Girard-Perregaux Laureato 50th Anniversary Celebration
Remember that Girard-Perregaux calibre 4800? Well, now the cat is out of the bag, so to speak, and we can talk up the Laureato FIFTY, the latest iteration of a model that has been a winner for Girard-Perregaux since 1975. Yes, if you had not guessed, the date explains the name, and it may certainly put you in mind of other watches that also celebrated similar milestones in recent years. Girard-Perregaux Managing Director Marc Michel-Amadry is keen to point out that the Laureato was not merely a trendy watch, even at launch, but really a trendsetter, and we will get to that in a moment.
Read More: Girard-Perregaux’s New Calibre GP4800 Presents a New Milestone in Movement Mastery
First of all, what can you expect with the Girard-Perregaux Laureato FIFTY (which we will address as the Laureato Fifty or simply the Fifty)? Well, there is the matter of the new movement of course, which we have gone over in some depth previously. In keeping with what this watch represents, we will begin this breakdown with the amazing bracelet, specifically the clasp. This is in no way a slight because the Fifty has something most watches with an integrated bracelet need, yet do not have: fine adjustment without tools and without fuss. The triple folding clasp, which is as good as anything out there other than the patented Chanel one, expands by 4mm on demand. I confess that I thought I might damage the watch trying to get this to work but of course, the bracelet is plenty sturdy enough to handle the forces that human hands muster.
Moving on for now, some history is required for a watch like the Laureato Fifty, in part because it carries its past in its name. In 1975, no one thought the luxury sports watch was even trendy, even though the Laureato was the perfect expression of the decade. As it happens, the Laureato was even advertised in Italy with visuals from The Graduate because it was the watch for the gentleman who has arrived. A graduate, in other words, as Michel-Amadry told us. From our own previous Laureato adventures, with the last major update being in 2016, we know that the name itself was not part of the 1975 package. Not only was it absent from the dial but it was also not referred to this way (except in the Italian market). Crucially, it was also unique in the sports elegance category for debuting with an in-house quartz calibre.
Given that you are reading this story, that last bit will be about as shocking as a PG13 movie. With its GP350 calibre, Girard-Perregaux defined the technical characteristics of the quartz era to come, and the collection would not get a mechanical movement till the 1990s (circa 1995). Furthermore, in an era that heralded the emergence of the watch designer as a force, Girard-Perregaux went with an in-house design for the 1975 debut. It was not inspired by anything nautical and indeed, the brand has never said if anything specific informed the design decisions here. For the Laureato Fifty, all Girard-Perregaux will say is the following:
“In contrast to its contemporaries, such as Gérald Genta’s Royal Oak (1972), which is all angles and screws, or the Nautilus (1976), with its roundness inspired by a porthole but also by the traditional “cushion” shape, it favours precision, balance and elegance. From 1975, it embodied a new, more refined and subtle luxury… Directly inspired by the original model, this new creation embodies both fidelity to the historic design and the integration of the most advanced technologies.”
Michel-Amadry obliges us by going further: “The Laureato Fifty is the essence – the quintessence in fact – of the Laureato,” he said. “It has all the pedigree; it has all the latest improvements, in how we finish the case and how we conceive of design; and in terms of the GP4800 movement, it has something that will be there for the next 20 years! Therefore, it is certainly the most accomplished Laureato edition we have had so far.”
The above does not mean that this is the only Laureato that matters of course. The Fifty is a limited edition of 200 so all the versions in the current catalogue will remain, as they do right now from a quick check on the brand’s website. Still, with everything that is new with the Girard-Perregaux Fifty, we think that this design will lead the way for anything in sizes 39mm and below. The GP4800 movement is a fine size for the dimensions of the Fifty (it is 9.8mm thick) so the larger Laureato models will likely stay with other Girard-Perregaux movements, which includes the in-house GP01800.
On that note, let us return to the fit and feel and thus address the bracelet again, but not immediately. While everything seems much the same as the last update, Michel-Amadry assures us that everything has changed. Just a glance at the images here and you will notice that the ‘GP’ logo and the Laureato word have been stripped from the dial. That is obviously a big deal and changes the balance of the design for the better, even if it feels off because it is different. The dial remains stamped with a Clous de Paris pattern, albeit subtly different than in other Laureato models (although we cannot say exactly how and this is certainly not discernible without a comparison to other models). This limited edition has a date function, for those who care about such things, and it features a tone-on-tone disc and an elegantly framed aperture.
As for the bracelet, it differs from the current one, although it preserves the H-shaped links paired with polished centre links. According to Girard-Perregaux, those H-links are shorter for a more comfortable fit and we can say that there is not a lot of play between links. Everything is tight enough, and fitting just right, that hairy forearms need not fear. The links also visibly taper towards the clasp, which bears the bridge logo front and back in a very discreet style. All this bracelet needs now to elevate it past its peers is interchangeability, which we presume is still not quite up the Girard-Perregaux’s expectations. In terms of price, a bimetallic reference like this one is unusual, and is currently listed as $41,200, or EUD28,100. It compares quite well against the full gold ($76,700) and steel ($21,200) Laureato regular production variants, and also the aforementioned peers. We look forward to discovering the next chapter in this story.
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