by
Photo: SPH
Within the local watch collecting community, some segments of which are more preoccupied with a superficial flash-and-flip culture, it is a breath of fresh air to meet an aficionado so devoted to a brand that he has assumed the role of an unofficial subject expert.
Every week, entrepreneur Marc Naidu spends about 10 hours researching horology, sharing his thoughts on his IG account @quietluxurytime, and managing the Facebook-based Girard-Perregaux Laureato Luxury Watches Fan Club group, which he started with a few friends in 2022 and where he continues to be an administrator.
In addition to exchanging insights with and answering questions from his Facebook group’s 2,000 members from as many as 30 countries, he occasionally creates Youtube video tutorials, whose topics have ranged from maintaining a Girard-Perregaux (GP) to tips on properly matching a watch’s size to one’s wrist.
Considering the Swiss manufacture’s 233 years of heritage, there is indeed plenty to deep-dive into. Naidu also leads discussions on the current GP management, marketing and distribution strategy, and how they affect the brand image.
Standing apart
A manufacture that inspires such passion must have a lot going for it — and Naidu can list more than a handful of good reasons. “GP has both the heritage, looks and technical expertise. It makes its own movements and is well-respected by watch experts. In fact, it only produces about 12,000 timepieces per year,” he says.
Photo: Marc Naidu
Even though GP, which is based in the historic watchmaking town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, is one of the oldest and most esteemed maisons, it is a relatively small brand and occupies a niche position in the vast universe of horology. Certainly, it is not one that casual shoppers or anybody with a passing interest would have experience with.
But Naidu is here to enlighten. “GP was founded by Constant Girard and Marie Perregaux, a husband-and-wife team. One immediate thing that stands out with the brand is a feeling that you are getting more in a watch than you pay for. You feel it when you put one on — the finishing and wrist-feel are excellent,” he reveals.
As the maxim goes, “you are what you wear”, which Naidu proves. “I generally avoid mass-luxury watches as I express my individual personality with what I wear. I am an entrepreneur and like being different from the crowd. I value folks that have taken the road less travelled to make a mark in the world, and I see the same attributes in GP’s DNA.”
From left: Naidu’s Laureato 8010, Laureato Olimpico 8017, and Laureato 81000 — models of which he owns several variants
Substance matters
Interestingly, Naidu’s own road-less-travelled began with a horological titan: Audemars Piguet. It was the first brand he fell in love with, he adds, recounting that he’d bought himself a Royal Oak 15300 at age 31, after starting his own company following an eight-year stint in the corporate world here and in the Silicon Valley.
His late father would eventually ignite the GP spark in him. “As I pieced together the brand’s heritage, I became enamoured and frankly baffled at how I could have missed knowing more about such an amazing and prolific maison. The understated elegance of its watches also appealed to me. I also started to discover and understand myself better, and the brand resonated with me.”
He loves that GP is not as “commercialised” as some others, and that “it has accolades and patents a mile long”. To him, substance is more important than marketing muscle, and he indulges in it by scouring through archives and old forum posts to piece together the historical narrative and evolution of certain models.
Through this, he discovered several rare pieces that have remained undocumented and off-catalogue. “I have also been fortunate to have been mentored by some senior collectors on the nuances of GP watches. I keep in touch with the likes of Jack Forster, the global editorial director at The 1916 Company, and I learn a lot from them.”
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Olimpico 8017 was the first-ever Laureato chronograph (Photo: Marc Naidu)
Laureato in the limelight
The fact that Naidu doesn’t accessorise much, apart from donning his wedding ring and a watch, demonstrates the significance of what he chooses to wear. “The Laureato speaks to me. It also speaks on my behalf — of my desire to make a statement, without me having to say a word.”
His reasons are straightforward. “The Laureato has lovely proportions and is a comfortable watch to wear. It has elements of the past that are coupled subtly with a modern aesthetic. It has just enough bling but not over the top. It looks good with jeans as much as a suit. The integration between bracelet and case is sublime, and its design inspiration was taken from architectural wonders such as Florence’s Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.”
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato 8010 has great sentimental value to Naidu (Photo: Marc Naidu)
Out of the 14 Laureatos he has amassed over the years, several were inherited from his dad. In particular, the 8010 has the most sentimental value as it was the first model his late father had given him. “Released in 1995, this was the first mechanical Laureato made when GP was still owned by the Macaluso family. Measuring 36mm in diameter and 7.9 mm thick, it is elegant with hints of the over-the-top style that was popular at the time. Only 1,700 pieces were made until 2000.”
Another favourite is the Laureato Olimpico 8017, which was the first Laureato chronograph. A limited edition, it was launched to mark the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, with a run of 999. It is the only 40mm Laureato made. “Both these references were designed by the legendary Luigi Macaluso, who was the owner of GP at the time.”
Front view of the special-edition Girard-Perregaux 80188 quartz watch
The aforementioned watchmaker’s son Stefano would later be responsible for the Laureato 81000 in 2016. “This limited-edition piece, with a unique case size of 41mm, started it all for the current generation of Laureato. A total of 225 pieces were made in silver and blue dials to commemorate the 225th anniversary of GP,” elaborates Naidu, who counts himself lucky to obtain a piece numbered 000/225.
An extra-rare acquisition that took him years to find is the Laureato 80188 launched in 2010. In addition to commemorating the 35th birthday of the Laureato, this 42mm creation celebrates the 40th anniversary of the manufacture’s quartz innovation — for a watch to run at 32,768 Hz.
Back view of the special-edition Girard-Perregaux 80188 quartz watch
“It has an exhibition caseback, and is perhaps the most finely decorated Swiss quartz watch with a display caseback ever made. The quartz movement was created just for this reference and never used again,” he states, adding that while it was supposed to be a 40-piece limited edition, Luigi Macaluso’s sudden death in October 2010 led the family to sell GP to the Kering Group in 2011. “It has never been confirmed nor denied that all 40 were made. Based on my research, I have reached the conclusion that only 20 were produced.”
Inclusive of the Laureato models, Naidu’s total collection of GP watches stand at 30. What he calls a “darling of a watch” is the 38mm Traveler II 4940 with a salmon pink dial, of which only 150 were manufactured in steel. It features a jumping 2nd time zone and a mechanical alarm, and comes decorated with applied Breguet numerals and a machine-turned inner track on the dial. “It twinkles in the sunlight and is perfectly proportioned with a cool complication. I especially like the symmetry of this piece with the date at 6 o’clock.”
Naidu’s most recent acquisition, the Girard-Perregaux Abarth 4946, and his Traveler II 4940 with a salmon pink dial
His latest find is the 38mm Girard-Perregaux Abarth 4946, a 50-piece special commission with a “Havana brown” dial made in 2003 for Gallery Abarth in Japan. Luigi “Gino” Macaluso was a champion rally car driver for the Fiat Abarth team in the 70s, and thus had a special nostalgic connection with the Abarth car brand.
Community first
That much is clear about his love for GP, and he takes it upon himself to serve as a brand custodian after realising there was no inclusive “home base” to share knowledge. “I noticed that GP collectors tend to be on the conservative side, and are less inclined to post in other watch groups. There is a lot of false information online.”
The biggest mystery Naidu had tried to solve was the identity of Laureato’s designer. “For many years, the press had attributed it to Italian architect Adolfo Natali. He passed away a few years ago so I could not contact him to deny the rumour officially. Instead, a few months ago, I tracked down his business partner of 30 years in Italy. He told me point-blank that Natali had nothing to do with the Laureato or any watch design.”
This Girard-Perregaux Laureato 81000 is one of 225 made to celebrate the manufacture’s 225th anniversary (Photo: Marc Naidu)
Truth-hunting and myth-busting aside, he has been advocating for greater engagement between the brand and collectors via informal events, which he is glad to report that it is taking place now. “For brands that do not have large marketing budgets, word-of-mouth marketing and peer-to-peer referrals are so important,” says Naidu, whose Facebook group also calls many individuals from GP’s Swiss headquarters and authorised dealers members.
Naidu, who is fond of creations from the neo-vintage period (1990-2010), also has a collection of rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oaks, and timepieces from the formerly family-owned brand Minerva, which has since been absorbed into Montblanc after its acquisition by Richemont.
Naidu’s neo-vintage Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1960 2598 made in 1999 (Photo: Marc Naidu)
His collecting journey would not have been as fulfilling without guidance from other collectors and experts. And now, it’s his turn to contribute.
Ultimately, knowledge is power and it is the key to making wise decisions, he says. “I encourage all in the group to participate and post in generic watch forums as well. I also hope to see more mentoring and maisons building direct relationships with everyday collectors. No amount of online media can substitute trying on a watch, and often the rare ones are no longer available at the stores. Collector meet-ups also give current owners a chance to share the wrist experience with others.”
