Girard-Perregaux Parties On With The Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm Collection
Girard-Perregaux has been on a roll with the Laureato. Last year’s 50th-anniversary limited edition introduced the refined 39mm size and the new GP4800 automatic. Then came the permanent steel models with enamel and solid-gold dials. Today, the collection adds a true haute horlogerie highlight, the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm. More than a new complication, it also announces a new caliber.
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon
I don’t often start articles with a discussion about the movement, but the brand’s fourth entirely new one within the last year deserves the spotlight. The new Laureato Fifty Tourbillon features the brand-new GP8410. It is a self-winding tourbillon movement with a mostly platinum micro-rotor featuring a pink gold bridge resembling the classic Girard-Perregaux arrow. On the front, the tourbillon itself sits under a similarly shaped white gold bridge and features the maison’s signature lyre-shaped cage. This detail dates back to the 19th century!
While the frequency is 21,600 vph (3 Hz), the power reserve is a hefty 72 hours. Plus, the new movement measures just 6.1 mm thick, a factor that will come into play when we discuss external dimensions. Through the case back’s sapphire display, you see two large white gold plates decorated with the same Clous de Paris pattern that appears on the dial, creating a continuous visual language from front to back.
The case
The steel case keeps the familiar Laureato Fifty architecture and comfortable 39 × 46mm dimensions. Due to the impressively thin movement, the watch also maintains a 10mm profile. It also comes exclusively on an integrated steel H-link bracelet with a butterfly clasp and a 2mm extension on each side. The water resistance rating is lower than the time-only version, but at 50 meters, it’s still respectable. The octagonal bezel sits on its circular plinth, exactly as it has since 1975, while the Clous de Paris motif runs from the dial straight onto the movement bridges.
Two dial executions are offered. The first is an in-house translucent blue grand feu enamel over a Clous de Paris pattern. As this is a celebratory year for Girard-Perregaux, it’s worth mentioning that enameling has been part of the company’s repertoire since the 1790s. The second option has a solid 18K rose gold dial with the same hobnail pattern. Both carry white gold baton indexes and hands filled with blue-glowing lume. The result is elegant, symmetrical, and free of a date window. Admittedly, tourbillons aren’t always to my liking, but with this level of symmetry and relative simplicity, I’m a fan.
Continuity, not reinvention
On the wrist, the watch should feel remarkably light and balanced for a tourbillon. The dimensions place it firmly in the contemporary sweet spot for an integrated-bracelet sports watch, while the finishing looks fantastic and delivers the level of detailing collectors expect from Girard-Perregaux. Sure, these won’t be the volume sellers within the Laureato Fifty catalog, but I suspect that they’ll end up catching the eyes of those who want something more special than the traditional models.
Final thoughts
As mentioned, the Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm models aren’t for everyone, but they’re welcome additions and natural extensions of the lineup. Best of all, they don’t feel forced. The dimensions work well, and the visible tourbillon cage doesn’t detract from the design like so many others tend to do. The rub with a tourbillon, though, is always the price. Here, the blue-dial model retails for €97,200 / US$100,000 / £79,100, while the gold-dial version costs €92,800 / US$95,600 / £75,500. Yes, both are a lot of money, but they are in the same ballpark as the competition.
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