you begin to notice the tiny details. I highly recommend either, especially since they're a limited edition of just 225 per dial color.
