Girard-Perregaux Introduce Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech

These days keeping track of all the terminology surrounding the use of carbon in watchmaking is all but impossible. Carbon fibre, forged carbon, carbon composite, carbotech, carbon tpt and Girard-Perregaux’s new carbon 8tech are all variants of carbon material used in watches. Each with features that make them distinct from each other despite broadly having similar properties of being light weight and tough. For now, let’s forget about all the many variants and focus solely on GP’s 8Tech, which is making its debut in the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech.

The Laureato Absolute Chronograph is probably one you’ll be familiar with, especially if you’re a fan of motorsport since there was an Aston Martin F1 edition last year. It’s essentially GP’s high-spec version of the Laureato in high-performance materials. So no surprise that it’s the model that they’re using to introduce 8Tech.

8Tech is produced from carbon fibres combined with titanium powder arranged in extremely thin layers placed atop each other to create stacks that are then cut into octagonal shapes. Its this octagonal element that gives it the name 8Tech. The octagons are then placed into mould and heated and subjected to pressure to create a solid block from which the case components are then milled, final refinements being done by hand.

The result is a 44mm diameter case in the signature Laureato design consisting of a tonneau body with integrated rubber strap and an octagonal bezel. On the righthand side you can also see the crown and chunky chronograph pushers. The texture of the material is visually stunning, similar to that of the recent CarbonGold Bulgaris. A smoky, misty miasma of grey and black shifting tones that almost look like the veins in marble.

Inspired by this monochromatic colour scheme, the sandwich dial itself is also a combination of grey and black featuring a grey fumé gradient that fades to black around the periphery. The display features central hours, minutes and chronograph seconds with a date window offset between 4 o’clock and 5 as well as a tricompax arrangement of chronograph counters. Those counters are a 30-minute timer at 9 o’clock, a 12-hour timer at 6 o’clock and small seconds at 3.

Powering the chronograph is the Calibre GP03300-1058, an automatic movement with a 46-hour power reserve. You can see it through the sapphire exhibition caseback which has been given a smoked tint making the movement appear black like the rest of the watch. It’s a cool effect that helps to tie the whole piece together whatever angle you view it from.

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph 8Tech is a solid showcase of their advanced materials and I like its stealthy, technical appearance. Admittedly when it comes to curating a watch collection I would opt for a regular Laureato in steel nine times out of ten, largely due to the Absolute’s large sizing. Also, there’s the price, as the Absolute 8Tech is £22,700 compared to the sub £10k of a metallic option.

​Oracle Time 

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