Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph AM F1 Edition blends precision watchmaking with F1 cars

Aston Martin continues its hook up with venerable watchmakers Girard-Perregaux with a new chronograph, a model that blends the best of both disciplines – precision watchmaking and high-end automotive manufacturing. Although the 2022 Aston F1 effort is still finding its feet at the back of the grid, the latest Girard-Perregaux collaboration is a success from the off.

The most obvious alignment with Aston is in the design of this AM F1 Edition of the Laureato Absolute Chronograph, the third watch created from the partnership, following the original Laureato Absolute Chronograph Aston Martin Edition and the impressively complex £124,000 Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges. 

The AM F1 Edition is about materials, first and foremost. The 44mm case is formed from a blend of titanium powder and carbon elements that have been taken from two of the Aston Martin AMR21 F1 race cars that were used during the 2021 season.

Each element has been combined and mixed with a tinted resin to create a material that is more ductile than steel whilst still being immensely light and strong. 

The manufacturing process also ensures that every watch is distinctly different, with a flecked patination that contrasts with the Aston Martin Racing Green watch face, with its subtle cross-hatched background. Open-worked hands, including a touch of Aston Martin’s signature fluoro lime green racing highlights, complete the picture.

It’s easy to see where the precision worlds of racing and watchmaking collide; each discipline is about constantly refining components to ensure the most accurate and enduring performance. 

While Girard-Perregaux can trace its origins back to 1791, the Laureato model was first produced in 1975. Aston Martin, on the other hand, was founded in 1913. This year also marks the centenary of the company’s first Grand Prix entry, when two cars entered the French Grand Prix at Strasbourg in July 1922.

Another key element of the collaborative nature of this particular watch is the strap. Made from a combination of high-performance FKM rubber and carbon elements from the AMR21, the new GP Rubber Alloy is paired with a finely adjustable buckle. Light and strong, the strap is completed by a fabric-effect façade in Aston Martin Racing Green. 

In a final nod to the arduous and demanding nature of F1, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph AM F1 Edition will be limited to just 306 pieces, a number conceived to equal the total distance drivers Aston Martin’s drivers Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel will aim to cover during the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, 52 laps of the 5.891km course.

Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph AM F1 Edition, £21,500 at Girard-Perregaux.com.

This article is part of The T3 Edit, a collaboration between T3 and Wallpaper* which explores the very best blends of design, craft, and technology. Wallpaper* magazine is the world’s leading authority on contemporary design and The T3 Edit is your essential guide to what’s new and what’s next.