Green Racing Machine: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Limited Edition
Girard-Perregaux ushered in its new partnership with British carmaker Aston Martin with a high-horology flourish, unveiling as its first collaborative timepiece an avant-garde, automotive-inspired version of the classic Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges. For the second co-branded release, the venerable Swiss manufacture turned to its sportier but still luxurious Laureato family, launching a timepiece that also evokes the traditional colors of Aston Martin racing.
The eye-popping green dial of the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Limited Edition draws its historical inspiration from the colors assigned to distinguish the nationalities of international racing teams in the 1900s, specifically the "British Racing Green" adopted by British marques in general and Aston Martin in particular. (French teams' cars were blue, Italians', red, Germans', silver, et cetera.) In addition to its "Aston Martin Green" shade, achieved via the painstaking application of 21 layers of paint, the dial derives further visual interest with its use of a cross-hatched diamond pattern first used on Aston Martin's "AM" logo of the early 1920s, a motif still found on the quilted seats of Aston Martin high-performance cars. The hands are all partially openworked and luminous-treated, with the central chronograph seconds hand offering an additional subtle nod to racing history: its open counterweight echoes the look of the side strakes introduced on the 1958 Aston Martin DB4.
The 42-mm-diameter case bears the now-familiar aesthetic codes of the modern Laureato family, which has its roots in a memorable model from 1975, notably the softly angled octagonal bezel atop the round case and the integrated bracelet with H-shaped links that melds seamlessly with the curving case middle. The knurled crown echoes the bezel's shape, nestled between the chronograph push-buttons and two crown guards. Both the case and bracelet are made of 904L stainless steel and feature an array of satin-finished surfaces and polished edges.
An exhibition caseback — surprisingly, the first one to be deployed on a Laureato Chronograph — displays the movement, Girard-Perregaux's automatic Caliber GP03300-0141, behind an inscribed Aston Martin logo. The movement is based on Girard-Perregaux's in-house base Caliber GP03300 and is enhanced with a module for the stopwatch functions. Its haute horologerie finishes include côtes de Genève, in both circular and straight forms, polished sinks, thermally blued screws and perlage; the eagle emblem on its mainplate signifies it as being built in-house by Girard-Perregaux. From a technical standpoint, the movement beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph and amasses a power reserve of 46 hours.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition is limited to 188 pieces, priced at $18,100, and available now worldwide at Girard-Perregaux retailers.
