foversta[PuristSPro Moderator]
20814
A few words about the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Perpetual Calendar
Nov 11, 2018,12:18 PM
I had the opportunity during my last stay in Geneva to discover in preview a new Girard-Perregaux Laureato which will be officially presented at the next SIHH. This watch will propose a complication that is not present today in the current Laureato collection: the perpetual calendar.
However, it is not the first time in the history of the brand since the
Laureato EVO3 gathered a chronograph with a perpetual calendar.
Of course, it was out of the question for Girard-Perregaux to reproduce a clone.
This time, the perpetual calendar is the main complication but
especially it seems to me better integrated in the spirit of the
collection.
While the calendar display of the EVO3 was classic, the Laureato
Perpetual Calendar is much more daring ... while being typical of
Girard-Perregaux style.
The watch is animated by a movement composed of the basic caliber 1800
(whose diameter of 30mm is more adapted to the size of the Laureato case) and
a perpetual calendar module which is extremely practical since it can
be adjusted forwards or backwards. Let's face it: everything is set with the crown ... except when we need to adjust the day of the week thanks to the pusher at 8 o'clock.
So you recognized it: this module is the same than the 1966 Perpetual
Calendar one which in the case of the dress watch was animated by a caliber
3300.
I find that the lay-out of the asymmetrical and original dial perfectly matches with the geometric rendering of the case.
The date is displayed in a subdial with a tiny hand (it is not the most legible option I have to confess) on the top right corner, the days of the week on the left. The months are indicated thanks to a disc which rotates in front of a fixed marker. Finally, the leap year indicator is housed just above the opening dedicated to the months.
These displays are obviously positioned on a dial decorated with a Clous de Paris pattern (as required by the Laureato style) that gives a feeling of depth and provides a qualitative rendering.
The watch is made with care and thanks to the presentation of the dial,
the Laureato Quantième Perpétuel manages to offer a classic
complication while exuding character. I would have liked however to see a more ambitious decoration of the winding mass.
It is nonetheless a very successful piece and I also appreciated, besides its
practical side, the large central second hand which brings a nice
animation on the dial.
The Laureato Perpetual Calendar is therefore a convincing watch that
manages to release its own identity while gathering elements known from
the Girard-Perregaux world.
Fr.Xavier