Last year, Girard-Perregaux celebrated its 225th anniversary by releasing a new watch in stainless steel, entitled ‘Laureato‘. Earlier this year, the collection was updated, with the inclusion of a rose gold example, adding a refreshing new collection to this prestigious Swiss manufacture. This week, Girard-Perregaux took one step further by releasing new Laureato Skeleton watches in both rose gold and steel. The move is a clear statement of intent by Girard-Perregaux to redefine the world of haute horologerie.

The new Laureato Skeleton watches comes with a 42mm case in either stainless steel or 18K ‘pink gold’. Thickness of the example is 10.8mm, making it a rather thin watch. The case design is something to marvel at. It has a striking satin-brushed octagonal bezel with beveled edges that breaks into a mirror polished ring where it meets the case. The case is in fact largely satin-brushed and remains on an integrated H-bracelet with a mix of satin-brushed and mirror polished effects on the bracelet.

The major difference with these particular models and the previous Laureato models is of course the dial, with Girard-Perregaux opting for the openworked skeleton dial which does represent an elevation of high watchmaking. On display is the openworked version of Girard-Perregaux in-house GP1800 caliber. The movement is said to be hand-finished and the skeletonization of this watch does seem extensive and showcases the very best of Girard-Perregaux as a watch manufacture.

The Skeleton Laureato features thick baton hands with luminescent coating to aid legibility, as well as on the outer rehaut. The watch also features a miniature seconds display at the 10 o’clock position. The watch is also complete with an 18K winding rotor, used to improve the winding of the watch whilst the example is worn, and is included regardless of whether you have the stainless steel or pink gold example. The movement is made up of 173 components, beats at 4 HZ, and offers a power reserve of 54 hours.

The new Laureato Skeleton models are a fine addition to the Laureato collection, as well as the Girard-Perregaux brand. The release of the watches signal a clear statement of intent from the Swiss manufacture in its ability to develop and manufacture watches that are very technically advanced. The watches not only feature a openworked dial, but they also include a tourbillon mechanism, epitomizing the creme-de-la-creme of the watchmaking industry. From here, I would personally like to see the development and continuation of new Laureato models, with the logical step being the inclsuion of a chronograph model, a perpetual calendar model and a moon phase model. The models are priced at $32,000 for the stainless stell example, while the pink gold example comes in at $60,700. I expect to see big things in the coming years for Girard-Perregaux, so it very much is a case of ‘watch this space’.