The design of Girard-Perregaux and Aston Martin’s co-branded timepiece is inspired by the latter’s high-performance cars. — Photo courtesy of Girard-Perregaux
Many of the world’s finest luxury products are crafted with time-served hands.
These scarce human skills imbue each item with a distinctive character and enduring quality.
Girard-Perregaux’s newly-unveiled Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition is a great embodiment of this. Born from a collaboration between two prestigious marques, the exquisite craftsmanship that goes into each of the limited-edition pieces will make them timeless treasures.
It is offered in two case sizes, 42mm and 38mm, with only 388 and 188 pieces respectively.
Hold this latest timepiece in your hands and you would understand its appeal. Its stunning design celebrates the virtues of Aston Martin cars such as the powerful engines, sleek contours and lightweight construction, and is a statement-maker on any wrist.
Besides the distinctive shade of British racing green, both variants feature slender cases. The 42mm model is fitted with the Calibre GP01800 while the 38mm has the Calibre GP03300.
Their in-house movements are self-winding and can be admired through a see-through caseback personalised with the Aston Martin logo.
The raised octagonal bezel has circular satin finishing while the dial features a cross-hatch, diamond-like pattern found on Aston Martin’s 1920s logo as well as on the quilted seats of some of its high-performance vehicles.
Hour and minute hands are of a skeletonised, baton design.
Girard-Perregaux chief product and marketing officer Clemence Dubois says the use of ceramic means one gets a super light timepiece that is very comfortable to wear yet extremely durable.
The material actually comprises zirconium oxide and metallic oxides. The former is an extremely fine powder measuring mere fractions of a micron in diameter, which gives the surface a notably homogenous appearance in both polished and satin finishes. The latter is what imbues it with the unique green hue.
The ceramic components are particularly hard, being up to seven times harder than steel. Besides incredible scratch resistance, this also allows the watch to retain its showroom-fresh appearance for years.
Furthermore, the metal oxides are unaffected by changes in ambient temperature, allowing it to retain its striking colour over time.
“By combining unique materials with different types of finishing, we created a timepiece that is not only beautiful and glamorous but also pays tribute to both our worlds,” says Dubois.
The two brands entered into a multi-year collaboration in 2021 and have since launched a number of limited-edition, co-branded products. Notable are the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges Aston Martin Edition in June 2021, Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition in November 2021 and Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin F1 Edition in May 2022.
The new Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition continues the well-received lineage, with the addition of an interesting and highly contemporary material.
Girard-Perregaux CEO Patrick Pruniaux remarked, “From the outset, the design of the Laureato was distinctive yet cohesive. Its geometric, clean-cut lines, polished and satin finishes, ergonomic integrated bracelet and, as always, an in-house movement are the essential ingredients which have made the Laureato a remarkable success.”
Aston Martin Lagonda executive vice-president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman said they spent much time exploring the folklore of the Laureato and the design play between the shape and proportions of its iconic bezel.
When they got into the optical properties of technical ceramics, micro beads and microns, he was enamoured with the idea of the past becoming the future.
“We’re always exploring combinations of technology, colour and materials in Aston Martin sports cars to enrich performance, functionality and owner enjoyment.
“Together, we’ve fused these ideas and attributes to generate this cool new Laureato,” Reichman adds.
This is the first time a Laureato has had a green ceramic case and bracelet. The colour − British racing green − is one with longstanding tradition.
It was the year 1900 and the Gordon Bennett Cup saw teams racing the public roads between Paris and Lyon to claim the first international motorsport trophy. Cars were assigned colours based on drivers’ nationalities. By the 1903 edition, colours were assigned based on the nationality of the racing team instead.
French cars were blue, Italian cars red, Belgian cars yellow and German cars white or silver. This left British cars with green.
“And according to legend, drivers chose this shade of green as a nod to their hosts Ireland,” says Cathal Loughnane, director of partnerships at Aston Martin Lagonda.
The green has since graced many British race cars and is now employed on present-day Aston Martin cars. So when the co-branded timepiece came about, it was only natural to dress it in the very colour that evoked a longstanding pedigree of performance and success.
“The world of motorsport and watchmaking overlaps. We’re both constantly striving to push the notion of high-performance and high-precision,” Loughnane says.
Laureato Green Ceramic Aston Martin Edition will be available at selected retailers worldwide from June onwards.
In Malaysia, it will be available exclusively at The Hour Glass. To find out more, visit The Hour Glass boutiques in Kuala Lumpur or at Gurney Plaza in Penang. Alternatively, visit www.thehourglass.com/my
