Girard Perregaux was founded in 1791 and is synonymous with haute horlogerie, employing traditional skills and fine materials to create exceptional watches. Wempe is a family-owned company, based in Hamburg. It was founded in 1878 and is renowned for offering excellent customer service coupled with incredible product choice. Both companies share a passion for fine watches and an unwavering desire to exceed customer expectations. It is these shared values which has led to this partnership, a relationship which looks destined to last many years.

CEO of Girard-Perregaux, Patrick Pruniaux remarks, “We are delighted to work with Wempe, a company with an excellent reputation for customer service. Each branch of Wempe can offer a broad choice of Girard-Perregaux models. Indeed, it is Wempe’s commitment to customer service and product availability which makes it the perfect long-term partner for our business. In recognition of the high esteem in which we hold Wempe, we have entrusted it with both versions of the new Laureato Infinity Edition. Both Wempe and ourselves care about quality and traditions, whether in the form of a beautifully finished movement or boutique staff providing courteous and knowledgeable service.”
 

Kim-Eva Wempe, managing owner of Gerhard D. Wempe KG adds, “At Wempe we have always prided ourselves on offering our clients excellent service coupled with an extensive choice of fine brands. It is an honour to work again with a long-established company such as Girard-Perregaux. The reorientation of the brand has convinced us to include the watches in our selected range. Our companies have long histories and share common values. We chose this Infinity model as a metaphor for a partnership we hope will last long into the future. It is wonderful that we are able to provide our clients with the opportunity to own one of the new Laureato models before anyone else. I hope there will be many more opportunities to collaborate in the future.”

In 1975, Girard-Perregaux was one of the first companies to offer a sporty elegant model equipped with an octagonal bezel and an integrated steel bracelet. The design of the Laureato has since become known for its enchanting interplay of straight lines and curves and becoming blend of polished and satin-brushed surfaces. It embraces the notion of ‘sporty-chic’ while also complementing formal attire. Its extraordinary versatility has led to its iconic status.
 

Now, Girard-Perregaux unveils the latest chapter in the Laureato story. The Laureato Infinity Edition is equipped with a handcrafted deep black onyx dial. Pink gold accents appear from the darkness, drawing the eyes to the information presented. This blend of aesthetic codes also features on other members of the Infinity collection, an expression of the brand’s infinite passion and unwavering respect for craftsmanship.

The Laureato Infinity is available in 38mm and 42mm options. Both versions are housed in a stainless steel case which, along with the black onyx dial, provides the perfect foil for the various indications to shine. Silver-toned baton-shaped hour and minute hands emulate the appearance of the steel case, while the central seconds hand, applied indexes and GP logo, all formed of pink gold, reinforce the overall sense of luxury. The date is conveyed with white numerals set against a black disc, matching the hue of the dial. The bezel of the Laureato 38mm is adorned with 56 brilliant cut diamonds totalling 〜 0.90 ct.
 

Both versions of the Laureato Infinity Edition feature an in-house self-winding movement, enhanced with traditional finishing and a pink gold oscillating weight. Consistent with Laureato tradition, alternating satin and polished finishes feature throughout. Great care is required when polishing the case and bracelet to ensure each type of finish is discrete with crisp delineation. The raised octagonal bezel features convex and concave surfaces which toy with light, culminating in alternating pockets of brilliance and shade.

The black onyx used for the dial draws on the expertise of time-served craftspeople who shape and polish the material by hand. Creating thin dials from onyx requires no fewer than 15 different operations, however, the resultant surface looks exquisite with its mirror-like appearance. The marriage of deep black onyx and pink gold accents delivers a becoming contrast, a trait synonymous with the Laureato name.

Wempe will exclusively distribute both versions of the Laureato Infinity edition, in 42mm and 38mm, for a limited period of two months in select points of sale across Germany as well as its flagship stores in New York and London, beginning in September 2020. Subsequently, both models will be available worldwide in authorised Girard-Perregaux retailers.

(Images by Girard-Perregaux)