Girard-Perregaux - Laureato Absolute Light & Shade

Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Laureato Absolute Light & Shade, a skeletonised model housed in a metallised sapphire crystal case. Price CHF 95,000

Girard-Perregaux unveiled the Laureato Absolute Light & Shade, a skeletonised model housed in a  metallised sapphire crystal case which gives the watch a visually light appearance with transparencies while at the same time looking dark and reflective.

In order to create a watch with a sapphire crystal case, a boule of sapphire crystal must be created using a technique termed ‘the Kyropoulos growth method’. This growth method transforms alumina powder into a solid block of sapphire crystal, a process that takes up to 8 weeks.

The obtained block is then cut into small discs which are machined to form the bezel, case middle and caseback. Once this phase is completed, the parts need to be thermally treated and then polished. The components are carefully screened, only those corresponding to the specifications and without inclusion are selected.

The sapphire crystal components are then subjected to a metallisation treatment. This process involves applying a surface treatment to the parts within a vacuum to produce a smoked appearance. More than 170 hours are required to create this 44 mm x 11.56 mm sapphire crystal case which reveals numerous parts of the skeletonised Calibre GP01800-1143.

This in-house movement is octagonal-shaped as a nod to the Laureato’s typical bezel. The barrel is openworked, affording sight of the mainspring in various degrees of tension. Likewise, the balance wheel can be observed while oscillating at the frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The openworked oscillating weight made of gold builds a power reserve of 54 hours.

The NAC-treated bridges and mainplate incorporate sandblasting, traits-tirés, circular satin finishing and bevelling, with no less than 55 hand-polished inner angles. 

Legibility is still good thanks to large openworked hour and minute hands filled with Super-LumiNova. A three-dimensional ring sitting between the bezel and the movement hosts the GP logo at 12 o’clock and the remaining 11 indexes.

The crown and the lugs are made of polished and sandblasted black PVD-treated titanium. The lugs join the case to a black rubber strap made from FKM rubber, a material that delivers superior suppleness and resistance compared to conventional rubber. The buckle is fitted with a micro-adjustment system for improved wearing comfort. 

Water resistant to 30 metres / 100 feet, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Light & Shade ref. 81071-43-2022-1CX has a price of CHF 95,000. girard-perregaux.com