Shining Bright: Girard-Perregaux’s Métiers d’Art Laureatos Arrive in 38 mm

First introduced in the 1970s, the Laureato collection by Girard-Perregaux has steadily carved out a space for itself in the world of luxury sports watches. Over the years, it has quietly built a loyal following with its confident design language and horological substance. From time to time, the collection has been expanded to include a wide range of variants — from minimalist time-only pieces to high-complication models like chronographs, tourbillons, and openworked calibres. What ties them all together is a singular focus on craftsmanship and proportion, with each watch showcasing Girard-Perregaux’s meticulous attention to detail. Whether cased in stainless steel, gold, ceramic or a fusion of materials, the Laureato continues to offer a distinct blend of modernity and heritage. The timepiece maker has now further expanded the series to include two new Laureato novelties with Métiers d’Art: Laureato 38 mm bedecked with baguette-cut diamonds (Ref. 81005-58S3463-1CM) and Laureato 38 mm that stands out with its diamonds, blue sapphires, and the signature octagonal bezel (Ref.  81005-11S3464-1CM). 

Métiers d’Art ("artistic crafts" in French) are techniques applied to enhance the aesthetic value of timepieces, transforming them into wearable works of art. These represent a fusion of art, craftsmanship, and horology, often requiring hundreds of hours of meticulous handwork. There are several distinct types of Métiers d’Art, each with its own heritage and method. For instance, enamelling involves fusing powdered glass to a metal surface through high-temperature firing, boasting styles like cloisonné, champlevé, and miniature painting. Engraving, on the other hand, uses tools to carve intricate patterns or images directly onto metal, often creating a sense of depth and texture. While guilloché is a type of mechanical engraving wherein geometric patterns are etched using a rose engine lathe, gem-setting incorporates precious stones into a watch, requiring precision to ensure symmetry and brilliance. Also among the techniques are marquetry and micro-mosaic that use tiny pieces of wood, stone or glass to create detailed imagery. 

The two new 38 mm Laureato watches get a stainless steel tonneau case, lugs, and a crown at 3 o’clock. The first model, Laureato 38 mm with baguette-cut diamonds, has a white gold bezel with 32 baguette-cut diamonds. The dial is made of white gold with Clous de Paris, but, unlike other Laureato models, it eschews the customary dial text between 4 o’clock and 8 o’clock. At first glance, this model seems to have a monochromatic design. The novelty has baton-style hour, minute hands, and hour markers in white gold with luminescent material. This model also sports a black GP logo and a black numeral date window at 3 o’clock. 

For individuals who’d prefer some spots of colour on their watches, Girard-Perregaux offers a second diamond-set Laureato model featuring a bezel with 10 brilliant cut-diamonds and 46 brilliant-cut sapphires. Diamonds are placed at 6 o’clock, while sapphires abound elsewhere, assuming an increasingly deeper shade of blue as they inch towards 12 o’clock. The hue shifts gradually, matching the stone sizes, with the largest stones placed at each corner of the octagonal bezel that has a gradient effect. The dial in grey features a Clous de Paris pattern, enlivened with a blue text for the GP logo. There are rhodium-plated, baton-style hour, minute hands and hour markers with luminescent material. A blue numeral date window sits at 3 o’clock, while Laureato Automatic engraving is seen at 6 o’clock. 

Powering the watches is in-house Calibre GP03300 that harnesses energy from the natural motion of the wrist, obviating the need for winding. Once removed from the wrist, the watch will run autonomously for at least 46 hours. The pink gold oscillating weight is adorned with a circular Côtes de Genève motif. Further highlights include straight Côtes de Genève on the bridges, bevelling, mirror-polished screws, circular graining on the main plate, and engraved gilded text. The watches are finished on   stainless steel, polished, and satin-finished bracelets.