Laureato Fifty marks 50 years of Girard-Perregaux’s iconic design

Girard-Perregaux marks 50 years of the Laureato with the Laureato Fifty, a steel/gold 200-piece edition powered by the GP4800 calibre. Price: €28,500

Girard-Perregaux is unveiling the Laureato Fifty, a limited edition of 200 pieces created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its iconic Laureato model.

The Swiss watchmaker launched the Laureato in 1975, at a time when the watch industry was undergoing major change. Steel had become a popular material for refined sport watches, and the advent of quartz technology was reshaping the landscape. 

Girard-Perregaux responded with its own in-house quartz movement running at 32,768 Hz, marked “Quartz Chronometer” for its certified precision.

Blending style and innovation, the Laureato featured a polished octagonal bezel set in a satin-brushed steel case with an integrated bracelet, and often combined steel and gold in line with the two-tone trend of the era. Over the years, it has evolved through new complications and refinements while preserving its distinctive character.

A limited edition of just 200 pieces, the new Laureato Fifty remains true to the historic design of the original model while integrating the most up-to-date technologies.

Housed in a 39 mm-diameter and 9.8 mm-thick case, the new model combines stainless steel and 3N yellow gold. The tonneau case has been reworked with sharper angles, more pronounced bevels, and an even smoother integration of the bracelet.

The sapphire crystals, flat on both the dial and caseback sides, feature an anti-reflective treatment. Water resistance is rated at 150 metres / 500 feet.

Alternating satin and polished finishes, the iconic bezel frames a deep sunray grey dial decorated with a Clous de Paris pattern. The indexes and hands match the warm tone of the 3N gold used on the case and bracelet.

The central seconds hand is counterbalanced by a double-arrow motif, the emblem of Girard-Perregaux. A date window at 3 o’clock displays the date on a disc in the same hue as the dial.

Through the sapphire crystal caseback, the new Calibre GP4800 can be admired. The result of several years of development, this automatic movement combines precision and reliability with a silicon escapement and variable inertia balance.

Operating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offering a 55-hour power reserve, the GP4800 is the first time-only movement – displaying hours, minutes, seconds, and date – whose construction is inspired by what has become the brand’s emblem: the Three Bridges.

The steel and yellow gold bracelet captures the spirit of the original design, with a tapered structure where the steel “H” links gradually narrow towards the clasp. Slightly shorter links improve the fit, allowing the bracelet to follow the natural curve of the wrist. A half-link adjustment further enhances comfort.

The yellow gold central links are subtly more domed than the steel ones, creating a refined play of light and depth.

The triple folding clasp bears the GP logo, engraved both on the outer surface and inner blades. Its octagonal push-pieces echo the bezel, ensuring visual harmony across the design. A fine adjustment system integrated into the clasp allows for precise sizing of up to 4 mm.

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty, reference 81008-63-3412-1CM, is priced at €28,500.

girard-perregaux.com