From JustLuxe content partner iW Magazine

Girard-Perregaux updates its Laureato Absolute collection with the Laureato Absolute 8Tech, a watch built with an unusual, lightweight 44mm carbon-titanium case. 

The new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute 8Tech.

The watch, presented during Geneva Watch Days, is the newest in the collection that emphasizes high-tech materials to create contemporary models within the original Laureato line. Laureato is the watchmaker’s pioneering luxury collection that in 1975 was among the first to combine an eight-sided steel case with an integrated steel bracelet.

Since Girard-Perregaux debuted its Laureato Absolute collection (in 2019) we’ve seen models built with materials such as metalized sapphire crystal, carbon glass, and a rubber alloy. 

In the case of the new Absolute 8Tech, the watchmaker starts with carbon fibers and combines them with lightweight titanium powder to form extremely thin (0.05mm) layers.

These layers are then superimposed on one another to form ‘stacks’ that are cut into octagons, a process Girard-Perregaux says is an industry first.

After a period of hand-applied finishing, the case takes on a wavy appearance, which looks a bit like those made from Damascus steel.

As a lightweight yet extremely strong watch, the Laureato Absolute 8Tech is a sporty model with a sandwich-type grey dial built atop a layer of Grade 5 titanium, a metal partially visible through several apertures in the upper portion. Each opening serves as an index, and each lies adjacent to a luminescent marking.

Inside Girard-Perregaux fits its own superb automatic Caliber GP03300-1058, which is visible through a smoky sapphire crystal back. Not surprisingly, the movement is very nicely finished with Côtes de Genève, chamfering, and straight graining. 

Price: $27,300.