Girard-Perregaux Laureato FIFTY: A Half-Century of Quiet Flex

Courtesy Girard-Perregaux

Picture this: It’s 1975, disco’s just breaking out, steel sports watches are the new aristocracy, and Girard-Perregaux tosses its own hat in the ring with the Laureato — a sleek, integrated-bracelet beauty packing a high-precision quartz movement, back when that was a flex. Now, five decades later, the Swiss watchmaker celebrates its icon’s 50th birthday with a knowing nod to the past — and a crisp wink at the future.

The Laureato FIFTY, limited to 200 pieces, is a design purist’s dream: a 39mm steel and 3N yellow gold case, bicolour like the original ’75 model, but re-sculpted for modern wrists — sharper lines, smoother integration, all tied together with that signature octagonal bezel doing its polished/satin two-step under the light.

Beneath the sapphire crystal? A deep grey dial dressed in Clous de Paris texture, with gold markers, matching hands, and a date window so subtly integrated you’d think it was born there. Even the seconds hand has a flourish — a counterweight shaped like the brand’s double arrow emblem, because why not?

The bracelet is a masterclass in throwback engineering with present-day wearability. Tapered steel ‘H’ links, curved just right, central gold links with a domed profile, and a triple-folding clasp that adjusts by 4mm for those hot summer wrist-swells. Yes, it’s the watch equivalent of your perfectly tailored double-breasted blazer — elegant, but ready for anything.

Flip it over, and you’ll find the beating heart: the GP4800, a brand-new automatic calibre, and — get this — the first “simple” movement inspired by GP’s Three Bridges architecture. Slim, smart, efficient, with a silicon escapement and a finish that would make a wine sommelier weep.

The Laureato FIFTY isn’t just a tribute. It’s a statement that Girard-Perregaux still knows how to play the long game — quietly, confidently, and with the kind of detail-obsessed Swiss swagger that never needs to shout.