Friends,

As you all know Girard-Perregaux re-launched the Laureato this year!

A Limited Edition of 225 pieces in Blue and 225 with Silver dial.

Since they are very different in appearance I decided to make my report of the Laureato reference 81000 a two parted report.

In this part I will try to cover the Silver dial version:

Before I go into the actual watch I like to address one point: “the Genta design”.

Many times you get the comments of similarities. True!

The Laureato compete in the same segment other watches like the Royal Oak, the Overseas, the Nautilus and the Ingenieur.

They are all elegant, leisure sport watches.

Many think that octagon bezel design is equal Gerald Genta design…

Indeed, the most famous octagon designs are made by him, a great man and a designer!

But he was far from the first or the only one using this shape on a watch…

Already in the 1940s Girard-Perregaux were playing with the octa design.

They continued in the 1950s.

And in the 1960s….

Also in the 1970s, the Laureato was not the only octagon designed watch in the GP collection:

But yes, since the 1980s, the Laureato has been the most significant one in the GP collection!

And I already showed you how the Laureato looked like in the 1990s…

But Girard-Perregaux were also not the only brand using the octagon.

Here is another example from JLC 1969, please notice that these are men’s watches!

OK, enough about that, let’s get on with the new Laureato reference 81000!

If I should try to describe the new Laureato with silver dial in five words it would be: STUNNING, COOL, THIN, LIGHT and SOLID.

STUNNING;

Yes, I find the Laureato 81000 stunning!

The waffle pattern plays with the light in an awesome way.

Depending on light it shifts from sliver white to steel grey!

The mix of brushed surfaces with bevels polished giving the watch the perfect amount of highlights and shadows when the light hits.

The polished bezel is both round and octagon shaped in a way that most of the time you don’t clearly see the octagon, you more sense its presence…

COOL;

The silver dial version looks really cool!

Almost monochrome, hard steel, big sword hands and good sized applied indexes...

A better fit for the Terminator..?!

The two lines of text on the upper and lower part of the dial gives a nice balance and without the text I think the dial would feel like a “big empty”.

The date window is discreet and do not bother me here at all.

So, IMO, a very cool looking watch!

But also cool as in chilly. Something you put on your wrist on a really hot day to cool yourself off…

THIN;

The original Laureato were launched as an ultrathin watch.

And yes, this “Evo 4” has kept that feeling.

With a diameter of 41 mm and only 10.1 mm thick including the slightly doomed crystal gives the Laureato a very thin profile.

The movement is not an ultrathin movement but still quite thin, 3.20 mm, Calibre GP03300-0030.

LIGHT;

Even if the watch is an all stainless steel watch including the bracelet, the watch is light!

Approximately 130 g depending on how many links you have on the bracelet.

One detail that I really like and helps keeping the weight down is that the case and the first bracelet link on each side is tapered from the thickness of the middle case piece down to the thickness of the bracelet, approximately 5.0 down to 2.5 mm.

SOLID;

Even with the open case back the watch feels very solid.

Yes, personally I would have preferred a solid case back with some nice engraving…

But still, the feel of the watch is solid!

Made to be able to take a beating.

Actually, I would like to add one more word to describe the Laureato 81000: COMFORTABLE!

The profile of the case really hugs your wrist and bracelet is really smooth and supple.

Nothing like on the previous 8010 where the bracelet can stand on its own.

From me the new Laureato 81000 gets 6 out of 6!

Now the big question is, I like the silver dial version better than the blue..?

Well, you will have to wait for my second report on the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato to find out…!

Best

Blomman