Three winning watches heading to SIHH 2019 from Girard-Perregaux, IWC and Audemars Piguet

Perhaps no one noticed, but the watch column took an extended break over the holiday season. I would love to say that I used the time off to reflect on the year in horology but, in all honesty, I spent most of it rewatching Game of Thrones. All I can say is that there’s way more casual killings, incest and dragon play than I remember. Also, the key takeaway is: walls don’t work. Take the hint, Donald.

I’ve also spent the early part of January failing to keep my resolutions and struggling manfully to keep it dry. However, it wasn’t all a bust. I did spend time studying the slew of new releases that presage the first big watch fair of the year, the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie Genève (SIHH), which opens in Switzerland on January 14.

Brands showing at SIHH start teasing their new pieces in December, which include Girard-Perregaux’s latest iteration of the immense Laureato – the new Perpetual Calendar. I adore the Laureato, primarily because of that gorgeous silhou­ette, which is both retro and contemporary. It has all that Mad Men grace and elegance without the problematic misogynistic baggage.

The 1970s-designed 42mm steel case and the Clous de Paris engraved blue dial are the key selling points but this being a perpetual calendar it is chock-a-block with features, including a day indicator at the nine o’clock position, date at two o’clock, month at five o’clock and leap year at six o’clock. That’s a spicy meatball! Inside is an excellent GP01800-0033 movement that has 54 hours of power reserve.

Prices haven’t been released yet, but given the case is in steel it shouldn’t be cripplingly expensive.