The first thing to notice is the color. A deep blue enamel, laid over a textured "Clous de Paris" pattern, creates a surface that shifts with the light. It is one of four new references from Girard-Perregaux, introduced fifty years after the Laureato first appeared.
The collection, named Laureato Fifty, explores the watch's identity through two case sizes. The 39mm models continue a familiar proportion, while the 36mm returns to a dimension long appreciated by collectors.
Alongside the in-house crafted blue enamel dial, the 39mm version is also available with an 18K rose gold-toned dial. The textured surface creates a play of warmth and shadow across the precious metal. The 36mm models follow this same path, with one version in rose gold-tone and another that combines a mirror-finished silver-toned dial with a bezel set with 64 brilliant-cut diamonds.
A Half-Century of Coherence
The Laureato first launched in 1975, a product of a pivotal moment in watchmaking. Four years earlier, Girard-Perregaux had developed the high-frequency quartz movement that established 32,768 Hz as an industry standard, and the Laureato housed this innovation within a distinct architectural form. An octagonal bezel on a circular plinth, a tonneau-shaped case, and an integrated bracelet defined its look.
Through five decades and successive generations, the design has evolved. The third generation in 1995 introduced the automatic Manufacture calibre GP3100. The fourth, in 2003, brought more assertive proportions. This latest chapter continues that trajectory.
"The Laureato endures through the strength of its architecture: a measured balance of lines and the movement within, naturally evolving with depth, presence and enduring character," says Marc Michel-Amadry, the Managing Director of Girard-Perregaux.