BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Girard Perregaux is one of the most storied watchmakers out there with a considerable repertoire of fascinating and sometimes confusing watches. The latest in this line is the Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech. The Laureato Absolute is like Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore or Hublot’s Big Bang, it’s a larger and more aggressive version of an existing sporty/dressy watch which turns the sport factor up to eleven. The Laureato’s reception has been mixed from what I’ve seen and heard in forums, but new special editions indicate the apparent success of (and Girard Perregaux’s confidence in) the watch.
This newest watch is made of a blend of carbon and titanium which explains the ‘Tech8’ in the name. We don’t often see carbon used in watches, let alone carbon blends like this. The reason for it is, of course, because it’s incredibly difficult to work with in the case of intricate watchmaking.
Sheets of carbon fibre are layered with titanium powder and then pressed together using pressure and heat until they bond to form one component. It’s a tough material but could be costly to repair and at 44mm x 15.15mm it’s not exactly subtle. Water resistance is surprisingly good, though, at 100m.
Inside it is the self-winding calibre GP03300-1058 which is built by Girard Perregaux and is built on the GP03300 calibre. It’s a fairly complex movement with 419 parts inside and 63 jewels, the beat rate is 4Hz for a total of 46 hours. You can also see it through the back, as one would expect with a watch of this calibre (get it? Sorry, I’ll stop now).
Presented on a black rubber strap that has a fabric pattern on it, this watch will cost you $27,800 from an authorised dealer. We’re told it’s not a limited edition but expect that tricky case to mean producing this one takes more time than one in metal.
