Introducing The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm

The Girard-Perregaux Laureato's soft octagonal bezel has earned its place in collectors’ hearts - in fact, I've desired the 38mm version for 6 years. Much has changed since then, both in terms of recognition and retail prices, but Girard-Perregaux seems to have made all the right moves this year for its fiftieth anniversary. For me, the biggest thing has been the Laureato Fifty's redesigned 39mm case, but I’ll get back to that later.

With this latest release, the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm, MD Marc-Michel Amadry has nailed the notion of a halo model for the range, keeping the complexities slim, and introduces the fourth new calibre revealed by the brand in 2026. I am suitably impressed, as I was when I first laid eyes on this model earlier this year, still under a veil of secrecy.

Like the rest of the Laureato (graduate in Italian) collection that Nick Kenyon went hands-on with back in July, it is recognisable yet evolved. After all, continuity is the name of the wrist-game for the contenders in the still-blazing hot collector’s market for integrated bracelet chic. The Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm is a clear statement of that continuity and shows Amadry’s effort to unite five of the Manufacture’s enduring signatures in a single piece. Your eyes will quickly be drawn to the arrow-shaped Girard-Perregaux bridge at six o’clock, the lyre-shaped tourbillon cage, and the new yet familiar case architecture.

The new, broader shoulders of the 39mm case, with its slightly less rounded feel, takes on a slightly different persona than the existing 38 and 42mm families, but the two biggest changes are the dials in grand feu enamel, the first time seen on a Clous de Paris dial, and the broad, familiar bridge keeping that twirling tourbillon ballerina in place at the base of the dial. The second release has a more glitzy persona, with a dial cut from 18K solid gold that warmly contrasts with the steel. And the kicker is the fact that Girard-Perregaux has kept the thickness to a svelte 10mm, suitably impressive for a tourbillon movement.

These two top-tier interpretations of the Girard-Perregaux Laureato arrive at the close of a remarkable run of movement development. I have already mentioned it, but as the fourth entirely new in-house calibre unveiled in twelve months, the GP8410 movement completes a strong foursome. Under the caseback, the platinum and pink gold micro-rotor is a strong focal point, with its circular opening cutting across two horizontally split bridges, both engraved with the same Clous De Paris guilloché as the dial, with only the 72-hour spring barrel poking through at 11. The movement itself has a thickness of only 6.10mm, beating at at 3 Hz/21,600 vph rhythm, and is slim for a tourbillon calibre featuring a strong reserve of 72 hours, a full 3 days of autonomy.

This case design debuted in the 2025 limited edition Fifty, and even back then I started pining for a steel version, but the choice of blue surprised me, and still does. It is not an easy colour to get right, and though I enjoy the original darker blue of the Laureato in its 38mm and 42mm guise, the new tone nails a perfect middle ground. It is not too glacial and dazzling, or formally navy, but hits a note which in some lights reveals a subtle hint of green. Grand feu enamel is difficult to get right on a flat dial surface, so I applaud Girard-Perregaux's choice to go in this challenging, new direction, which adds another dimension. And I would be lying if I didn’t find the solid gold 18K dial equally alluring with its warm glow.

So, to sum it up, I think Marc-Michel Amadry has nailed it this year, and I am very much looking forward to seeing the twirl of the new tourbillon again this week at Geneva Watch Days, set in the more muscular yet slim 39mm case, on the refined bracelet now featuring a useful micro-adjustment, which will make it hard to hand back, I am sure. Stay tuned to our social media for wrist shots of this blue Laureato from Geneva later this week.

Brand: Girard-Perregaux
Model: Laureato Fifty Tourbillon Micro-Rotor 39mm
Diameter: 39mm
Height: 10mm
Case Material: Stainless steel
Bezel: Octagonal on a circular plinth
Crystal: Anti-reflective sapphire front and back
Indexes: Applied 18K solid gold filled with Super-LumiNova (blue emission)
Hands: Baton-type 18K solid gold, hours and minutes, with Super-LumiNova (blue emission)
Water Resistance: 50 metres (5 ATM)
Bracelet: Integrated steel, triple-folding clasp with up to 4mm fine adjustment

Blue Grand Feu Enamel execution
Reference: 99116-11-3528-1CM
Dial: Blue Grand Feu enamel with Clous de Paris guilloché pattern

18K Solid Gold execution
Reference: 99116-11-3615-1CM
Dial: 18K solid gold with Clous de Paris guilloché pattern

Calibre: GP8410, in-house
Functions: Hours, minutes, tourbillon
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Micro-rotor automatic
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Diameter: 30.40mm (13¼’’’)
Height: 6.10mm
Components: 207
Jewels: 31

Price: POA
Availability: From Girard-Perregaux authorised retailers, part of the permanent Laureato Fifty collection

For more, click here.