Girard-Perregaux has continued their long standing partnership with Aston Martin with the announcement of the brand new Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition. This latest edition is the sixth such effort since becoming the British luxury automaker’s official watch partner in 2021. The 42mm Grade 5 titanium case houses a shimmering dial of iridescent paint typically reserved for luxury cars. The result is a dial that is alive with shifting tones of green, orange and gold. This paint is applied in incredibly thin layers, 15 in total, with two cycles of heat treatment to cure, ensuring a uniform and metallic finish throughout.

The titanium case, which sits at reasonable 12.16mm thick, features a combination of different brushing techniques and angles throughout, and high polish finishing underneath the bezel and along the edges and center links. The result being a shifting, textural effect throughout the remarkably light watch. The color of the titanium is a light, neutral gray, which is likely to take on the characteristics of the lighting environment in which one is observing the watch. This only serves to further emphasize extremely vivid colors within the glittering dial.

Within the new Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition, which will be produced in just 188 pieces, ticks the GP03300-2451 automatic chronograph movement. This in-house manufacture movement beats at a respectable 4 hz and has a tidy 46 hour power reserve. The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback, which also bears Aston Martin’s Iconic winged logo.

The watch was launched at a private event in NYC at the Bucherer TimeMachine Flagship boutique on E 57th street. On hand to celebrate the launch of the new limited edition time piece was Girard-Perregaux’s new Managing Director Marc Michel-Amadry. While Mr. Michel-Amadry only came on board just 12 days prior to the launch, he was already looking down the road to how this and future launches will continue to drive and develop the heritage of Girard-Perregaux. “We have a rich heritage and past, but we need to project a vision. We need to define what are the next steps to make our print in this industry. We need to look forward and not only capitalize on the great things we have done and been, but to give a meaningful answer for the future” Michel-Amadry said.

Seeing Is Believing

It has become almost a cliched refrain in the watch world – “Photos don’t do the watch justice, you have to see it in person.” All too often, this is said as some passive defense of a watch which is ill received by the comments section on social-media, without further elaboration on what an in person experience will actually do to inform one’s perception. Fortunately, with the new Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition, no such digital pitch forks have been hoisted.

And there’s a good reason for that – the watch is absolutely gorgeous. That being said – good golly this is a watch that NEEDS to be seen in person, for the simple fact that the dial is so mesmerizingly dynamic. Like the shifting tones of magic paint on a supercar or the beguiling effect of depth perception art, the dial’s color morphs and evolves from almost a celery green to yellow and even a deep, orange gold depending upon the direction from which it is viewed. The more acute the angle, the darker the green becomes.

Without a doubt, this watch possesses one of the most elusive and captivating dials I’ve ever seen (and certainly one of the most challenging to capture in photos I might add). Had this been implemented in a lesser design than the Laureato, which lends itself exceptionally well to a very wide variety of styles and effects, or had the automotive themed paint been applied in a less careful or intentional manner, the whole endeavor might have fallen apart. But the result is a resounding success, creating a visual novelty in the truest sense of the word, one that its owners will undoubtedly be captivated by for years to come.

Tech Specs

Movement: GP03300-2451 Automatic Chronograph Movement
Functions: Chronograph, hours, minutes, small seconds, date, 46 hour power reserve
Case: 42mm Grade 5 Titanium Case, sapphire crystal caseback with Aston Martin logo, water resistant to 100 meters
Strap: Grade 5 Titanium Bracelet with satin and polished finishing
Availability: Limited Edition of 188 Pieces
Price: USD 22,700