One of our favorite watches without a doubt is the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Rose Gold ref. 81015-52-002-52A with a 42 mm case. A direct descendant of the original Laureato model launched in 1975 but with a modern reinterpretation in what we believe to be one of the best open-worked watches out there right next to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Openworked and the Armin Strom Skeleton Pure, two of our favorite skeletonizes watches out there.
With a fully skeletonized dial that reveals the inner workings including the mainspring barrel, the grey galvanized bridges on the Laureato Skeleton are exquisitely finished with rose gold applied hour markers and rose gold hands to provide just the right amount of contrast and legibility. Considering that all the wheels and gears have also been treated to maintain a nice monochromatic color scheme, the overall look, and design of the Laureato Skeleton is much better looking than that of the AP Royal Oak open-worked.
Revealing the powerful architecture of its automatic movement, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton comes with a nicely sized 18K rose gold case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 10.76 mm in thickness. The combination of the warm tones of the rose gold case along with the gray galvanized movement makes up for an incredible combination that exudes modernism, sportiness, and understated elegance.
Things to Know About the Watch
Finally, to highlight the stature of this movement as a fascinating kinetic sculpture, the dial is pared down to the absolute minimum in the shape of a chapter ring with applied gold hour-markers. The balance wheel at 12 o’clock along with the skeletonized mainspring barrel between 5 and 6 o’clock take the center stage in one of the sexiest watches out there. Additionally, there is a small seconds indicator between 9 and 10 o’clock that is barely noticeable but quite clever and useful. Despite the seconds Indicator, the dial remains very clean and uncluttered.
Exquisitely finished, the GP logo and GP name are subtly positioned around the bridges in order to avoid distracting the eye from the rest of the skeletonized elements.
The 42 mm case is satin-brushed finished with a nice deep grain, while the octagonal bezel setup is highly polished to provide further depth.
The matching bracelet combines its satin-brushed finish with highly polished center links, while the signed screw-down crown is highly polished and marked with the GP logo. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Rose Gold is fitted with a sapphire crystal display case back that allows full view of the movement and the watch is water-resistant to 100 meters.
The watch is very solid but not extremely heavy with the right weight ratio. With a total weight of 211.5 grams, the watch wears very comfortably without making you feel like you are wearing a brick or too light for a solid gold piece. When compared to other solid gold watches out there, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Rose Gold sits around the weight of a full gold Rolex Submariner and slightly lighter than a full gold Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.
The Movement
In a visual symphony that extends all the way from the front of the watch to the rear, turning the watch around reveals the intricately finished automatic calibre GP01800-0006. This in-house movement composed of 173 parts has been painstakingly open-worked on its main plate, bridges, and its 22K rose gold oscillating weight. Beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph, this 25-jewel automatic movement provides a power reserve of a minimum of 54 hours when fully wound.
This elegant skeletonization allows us to look deep into the very core of the mechanism, explore most of its components, and see through its transparency. The captivating contemporary design of this movement is cleverly accentuated by the bevelled edges of each part making up this mechanical composition that appears to be levitating inside the case.
On the Wrist & Pricing
On the wrist, with its ideal proportions, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Rose Gold fits true to its size with impeccable wrist presence. The modern design of this watch distinguished by extreme legibility and captivating transparency, make the Laureato Skeleton a flawless watch. And for the money, you get a lot of watch without a doubt. If we had to choose our number one skeletonized watch, this would be it.
Sticker Price $63,700 USD. For more info on Girard-Perregaux click here.
