Girard-Perregaux Unveils Williams F1 Partnership with New Laureato Models
Girard-Perregaux is changing lanes again in Formula 1. After its recent spell in Aston Martin green, the historic La Chaux-de-Fonds manufacture is back on the grid for 2026, this time in Williams blue.
The watchmaker’s latest move ends its 2021–2025 partnership with Aston Martin F1 and opens a new chapter with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team. To mark the deal, GP unveils a duo of Laureato Williams Edition models: a 42mm automatic time-and-date and a 42mm chronograph. Same platform, very different attitude.
The colour tells the story. The lush green of Aston Martin gives way to a sharper, cooler Williams blue, carried across both dials and details.
Laureato Meets FW48
The foundation is familiar. The Laureato is one of the original integrated-bracelet sports watches, first launched in 1975—two years before Williams made its own F1 debut. Nearly 50 years on, it remains Girard-Perregaux’s flagship in the sports-luxury arena, recently refreshed with the Laureato Fifty and new 39mm and 36mm steel references, plus the brand’s new automatic calibre GP4800.
For a Formula 1-themed collection, there was only ever going to be one choice. The Laureato’s sharp octagonal bezel, flowing bracelet and low profile fit naturally with the aerodynamics and engineering language of a modern race car.
Both new Williams editions draw their visual cues from the Williams FW48, the team’s 2026 challenger. The dials carry an embossed Clous de Paris pattern executed in Williams blue, with red highlights tracing the keyline, echoing the car’s livery. Rhodium-plated hands, applied markers and, on the chronograph, the sub-dial rings, add a crisp, metallic edge that reinforces the technical feel.
The Williams presence is subtle but unmistakable. A discreet “W” sits at 12 o’clock, while a metallised Williams emblem decorates the caseback, tying the watch firmly to the team without overwhelming the Laureato’s own identity.
Laureato Williams Edition 42mm: Clean, Sharp, and Blue
The first model in the pair is the purist’s choice: a time-and-date Laureato Williams Edition in 42mm.
The stainless steel case keeps the classic Laureato architecture—octagonal bezel, integrated bracelet, strong but refined lines—and offers 100m water resistance. At 10.68mm thick, it sits relatively slim on the wrist for a sporty piece, helped by the flowing case and bracelet design.
Williams blue dominates the dial, right down to the date disc, which is colour-matched rather than left as a contrasting window. The Clous de Paris texture brings depth, catching the light like a grid of tiny pyramids, while the rhodium-plated hands and markers ensure legibility and a cool, technical finish.
Inside beats the calibre GP1800, a large yet slim automatic movement with a 4Hz frequency and a 54-hour power reserve. It’s a workhorse in dress clothes, built to keep pace with daily wear rather than sit in a display case.
This Laureato Williams Edition 42mm is presented as a special, but not limited, edition. It comes on an integrated steel bracelet with a triple folding clasp and is priced at EUR 15,900 or USD 16,200 (reference 81010-11-3680-1GM).
Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition: Built for the Pit Wall
If the time-and-date model nods to Williams’ heritage, the chronograph looks straight at the pit wall.
The Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition also measures 42mm across, but the case is crafted from 904L steel, a higher-grade alloy prized for its corrosion resistance and brighter polish. The profile remains controlled at 12.16mm, impressive for a full-featured automatic chronograph with 100m water resistance.
Here, the racing intent is more overt. Screwed pushers and a crown guard toughen the silhouette and hint at timing duties under pressure. The Williams blue dial again carries the Clous de Paris pattern, but the chronograph layout introduces more visual complexity, with rhodium-plated sub-dial rings and markers framing the timing functions.
Most of the accents stay in the silver-blue spectrum, leaving the single red touch on the central chronograph seconds hand to stand out like a pit-lane speed limiter light. It’s a small detail that instantly draws the eye to the watch’s primary function.
Powering the watch is the calibre GP03300-2451, an automatic modular chronograph running at 4Hz. The movement packs 63 jewels and 419 components, delivering a 46-hour power reserve. It’s mounted beneath the same integrated 904L steel bracelet with triple folding clasp, tying the whole package together as a proper sports-luxury instrument.
Like its three-hand sibling, the Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition is a non-limited special edition, priced at EUR 20,500 or USD 20,900 (reference 81020-11-3681-1GM).
From Ferrari collaborations in the 1990s to Aston Martin and now Williams, Girard-Perregaux has never strayed far from the paddock. The green era is over. The blue era arrives with two steel Laureatos and a clear question: when the lights go out on the 2026 season, which team’s colours will be crossing the line first?
