Girard-Perregaux Unveils Laureato Williams Edition in Iconic Blue
Girard-Perregaux is changing lanes in Formula 1. After its recent spell in Aston Martin green, the Swiss watchmaker is back on the grid for 2026 with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team – and this time the colour is unmistakable: Williams blue.
To mark the new partnership, GP unveils a pair of Laureato Williams Edition models: a 42mm automatic time-and-date and a 42mm chronograph. Same iconic platform, very different attitude.
A Historic Sports Watch Meets a Historic Team
The Laureato is no newcomer to the fast lane. Launched in 1975, two years before Williams entered Formula 1, it helped define the integrated-bracelet sports watch long before the term became a collector’s cliché. Nearly five decades on, it remains Girard-Perregaux’s signature sporting silhouette, fresh from its 50th anniversary celebrations and the launch of the new GP4800 automatic calibre.
That heritage makes it a natural chassis for a racing-inspired edition. For Williams, GP leans into the FW48, the team’s 2026 car, and translates the design language from carbon fibre and aero to steel and sapphire.
Both watches share the same core codes: a Williams blue dial with an embossed Clous de Paris pattern, red highlights that trace the car’s keyline, and rhodium-plated hands, markers and (on the chrono) sub-dial rings that sharpen the technical feel. A discreet Williams “W” sits at 12 o’clock, while a metallised Williams emblem on the caseback underlines the collaboration without shouting.
The Laureato Williams Edition 42mm: Clean, Sharp, Daily-Drive Ready
The first piece is the purist’s option: a time-and-date Laureato Williams Edition in 42mm steel. It’s familiar territory, but tuned for the new livery.
The case keeps the model’s trademark octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet, with enough muscle at 42mm to feel substantial on the wrist, yet a relatively slim 10.68mm profile that slides easily under a cuff. Water resistance is a practical 100m, making it a genuine everyday sports watch rather than a track-only showpiece.
Williams blue dominates the dial, extending even to the date disc – a small but important touch that keeps the display cohesive. Under the hood sits the calibre GP1800, a large yet slim automatic movement offering a 54-hour power reserve and a 4Hz beat rate, in line with modern expectations for a high-end daily wearer.
This Laureato Williams Edition 42mm is a special, non-limited release, priced at EUR 15,900 or USD 16,200.
Key specs:
- 42mm x 10.68mm stainless steel case
- Sapphire crystals, 100m water resistance
- Williams blue Clous de Paris dial, date display
- Calibre GP1800 automatic, 4Hz, 54h power reserve
- Integrated steel bracelet with triple folding clasp
- Reference 81010-11-3680-1GM
The Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition: Built for the Pit Wall
If the three-hand model is the road car, the chronograph is the race trim.
Still at 42mm, this Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition steps up in 904L steel – a higher-grade alloy known for its brightness and corrosion resistance, more commonly associated with ultra-premium sports watches. The case gains screwed pushers and a crown guard, giving it a more aggressive stance without tipping into bulk. Thickness is held to 12.16mm, impressive for an automatic chronograph with 100m water resistance.
The dial once again leans on Williams blue and the Clous de Paris texture, with rhodium-plated accents across the hands and sub-dials. A flash of red on the central chronograph seconds hand injects a racing pulse into the layout.
Powering the watch is the calibre GP03300-2451, a modular automatic chronograph movement. It runs at 4Hz, packs 419 components and 63 jewels, and offers a 46-hour power reserve – a solid technical package befitting a timing instrument tied to Formula 1.
Like its three-hand sibling, the chronograph is a non-limited special edition, priced at EUR 20,500 or USD 20,900.
Key specs:
- 42mm x 12.16mm 904L steel case
- Sapphire crystals, 100m water resistance
- Williams blue Clous de Paris dial with chronograph layout
- Calibre GP03300-2451 automatic modular chronograph, 4Hz, 46h power reserve
- Integrated 904L steel bracelet with triple folding clasp
- Reference 81020-11-3681-1GM
From green to blue, from Aston Martin to Williams, Girard-Perregaux hasn’t just changed team colours; it has doubled down on the Laureato as its racing flagship. The next question is simple: when the FW48 rolls out in 2026, which of these two will be on more wrists in the paddock?
