La Chaux-de-Fonds, 26 August, 2020 – Girard-Perregaux is delighted to announce an exclusive distribution agreement with Wempe across Germany. To mark the occasion, the new Laureato Infinity Edition, available in a choice of 38mm and 42mm cases, will be sold exclusively across select Wempe points of sale in Germany as well as its New York and London flagship stores for a limited period.
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.
About Girard-Perregaux
Founded in 1791, Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest fine watchmaking manufactures still in operation in Switzerland today. Our history is dotted with exceptional creations that bridge aesthetics and functionality to reveal the value of time. These include the iconic Laureato, born in 1975, as well as our Tourbillon ‘With Three Gold Bridges’ which made the invisible visible, transforming bridges from just a technical element to an integral part of the timepiece – a first in watchmaking. Girard-Perregaux’s place at the vanguard of horological innovation is confirmed by over one hundred recorded patents, and the innumerable prizes and distinctions we have received. We remain one of the rare watchmakers to retain Manufacture status for over two centuries by mastering all the required horological skills in-house. Our timepieces today push the boundaries of watchmaking for modern living.
Girard-Perregaux is part of the Kering Group, a world leader in luxury apparel.
Girard-Perregaux Press Contact:
meera.anand@girard-perregaux.com
+41 79 420 7789
About Wempe
The Wempe name is synonymous with fine timepieces and jewelry. This family-owned company, which is based in Hamburg and was founded in 1878, is headed by Kim-Eva Wempe and has 34 branches in cities all over the world, including New York, Paris, and London. The company has been closely connected for generations with the renowned watch manufactures of Switzerland and Germany. Wempe produces its own Wempe Glashütte I/SA brand wristwatch chronometers in Glashütte, Saxony, and its own By Kim brand jewelry in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Baden-Wuerttemberg. In addition, Wempe operates the largest independent watchmakers’ workshop in Europe and has been certified as a “Best Place to Learn” in Germany since 2015.
Wempe Press Contact:
nadja.weisweiler@wempe.de
+49 (0) 40 33 448 847
Technical specifications
LAUREATO 42 MM INFINITY EDITION
Reference: 81010-11-635-11A
Limited edition of 188 pieces
World price: CHF 12,260
Case
Material: steel, polished and satin finished
Diameter: 42.00 mm
Height: 10.70 mm
Glass: anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal
Dial: polished black onyx, pink gold indexes
Hands: ‘baton’ type, rhodium-plated hours & minutes hands, golden central second hand
Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM)
Movement
Reference: GP01800-1404
Self-winding mechanical movement with pink gold oscillating weight
Diameter: 30.00 mm (131/4’’’)
Height: 3.97 mm
Frequency: 28,800 Vib/h – (4 Hz)
Number of components: 191
Number of jewels: 28
Power reserve: min. 54 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, central second, date
Bracelet
Material: steel, polished and satin finished
LAUREATO 38 MM INFINITY EDITION
Reference: 81005D11A631-11A
Limited edition of 88 pieces
World price: CHF 15,600
Case
Material: steel, polished and satin finished, set with 56 diamonds totalling ~ 0.90 ct
Diameter: 38.00 mm
Height: 9.80 mm
Glass: anti-reflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal
Dial: polished black onyx, pink gold indexes
Hands: ‘baton’ type, rhodium-plated hours & minutes hands, golden central second hand
Water resistance: 100 meters (10 ATM)
Movement
Reference: GP03300-1409
Self-winding mechanical movement with pink gold oscillating weight
Diameter: 25.95 mm (111/2’’’)
Height: 3.36 mm
Frequency: 28,800 Vib/h – (4 Hz)
Number of components: 203
Number of jewels: 27
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Functions: Hours, minutes, central second, date
Bracelet
Material: steel, polished and satin finished
