The Girard-Perregaux Laureato FIFTY is finally a collection

Intro

When Girard-Perregaux took the curtain off the Laureato FIFTY commemorative edition later last year, no one ever thought it could be a one-off piece.

The effort required to create a new case and bracelet, and a new self-winding movement from the ground up, is so massive that we expected GP to unveil an entire collection soon.

Fast-forward to the first half of 2026: the brand has pulled the trigger by unveiling the first-ever new 39 mm model in all-steel, alongside a downsized 36 mm iteration.

A new story begins, but I can tell you that more complicated models are down the road. What I can confirm is that the future of the Laureato is brighter than ever, as proven already by masterpieces like the Laureato with Three Gold Bridges.

The Laureato FIFTY in Steel: Two Case Sizes and Two Different Dials

When the Laureato FIFTY first appeared, we couldn’t experience the new watch in real life, but we recently did during a private meeting with the brand. Girard-Perregaux had to reinvent a timepiece while respecting its historic DNA, making it look and feel as close to the original as possible while pursuing innovation.

Not the easiest task at all. With the 39 mm full-steel version, the collection’s pillar hits the market, loaded with design and specs to compete against its closest and fiercest competitors.

The GP 4800 calibre, regarded as one of the finest new self-winding calibres recently engineered, features slight upgrades. The gold oscillating weight now mirrors a gold balance-wheel bridge.

From the silicon escapement to the calibre assembly and decoration, the GP 4800 speaks volumes by pairing a traditional layout with technology where it matters most, topped off with decorations to please an enthusiast’s eye.

The 39 mm case, like its 36 mm sibling, replicates the exacting silhouette of the two-tone model; the bracelet’s mirror-polished mid links and the case-to-bracelet’s edgy design give the Laureato a distinctive character.

New and unconventional are the dial options, as it is a 39 mm iteration with or without the date window.

Standing out is the “Clous de Paris” finish in dark blue Grand Feu enamel, and that’s no coincidence; the Laureato has featured an endless series of enamel dials unlike any other watch brand.

Over the years, it has become a distinctive trait of the collection, and the brand has fostered this trend with the FIFTY. The date-window-equipped model welcomes 18-karat rose gold instead.

You can also choose the above-mentioned configuration in a 36 mm size. Here is Girard-Perregaux’s all-purpose, all-around sports watch, aimed at attracting new customers while retaining old ones.

Hitting the spot with two case sizes and three dial options, Girard-Perregaux is ready to enter global markets with a comprehensive family of new models, and new, complicated models in the works.

Final Thoughts

The Laureato FIFTY collection has finally landed. Featuring two sizes and three dial choices, it comes with models firmly rooted in Girard-Perregaux’s history, and limited production volumes. That’s an advanced yet old-school savoir-faire product, despite being the most high-volume product from GP.

Build quality is outstanding, and so is the attention to detail, from the bracelet’s exquisite craftsmanship to the butterfly clasp finished inside and out.

Then comes the glorious GP4800 calibre, a strong selling point compared to the outgoing mechanism. Girard-Perregaux has gone all in again with a centrally mounted rotor and a rare combination of a gold oscillating weight and a balance-wheel bridge.

You’ll hardly find such a combo anywhere else; it underscores Girard-Perregaux’s prowess as a manufacturer of in-house, refined mechanical movements.

The enamel dial is beautiful, but I would have gone for a brighter colour palette; still, the journey has just begun. My choice is the rose gold model, without a date window.

My add-on is to introduce a manual-winding Laureato anytime soon to set the Laureato Fifty further apart from its peers.

Prices are as follows, and they are above those we were used to. A Laureato FIFTY Self-Winding 39 with a blue Grand Feu enamel dial retails for €24,400; each 18-karat gold dial model costs €22,900 instead.

If we value a Laureato’s foothold and overall product quality, its price tags are far below those of its notable competitors, yet at least as refined as, if not above, them.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)