Girard-Perregaux is back on the Formula 1 grid, and this time the colour has changed. After its spell in Aston Martin green, the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker lines up for the 2026 season with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, sealing the deal with a duo of Laureato Williams Edition models: a 42mm automatic time-and-date and a 42mm chronograph.
The partnership marks a shift, but not a debut. In the 1990s, Girard-Perregaux co-signed multiple watches with Ferrari. From 2021 to 2025, its logo sat alongside Aston Martin in the paddock. Now the brand returns to the sport with one of F1’s most historic names, and the watches follow suit, trading Aston’s racing green for Williams blue.
Laureato Meets FW48
The canvas is familiar. Both new pieces sit on the Laureato platform, one of the earliest integrated-bracelet sports watches, first launched in 1975—two years before Williams entered Formula 1. Nearly fifty years on, the Laureato has become Girard-Perregaux’s emblematic all-rounder, recently refreshed with the anniversary Laureato Fifty and classic 39mm and 36mm steel references, as well as the new GP4800 automatic movement.
For a racing tie-in, the choice is obvious. The Laureato’s sharp lines, integrated bracelet and octagonal bezel already carry a motorsport edge. To anchor the collaboration in the present, both watches draw visual cues from the Williams FW48, the team’s 2026 car.
The dials are stamped with a Clous de Paris pattern and drenched in Williams blue. Red highlights trace the keyline of the car’s livery, giving each watch a hint of pit-lane aggression. Rhodium-plated hands, applied markers and, on the chronograph, rings around the sub-dials sharpen the technical feel.
Look closer and the branding stays restrained. A discreet Williams “W” sits at 12 o’clock, integrated into the dial rather than shouting over it. On the back, a metallised Williams emblem decorates the caseback, tying the watch to the team without turning it into a billboard.
Laureato Williams Edition 42mm: The Clean Racer
The first of the pair is the purist’s choice: a time-and-date Laureato Williams Edition in 42mm steel. It keeps the familiar architecture—octagonal bezel, integrated bracelet, and a case that remains surprisingly slim at 10.68mm. Water resistance is rated at 100m, underlining its role as a daily sports watch rather than a delicate collector’s piece.
Williams blue dominates the dial, and even the date disc follows suit, avoiding the visual jolt of a contrasting window. Under the hood sits the calibre GP1800, a relatively large yet slim automatic movement running at 4Hz with a 54-hour power reserve.
This is a special edition, not a numbered limited run, which gives Williams fans and collectors a little more breathing room. The Laureato Williams Edition 42mm is priced at EUR 15,900 or USD 16,200.
Quick facts: 42mm x 10.68mm steel case, sapphire crystals, 100m water-resistant – Williams blue dial with embossed Clous de Paris – Calibre GP1800 automatic, 4Hz frequency, 54h power reserve – integrated steel bracelet with triple folding clasp – Reference 81010-11-3680-1GM.
Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition: Built for the Pit Wall
If one watch in the pair truly speaks the language of F1, it is the chronograph. The Laureato Chronograph Williams Edition also measures 42mm, but this time the case is crafted from 904L steel, a higher-grade alloy prized for its corrosion resistance and sheen.
The design ramps up the aggression. Screwed pushers and a crown guard give the watch a more purposeful, trackside-ready stance. Despite the extra hardware, thickness is kept to 12.16mm, and water resistance matches the three-hander at 100m.
The dial sticks to the same Williams blue Clous de Paris base, with mostly rhodium-plated accents to keep legibility high. A flash of red on the chronograph seconds hand breaks the blue-silver palette and hints at the racing heart of the piece.
Inside is the calibre GP03300-2451, an automatic modular chronograph movement with 63 jewels and 419 components. It beats at 4Hz and offers a 46-hour power reserve, enough to carry it through a race weekend and beyond.
Like its time-and-date sibling, this chronograph is a non-limited special edition. The price is set at EUR 20,500 or USD 20,900.
Quick facts: 42mm x 12.16mm 904L steel case, sapphire crystals, 100m water-resistant – Williams blue dial with embossed Clous de Paris – Calibre GP03300-2451 automatic modular chronograph, 4Hz frequency, 46h power reserve – integrated 904L steel bracelet with triple folding clasp – Reference 81020-11-3681-1GM.
From Ferrari red to Aston green and now Williams blue, Girard-Perregaux has traced a very particular racing line through modern Formula 1. With the Laureato Williams Editions on the wrist and the FW48 on the grid in 2026, the question is simple: can this latest colour change coincide with a return to the front of the field?
