BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Girard-Perregaux is one of the older watch brands going, 230 years in fact. It’s not the oldest but definitely one with a long and intriguing history. The brand doesn’t seem to garner as much attention as it deserves these days. It’s something of a surprise to go into a multi-brand watch dealer and see they have a Girard-Perregaux stand, but if you do see that stand it’s worth taking a moment to pore over the offerings. You might catch a glimpse of the latest Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition while you’re there.
Like most high-end carmakers, Aston Martin uses product partnerships to build a world of its own for people to revel in. They want as much of your attention (and money) as they can get, which means they do things like put their name on watches, on clothes and even an entire residential tower in Miami. For a brand which seems to have struggled financially throughout its entire existence, Aston Martin sure knows how to throw its weight around to good effect.
Enter Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition watch, one of the more conservative product partnership watches. I think back to the TAG Heuer Aston Martin watches, which, while cool and more attainable than the special Jaeger-LeCoultre watches, were perhaps a bit ‘over-styled’. No such criticisms can be levied at this Girard-Perregaux watch, though. The piece is made of brushed and polished titanium and measures 42mm x 12.16mm. It features classical Laureato looks, with the integrated case flowing into the bracelet in one smooth motion, and the multi-sided bezel demands your attention. The watch is water resistant to 100m.
The bezel, as multi-sided as it may be, doesn’t demand as much attention as the green dial. Green has been associated with British racing cars since the days that motor racing became a thing in the early 1900s. The dial of this watch isn’t British Racing Green, but the light green colour is eye-catching to see; Girard-Perregaux happened to describe it as ‘arresting’, which is an interesting choice of words. They say that making the dial involves 14 separate steps and 15 ultra-thin layers of paint.
Inside the movement and visible through the caseback is the in-house-made calibre GP03300-2451. It’s a self-winding calibre with a power reserve of at least 46 hours and a 4Hz beat rate. In the same way that an Aston Martin is finely made and put together, so too is this movement and the straight Côtes de Genève waves on the plates indicate this. The movement is visible through the Aston Martin logo which is applied to the crystal and is also the only Aston Martin logo I can see on the piece. It’s subtle branding, but subtlety is what Girard-Perregaux is all about. Aston Martin? Eh, kinda.
If you fancy yourself one of these they’re available now at a cost of $22,700 and limited to only 188 pieces.
