Earlier this year, Swiss luxury watchmaker and British luxury automobile manufacturer Aston Martin announced a partnership, debuting a skeletonized Tourbillion with Three Golden Bridges. Now, the duo has come together again to create the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition.
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The iconic Aston Martin green as we know it today was a product of the times; during the early 1900s, colours were assigned to racing cars to differentiate between the nationalities of the teams. French cars were blue, Italian cars were red, Belgian cars were yellow, German cars were silver, and British cars were – unsurprisingly – British Racing Green. Due to its heritage, Aston Martin adopted green as its racing colour, with the Aston Martin DBR1 winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1959. From that day forward, Aston Martin has maintained green as its racing colour.
Bathed in the iconic green hue (seven layers of it, to be exact), the dial of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition incorporates the use of cross-hatching, with the diamond-like pattern referencing the British marque’s AM logo from 1921-26 as well as the quilted pattern of the seats used today. Similarly referential is the partially openworked hour and minute hands, which speak to the functional nature of racing cars where unessential material is forgone in favour of superior performance. Additionally, “the central chronograph seconds hand features a counterweight that resembles the sides strakes first seen on the 1958 Aston Martin DB4,” according to Marek Reichman, executive vice president and chief creative officer at Aston Martin.
“Our Manufacture has a long history of collaborations, beginning with our founder Jean-François Bautte who brought different “établisseurs” together under one roof, effectively creating one of the first Manufactures as we know them today,” explained Patrick Pruniaux, CEO of Girard-Perregaux. “Not only has our partnership with Aston Martin yielded two exceptional timepieces now, it is indeed a meeting of the minds and marks the beginnings of a true friendship between both brands and our teams. The Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin edition is evidence of that mutual understanding and shared philosophy.”
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition features a date display at 4.30pm and three counters on the dial; two chronograph registers and small seconds display, with each featuring a partially openworked hand. Housed in a 42mm case, the watch is crafted from 904L stainless steel, a more expensive variant than the oft used 316L steel, with a higher level of chromium making it more resistant to corrosion and scratching, and giving it a more luminous and luxurious appearance. The signature octagonal bezel and case features satin-brushed finishes, which juxtapose the shiny polished areas of the fixtures.
Marking a first for this particular model, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition sports an open caseback, with the sapphire glass bearing the Aston Martin logo and revealing the in-house movement within.
Limited to 188 pieces, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition is available at all authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers worldwide.
Words by John Deckard
