Girard-Perregaux Celebrates 50 Years With Special Edition Laureato Watch

It can be difficult at the best of times for a watch to properly capture two different moods: Sporty and elegant, however, has been done to great effect for five decades by Girard-Perregaux, now captured in a special-edition anniversary timepiece.

The watchmaker has dabbled in the fantastical (namely, a meteorite-dial watch) as well as the high-octane (collaborative watches made with Aston Martin) but the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty seems destined to live up to its billing as the ideal blend of high-performance timekeeping and refined design. To that end, the new release of just 200 timepieces “captures five decades of timeless design and forward-thinking craftsmanship,” the watchmaker notes.

The limited-edition anniversary design harkens back to the 1975 release of the near-instant classic, which could perhaps be seen as a more sleek, elegant change of pace compared to watches that dwell in both the dive and dress watch categories. In this new release, a 39mm steel and 3N yellow gold case now boasts “reworked angles and refined ergonomics,” the horologist notes.

3N-plated gold indices and hands dot the grey sunray dial, which is given a chic “Clous de Paris” pattern, tastefully accenting the two-tone steel bracelet. The nicely sized timepiece “pays vibrant tribute to the past while projecting Girard-Perregaux into the future,” the company said of the exclusive launch. The first edition of the Laureato made waves as a chronometer-certified watch produced entirely in-house, with an integrated bracelet that helped cement its sporty, versatile appeal (along with Girard-Perregaux’s signature cushioned octagonal case).

Unlike the first edition’s quartz movement, the haute horologist upgraded the new Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty with what it calls a “compact yet highly advanced Calibre GP4800 movement boasting a thickness of just 4.28mm (impressive considering its minimum 55-hour power reserve).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Girard-Perregaux (@girardperregaux)

For the watchmaker a balance of “optimal efficiency, durability, and precision” was the goal of the movement (reflected in other special editions of the Laureato), and it appears they’ve achieved the precise blend of form and function in the suitably rare Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty. Find a retailer online for your opportunity to own this roughly $32,700 piece of history.