The year 1791 was a significant one in world history. The United States ratified the Bill of Rights, the French Revolution was in progress, Haiti began its fight for independence, and the famous classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died of illness at his home in Vienna at the age of just 35.
While the world underwent dramatic changes that helped shape the modern era, 1791 also brought two other events that would define the future of watchmaking.
The first was the discovery of titanium by English clergyman William Gregor, and the second was the founding of Girard-Perregaux. In 2021, as Girard-Perregaux celebrates its 230th anniversary, the brand also turns its attention to the lightweight and durable metal by introducing a special pair of models in its cornerstone Laureato series.
The new limited edition Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 gives the refined sport design with an integrated bracelet a new bold and purposeful look, showcasing the versatility and beauty of titanium.
With a diameter of 44mm and a substantial thickness of 14.65mm, the Grade 5 titanium case of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 should make a serious presence on the wrist. The bold solidity of the Laureato Absolute Ti 230 is accentuated by the deeper tone of the case material in images, while the brand uses a complex mix of sharp-edged angles to showcase its finishing prowess. Much of the integrated design uses classic matte titanium, but Girard-Perregaux complements this hard and even finish with the elusive mirror polishing.
The bevel around the octagonal top layer of the signature multi-level Laureato bezel adds a subtle flash. While it naturally draws the viewer’s eye to the dial, the wide chamfer running from the integrated lugs to the lugs on the case sides gives a bolder visual accent and curvature to the design that might otherwise feel too blocky.
The crown adds a pop of color matching the dial - blue or black - thanks to a coin-edge grip rubber ring, which should ease handling of the octagonal titanium shape.
Interestingly, Girard-Perregaux opted for a solid caseback for the Laureato Absolute Ti 230, resisting the temptation to showcase the usually impressive movement finishing. However, with or without a display caseback, the watch lives up to titanium’s sporty and sturdy reputation, offering a robust water resistance of 300 meters.
Girard-Perregaux offers the Laureato Absolute Ti 230 with a pair of options for the dial with a grainy matte degrade. The nuanced smoky effect is consistent across both versions, with a smooth, moderate gradient that avoids fading to pure black or white. Like other members of the Laureato Absolute family, the Laureato Absolute Ti 230 uses a “sandwich” style dial with sharply cut indices that reveal a brightly polished lower dial layer, providing visual depth to the images.
The straight sword hands with a mix of matte and polished surfaces are also integral to the Laureato Absolute line, but from here, the two dial options take on their own character. The gray dial version is the cleaner and more restrained of the two, with a texture and gradient pattern that smoothly transitions from ashen gray to a deeper granite tone, reminiscent of worn asphalt. The use of brushing for the steep outer chapter ring should add a lovely contrasting accent on the wrist, without visually clashing with the more vibrant polished multi-layered indices. To maintain a monochromatic look, the dial text and seconds hand are in a muted white color.
The blue dial version is undoubtedly the bolder of the two, showcasing both brighter highlights and deeper shadows in images. The primary dial color is a rich oceanic blue with a hint of green, darkening at the edges to a deep navy. Against this deeper and more colorful backdrop, the optically white dial text creates a striking contrast in images, and Girard-Perregaux deepens the nautical theme with a cold battleship gray seconds hand.
Both versions use date windows at 6 o'clock that match the dial color, minimizing the overall impact on visual balance and symmetry.
Girard-Perregaux equips the Laureato Absolute Ti 230 with its in-house automatic GP03300-1060 movement. This movement, consisting of 218 components, offers solid but not extraordinary performance specifications, with a 46-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. The watch comes with a strap made from the brand’s proprietary Rubber Alloy material, featuring a titanium deployant clasp. Although Girard-Perregaux provides few details on the specific makeup of the material, the brand claims that in this instance, Rubber Alloy combines FKM rubber with titanium inclusions to match the metallic theme.
The strap beautifully integrates into the case design, continuing the tapering line of the case’s side chamfer and adding extra texture to the central fabric-effect insert.
Aiming to celebrate Girard-Perregaux’s 230th anniversary and the discovery of titanium, the limited edition Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 presents a charismatic and nuanced approach to the brand’s more aggressive integrated design, skillfully highlighting the strength and style of the case material. Only 230 pieces of each dial color will be produced, with a total run of 460 watches. While the gray dial version is available now through all authorized dealers, the blue dial model will remain exclusive to Wempe boutiques in Germany, New York, and London, and will be available through all Girard-Perregaux dealers in September 2021. Both versions of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Ti 230 have an MSRP of 9,300 USD. More information can be found on the brand’s website.