Girard-Perregaux rewards the two lucky winners of the Rallye des Caprices 2017

Girard-Perregaux rewards the two lucky winners of the Rallye des Caprices 2017

Once again this year, Girard-Perregaux had the pleasure of taking to the road alongside exceptional women in the 2017 edition of the Rallye des Caprices. An official partnership which has for three consecutive years seen the Manufacture Girard-Perregaux associate with this race that is unique in Switzerland, featuring all-women teams aboard collector’s cars. 

At the prize-giving ceremony that took place on Friday September 22nd, the winning team was officially presented with a Laureato 34mm special edition proudly sporting the distinctive colour of the Rallye.

The winners

The synergies between automobiles and watchmaking are well established, given the common ground shared by these worlds in terms of mechanical engineering, technical sophistication and design. Nonetheless, the official partnership between Girard-Perregaux and the Rallye des Caprices has reinforced these ties by adding a new dimension. By supporting this motor-racing event that is unique in its kind in Switzerland, the Girard-Perregaux brand proclaims a strong and consistent commitment to gender equality. Moreover, with its bold slogan “Toys for boys, stolen by girls”, the Rallye des Caprices, launched in 2014 by Nathalie Lepoutre, struck a particular chord with the Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds. This spirit of freedom combining elegance with competitiveness corresponds to the values upheld by Girard-Perregaux and conveyed through its Laureato collection.  

Starting out from Geneva, on Tuesday September 19th, the 25 collector’s cars competing in this demanding race wound their way along a Swiss route that took in Verbier, Crans-Montana and Gstaad. For the third year running, a feminine team was representing Girard-Perregaux, and for this edition, a legendary car built in a 200-piece worldwide limited edition proudly sported a livery in the brand colours: a 1973 lightweight Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.8.

GP Pilot Macha Vananty

The final leg of this “girls on the road” journey took them to the Bonmont Golf Club in Chéserex on Friday September 22nd. The race organisers rewarded the women’s teams having displayed the greatest regularity throughout the race, meaning those that most closely respected the average speed indicated by the race director according to the profile of each stage.

Regularity is a quality definitely shared by Girard-Perregaux and the watch brand was delighted to have the privilege of rewarding the winning driver/co-driver team Mrs Armelle Lagrange & Mrs Maïa Grangierwith two Laureato ladies’ watches. They each received a Laureato 34 mm model, attired for the occasion with a strap featuring the Rallye des Caprices shade of blue.

Laureato 34mm by Girard-Perregaux

Now part of an entirely revamped range, the Laureato first launched in 1975 appears in a dainty new size lit up by diamonds in its 34 mm version.

Intended for cultivated women of taste, the Laureato 34 is intensely feminine while conveying all the original brand values. Laureato also stands for pleasing substance and texture, born from a combination of materials including a satin-brushed bezel concealing a polished ring on the equally satin-brushed case middle, thereby creating a subtle set of contrasts. It is also a state of mind: chic steel, sporting elegance and inherent versatility, making it a watch for daily wear in every circumstances.

This new interpretation of the iconic Girard-Perregaux model is based on age-old expertise cultivated by the brand for over 225 years.