50 Years of the Laureato: Girard-Perregaux Celebrates Its Iconic Timepiece with the Laureato Fifty
Instead of redefining the “Laureato” for its 50th anniversary, Girard-Perregaux has decided to emphasize the collection’s timeless identity with the “Laureato Fifty.”
“The ‘Laureato’ owes its enduring appeal to the strength of its architecture: a finely balanced interplay of forms and movement that continues to evolve with natural depth, presence, and timeless character,” explains Marc Michel-Amadry, Managing Director at Girard-Perregaux.
Beyond its aesthetics, the “Laureato” reflects Girard-Perregaux’s integrated approach to haute horlogerie, in which movement development, design, finishing, and wearability are viewed as a harmonious whole. Since 1975, the collection has symbolized the manufacture’s vertical integration: the development, design, finishing, and production of all components take place entirely in-house.
Laureato Fifty: Two Sizes, Two Interpretations
This also applies to the four stainless steel models in the new “Laureato Fifty” collection, which consistently carry forward this approach and present it in two complementary interpretations of the Laureato design.
Enamel, rose gold, and classic proportions
First, however, it’s worth taking a look at the 39-millimeter models—more specifically, at their dials. These are available either with a deep blue, in-house enamel dial set against a Clous de Paris pattern—a first for the “Laureato” collection—or with a solid rose gold dial, also crafted in-house.
The 36-millimeter models translate the characteristic proportions of the “Laureato” into a more compact format. They combine a silver-colored Clous de Paris dial with a diamond-set bezel or a rose gold dial.
The GP4800 Manufacture Caliber
Inside the “Laureato Fifty” beats the in-house GP4800 caliber, featuring a 60-hour power reserve. Its architecture is directly inspired by Girard-Perregaux’s famous three-bridge design from 1867 and reimagined for the present day. Additionally, the balance bridge was crafted from rose gold exclusively for this edition.
Entirely conceived, developed, assembled, and finished in-house, the caliber combines ten different finishing techniques: polishing, sandblasting, beveling, Côtes de Genève, engraving, snail pattern, circular satin finishing, perlage, sunburst finishing, and linear satin finishing.
Three new calibers in less than a year
The GP4800 also marks the beginning of a remarkable new chapter for Girard-Perregaux. Since September 2025, the manufacture has unveiled three new calibers in quick succession: first the GP4800, followed by the Three-Gold-Bridges caliber GP9620, and finally the minute repeater movement GP9530.
The History of the Laureato by Girard-Perregaux
The “Laureato” was created during a pivotal phase in the history of modern watchmaking. In 1971, Girard-Perregaux developed a high-frequency quartz movement that established the industry standard of 32,768 hertz, which remains in use today. Four years later, this innovation found its expression in the “Laureato.”
Entirely conceived and developed in-house, the first “Laureato” established a design language that would become instantly recognizable: an octagonal bezel set on a circular base, a tonneau-shaped case, and an integrated bracelet.
Over the course of the following decades, the model continued to evolve through several generations, each introduced at roughly ten-year intervals. The second generation explored new forms of design expression and increasingly sophisticated complications.
The third generation marked an important milestone in 1995 with the introduction of the automatic in-house caliber GP3100. In 2003, the fourth generation of the collection featured more striking proportions and a sportier character. Finally, in 2016, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the fifth generation—a contemporary reinterpretation that remained faithful to the geometry of the original design and reestablished the Laureato as a central pillar of the brand.
