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As the new official timing partner for the Atlassian Williams F1 team, Girard-Perregaux has released the first official watches as part of the partnership.

Girard-Perregaux has officially joined forces with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, and the first two watches from the partnership are a pair of Laureato models, including a new Chronograph that brings the Williams racing identity into one of Girard-Perregaux’s most recognisable designs.

Girard-Perregaux is one of the oldest watch brands in the world, and partnering with Williams Racing, which is one of the oldest continually competing F1 teams in the world (behind Ferrari and McLaren), and each with a shared passion for precision and timing, it was only a matter of time before the two joined forces, and the new Laureato 42 collection solidifies this.

I had the chance to spend some time with the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition at the new Girard-Perregaux boutique during Geneva Watch Days, which, incidentally, is one of the best-designed boutiques I’ve seen to date, one that captures the heritage and DNA of the brand. But I digress. The watch itself is very much Girard-Perregaux through and through, and while it pays tribute to Williams Racing, it does so in a subtle and elegant way.

The Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition

The Laureato Chronograph has always had quite a bit going on visually, with its integrated case and bracelet, octagonal bezel and three-register dial giving it a more technical appearance than the standard Laureato. The Williams Edition takes that existing design and gives it a new colour combination that works particularly well with the Chronograph layout.

The blue Clous de Paris dial is inspired by the colour of the Williams FW48, with the pattern giving the dial plenty of texture. Around the three chronograph registers are rhodium-plated rings, which create a nice contrast against the blue dial and help separate the different functions.

There are also a few red details throughout the dial, most notably the hour and minute hands, which reference the red keyline used around the nose of the Williams F1 car. It is a fairly small detail, but it does add another layer of colour to the dial, and gives it a slightly sportier look.

At 12 o’clock, Girard-Perregaux has also added a small Williams “W”, which is incorporated into the dial rather than being presented as a large team logo. The same approach is used on the back of the watch, where the Williams emblem is metallised onto the sapphire caseback.

Girard-Perregaux hasn’t gone overboard here on the theming, at least not in an overt way. This lets the watch stand on its own two feet, without making the Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition feel like it is trying too hard.

The case measures 42mm in diameter and 12.16mm thick, which puts it in line with the existing Laureato Chronograph. It is made from 904L stainless steel and uses the familiar combination of brushed and polished surfaces that has been part of the Laureato’s design language for decades.

The alternating finishing is particularly noticeable around the bezel and case, where the polished edges catch the light against the brushed surfaces. It is one of those details that looks quite straightforward in photographs but becomes much more apparent when you have the watch in front of you. In fact, I don’t really feel that the press shots of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato, like many other brands and models, do this watch justice. It isn’t until you get it in your hands and on your wrist that you notice the finer details.

I had the Chronograph on my wrist in Geneva, and the 42mm case wears as you would expect from a Laureato. The integrated bracelet gives the watch a fairly broad footprint on the wrist, but the shape of the case and the way the bracelet drops away from it keeps the overall proportions under control, albeit on the slightly larger side. But this is a sports chronograph, and does have a good amount of wrist presence if that is your thing.

The chronograph pushers are integrated neatly into the case, with the crown sitting between them and protected by the case profile. They don’t interrupt the Laureato too much, which, I feel, is important given how much of the appeal of the watch comes from its integrated design.

The bracelet follows the same finishing as the case, with brushed outer surfaces and polished sections adding some contrast. The polished inner links elevate the watch nicely, without detracting from its sports-like nature. Speaking of sports, the water resistance is 100 metres, so this is still a watch that can be worn as an everyday sports watch rather than something that needs to be treated like a safe queen.

Tracking Speed

Inside the Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition is Girard-Perregaux’s GP03300 automatic chronograph calibre. This is not a new movement for the brand, and it has been used across the Laureato Chronograph collection for some time. The calibre beats at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH and is made up of 361 components, pivoting on 45 jewels. It provides the chronograph function through the three registers on the dial, along with a date display, and has a 46-hour power reserve.

While the specifications aren’t going to set any new records in 2026, the movement is well established and the finishing is appropriate for a Girard-Perregaux Laureato. Through the sapphire caseback you can see the movement, with Côtes de Genève, chamfering and straight graining applied to the components.

The chronograph pushers also have a nice action, with Girard-Perregaux specifically highlighting the smooth activation of the system. That is something I noticed when handling the watch, and it suits the more tactile nature of the chronograph.

The Laureato Williams Edition 42mm

The second watch in the partnership takes the same basic formula and removes the chronograph, leaving a much cleaner time-and-date Laureato.

The 42mm stainless-steel case is the same basic size as the Chronograph, although it is considerably slimmer at 10.68mm. It also uses the same blue Clous de Paris dial, red detailing and integrated steel bracelet, along with the small Williams “W” at 12 o’clock.

Inside is Girard-Perregaux’s GP01800-2892 automatic movement, which operates at 4Hz and provides a (better) 54-hour power reserve. The sapphire caseback gives a view of the movement, including the decorated oscillating weight, while the Williams logo is again seen on the sapphire crystal.

We didn’t get the chance to see this model in person, however, so I can’t comment directly on it, but given Girard-Perregaux’s attention to detail and quality consistency, I can safely assume my previous comments will apply. The time-only model is arguably the more straightforward of the two, but it also gives the partnership another way into the Laureato collection for anyone who doesn’t want the additional size and complexity of the Chronograph.

Initial Thoughts

Having spent considerable time with the brand in the new Geneva boutique, along with Managing Director Marc Michel-Amadry, I now have a deeper appreciation for Girard-Perregaux and what the brand represents, and where it is heading into the future. The launch of the new Laureato Fifty collection last year, and with several others joining this year, including the new Tourbillon Micro Rotor models we covered for Geneva Watch Days, I feel Girard-Perregaux is heading in a good direction and bringing to life the brand’s DNA in meaningful ways.

With the Williams F1 partnerships, this is another way to reach an audience who may not be as familiar with Girard-Perregaux as us more seasoned watch enthusiasts, and opens the brand up to a potential wider audience. Watches and Formula 1 go hand in hand, so this, I feel, is a good move for Girard-Perregaux to elevate the brand among the F1 fan base, which, I might add, has never been bigger.

The watches themselves are typically Girard-Perregaux with just enough touches to bring to life the Williams partnership without overdoing it on the watches themselves. The blue Clous de Paris dial is vibrant and eye-catching, the small “W” at 12 o’clock is a nod without being too “look at me”, and red accents on the hands make sense from both a chronograph perspective, not to mention aligning with the Williams FW48 car.

At 42mm and being integrated bracelet sports watches, these do wear slightly larger, as most integrated bracelet watches do, but being sports watches linked to motorsports, it is less of an issue. Having worn the chronograph, it feels good on the wrist, the blue really pops, and the Clous de Paris dial Girard-Perregaux creates catches the light in the right way. The great thing is, while these watches are done in collaboration with the Williams F1 team, the “livery” isn’t too centred around Williams, so anyone can really enjoy these watches, fan or not!

References & Specifications

LAUREATO CHRONOGRAPH WILLIAMS EDITION 42MM

LAUREATO WILLIAMS EDITION 42MM

Availability: Available via The Hour Glass. For more information, contact your local Hour Glass boutique, or head to Girard-perregaux.com