The Girard-Perregaux Laureato appeared in 1975 — three years after the Royal Oak, one year before the Nautilus. It has the same brief as both: an integrated-bracelet luxury sport watch in steel, designed to make the case that sport and elegance are not opposed categories.
For fifty years it has existed in the shadow of its more famous contemporaries. The Fratello hands-on from this week put it directly — the Laureato Fifty steel is entering "the horse race" against the Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF and other integrated-bracelet competitors at this price tier.
The steel Laureato Fifty is now permanent collection, not limited edition. It starts at approximately $23,100 for the rose gold dial variants and reaches $28,320 for the blue enamel version — genuinely steep, but in a different conversation than the Royal Oak at $32,500 or the Nautilus at $89,767.
Images in this post are AI-generated for editorial illustration. They may not represent the exact watch configuration. For accurate product photography, visit girard-perregaux.com.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Fifty 39mm, blue enamel dial, Calibre GP4800, $28,320. Now permanent collection. AI-generated editorial image.
The Watch Itself
The Laureato Fifty steel enters the permanent collection with four references across two sizes — 39mm and 36mm — and three dial options: blue enamel (no date, 39mm only), rose gold-coated (with date, both sizes), and a 36mm diamond-set variant.
The 39mm blue enamel is the one to focus on. At 10.2mm thick with a 46mm lug-to-lug measurement, it is genuinely slim for an integrated bracelet sport watch — thinner than the Royal Oak Selfwinding 41mm (10.4mm) and meaningfully thinner than the Vacheron Overseas 41mm (11mm). The octagonal bezel on a circular plinth — the Laureato's defining geometry since 1975 — creates a distinctive shadow line on the case that differentiates it clearly from the Royal Oak's hexagonal porthole and the Nautilus's rounded octagon.
The bracelet is new on this generation: shorter, flatter lugs give sharper edges, and a hidden microadjustable clasp allows on-the-fly sizing without tools. Fratello's hands-on confirmed the bracelet comfort improved significantly from the previous generation.
Inside is the Calibre GP4800: 28,800 vph, 55-hour power reserve, silicon escapement, variable-inertia balance, height of just 4.28mm. The movement's architecture draws from GP's signature Three Bridges design principle. Visible through the sapphire caseback is a partially skeletonised gold oscillating weight — not merely functional, genuinely finished.
The copper rose gold dial variant — with date at 3 o'clock, available in both 39mm and 36mm. AI-generated editorial image.
The Heritage Argument
The Laureato predates the Nautilus. That fact is underappreciated. The Royal Oak arrived in 1972; the Laureato in 1975; the Nautilus in 1976. All three emerged from the same cultural moment — the push by Swiss luxury brands to make steel sport watches feel desirable rather than utilitarian.
Where the Royal Oak and Nautilus became cultural shorthand for the genre, the Laureato remained a connoisseur's watch. That is precisely the condition that creates pre-owned value.
Pre-owned Laureatos from the 2016 generation trade at $7,000–$12,000 on Chrono24 — a steep discount to current $23,000–$28,000 retail. For buyers who want the Laureato design without the new-generation premium, the 2016 reference at $8,000–$10,000 pre-owned is a strong entry.
The new steel Fifty at $23,100–$28,320 is too new to have a meaningful pre-owned market. Secondary examples will appear at or above retail for 12–18 months.
The Laureato at 39mm / 10.2mm — genuinely slim, formal when required, distinct from both the Royal Oak and Nautilus. AI-generated editorial image.
How It Compares
| Watch | Size | Thickness | Movement | Retail |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP Laureato Fifty 39mm | 39mm | 10.2mm | GP4800 (silicon) | $28,320 |
| AP Royal Oak Selfwinding | 41mm | 10.4mm | Cal. 4302 | $32,500 |
| Vacheron Overseas 4500V | 41mm | 11mm | Cal. 5100 (silicon) | $24,200 |
| Patek Nautilus 5811 | 41mm | 8.3mm | Cal. 26-330 (silicon) | $89,767 |
The Laureato sits between the Overseas and the Royal Oak on price while being thinner than both. For buyers who want the integrated bracelet design vocabulary without the Nautilus premium, the Laureato and Overseas are the two honest alternatives. The Overseas has better global brand recognition. The Laureato has the better 1975 design argument. Movement quality is comparable — both silicon escapements in in-house calibres.
Laureato versus Royal Oak — the integrated bracelet design that arrived three years later but costs $4,000 more new. AI-generated editorial image.
The Pre-Owned Play
The most important thing for a pre-owned buyer: the Laureato punches significantly above its secondary market recognition. A 2016-generation Laureato at $8,000–$10,000 offers genuine integrated-bracelet luxury at a fraction of Royal Oak pre-owned pricing ($70,000+ for the Jumbo).
The new steel Fifty will be the better buy in 2027–2028 as the market normalises. For now, buying new is the only reliable route to the GP4800 and updated bracelet.
The Vacheron Overseas post covers the most direct alternative for buyers who want integrated bracelet sport at below-hype pricing.
The GP4800 through the sapphire caseback. Three Bridges-inspired architecture at 4.28mm height. AI-generated editorial image.
Browse GP Laureato pre-owned at 5dwatches.com/shop.