Collection
In this insightful post, 'crown comfort' delves into the unique identity of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Olimpico 8017, affectionately terming it a 'Bastardo watch' for its blend of two distinct GP lineages. The author explores how this limited edition piece, produced for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, successfully merges the Laureato's iconic design with the Olimpico's sporting heritage. This discussion offers a valuable look at a specific reference that bridges historical collections, providing context for its significance within Girard-Perregaux's catalog.
Friends,
No denying, we are all Bas…. here, but what if a watch is also a Bastardo watch, like she’s not only naughty and crazy but also kind of belongs to two different families?
Like a watch that is half a Laureato and half an Olimpico, like that:
The result can be quite convincing, don’t you think?
The Laureato Olimpico 8017, the last Olimpico that was produced for the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 with a limited edition of 999 pieces. It was available in Steel and in Steel/Gold and with 2 different dials. One dial with Clous-de-Paris, tritium indexes and polished circled subdials. This dial version was available in Grey/Black, Blue and White. A second dial version had a black painted dial with numerals and an overall more sporty look.
Blomman is going to show some duo shots soon, but here is my latest find, the white dial 8017.
Quite frankly, I have been hunting the 8017 for a number of years and while they do pop up from time to time, it’s hard to find the right version at the right price at the right time. I was primarily hunting the grey dial with the white being my secondary choice.
Now you could ask, why settle with secondary choice…well, because sometimes you can change your mind and so did I. I have to say, the white dial has some extra charm that took me by storm. The tritium indexes come out better than on grey, the subdial hands are blued and also the small red accents are more pronounced. Overall, I couldn’t be happier with the white dial.
So let’s have a closer look at the watch, the bracelet and the dial.
The case is 40mm with the known highly polished octagonal bezel, an octagonal screw-in crown and round chronograph pushers. Water resistance is 100m and it has a solid case back. Inside is GP in-house chronograph caliber 3170, a modular design with automatic winding.
The dial has a classic Chronograph layout with small seconds at 3, 30min counter at 9 and 12 hour counter at 6. Tachy-scale on the outer ring on the dial. The Clous-de-Paris dial is white with a tendency to off-white that changes depending on the angle of light.
There is a date at 4:30h and yes I know the concerns about the date but on the white dial this is much better integrated which also speaks for the white dial.
The bracelet tapers down to 16mm which is quite small by today’s standards for bracelets but I rather like that. The bracelet is probably my biggest complain overall as it is quite stiff, still comfortable but for me it is always difficult to find the right compromise on the bracelet length as wrist size can vary depending on the time of day and there are no half links or a micro-adjustment at the buckle. The buckle is a one long deployment and is the biggest problem for comfort. A double-folding mechanism like you find on the current production Laureatos would have been the solution. Having said that, it is by no means very bad, just it could have been better.
And on the wrist, very very cool. Love the cool look of Steel with white dial.
CC
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Olimpico reference 8017 represents a chronograph variant within the Laureato collection, produced around 1996. This reference is distinguished by its integrated bracelet design and the inclusion of chronograph functionality, setting it apart from time-only Laureato models of the era. It was offered in various material and dial configurations, indicating a strategic expansion of the Laureato line to include more complex offerings for collectors. The Olimpico designation often refers to specific limited editions or special production runs.
This particular reference 8017 features a 40 mm case, available in configurations such as steel and rose gold, or full steel. The movement is an automatic chronograph caliber, providing reliable timekeeping and stopwatch functions. The crystal is typically sapphire, ensuring durability and scratch resistance. Dial colors observed include tobacco grey and Yves-Klein blue, each contributing to the distinct aesthetic of the individual variants within this reference.
For collectors, the Laureato Olimpico reference 8017 is notable for its limited production numbers, particularly for certain variants. The steel and rose gold version with a tobacco grey dial, for instance, is noted to have been produced in very small quantities, approximately 10 pieces. The full steel version with an Yves-Klein blue dial saw a slightly larger, though still limited, production run. These factors contribute to its appeal among those seeking less common examples of neo-vintage chronographs from a respected manufacturer.
The 8017 really linking the two lines, Laureato and Olimpico together! Unfortunately, it also markes the end of the Olimpico line... "Second choice"? Well, here we are in the same boat. Agree the grey dial would be my first choice, but impossible to find... While the blue dial of mine I find awesome, and after owning the blue for almost a year now... If ever finding a grey, it would be an addition, not replacement. Congrats! Best Blomman
is indeed quite special, but for me, I'm 100% happy with the white and in fact, now I even prefer it over the grey for the mentioned reasons.
one of my future goals...
always good to have goals and the Laureato 8017 is a great watch, not easy to hunt but also not impossible. Hope you will find yours soon.
Laureato EVO3 Big Date White Dial and this one....
as I own the Evo3 Chrono, I can tell you they are so different that you should consider both. Both are fantastic with the 8017 probably harder to find.
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