Girard-Perregaux goes multifaceted with the new Laureato Three Gold Bridges
Borna Bošnjak- The Laureato Three Gold Bridges marks the second part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of Girard-Perregaux’s sports watch.
- Housing a new tourbillon calibre, the Laureato Three Gold Bridges is cased in a 41mm steel case with optional baguette-cut diamond setting.
- It’s priced at €178,000 for the 50-piece run in steel, and €241,000 for the white gold-bezelled, gem-set variant that is curiously not limited.
Just a month after unveiling the Laureato Fifty tribute model that looked to pay homage to what was, Girard-Perregaux calls upon its modern, avant-garde ethos to reimagine an even older brand hallmark. Like the Fifty, the Laureato Three Gold Bridges is unveiled as a model to celebrate five decades of the integrated bracelet model, presenting a new, tourbillon-regulated movement housed in a stainless steel case with an optional, and quite special, baguette setting.
Highlighted by the three vertically aligned rubies, the Laureato Three Gold Bridges (TGB, going forward) shows off Girard-Perregaux’s signature movement construction, with the upper bridge responsible for the openworked barrel and micro-rotor, the central holding up the gear train and keyless works, and the lower acting as the support structure of the tourbillon. Hewn from white gold, their finishing mirrors that of the Laureato’s scalloped bezel, with sharp facets and interior angles. In fact, the press release quotes 418 hand-polished bevels and 362 inward angles – an impressive feat from both a technical and visual perspective.
Girard-Perregaux is so proud of the human involvement in making the Laureato TGB, in fact, that each watch bears a small plate deep within the bowels of the movement bearing an engraving of the assembling watchmakers’ initials. This is something I’ve not seen before from an established watchmaking house, as their movements are usually the handiwork of several different departments, with usually only the final assembly being done by one watchmaker.
And since we’re talking about finishing already (how could you not, it’s front and centre!), let’s mention the movement in more depth. The GP09620-2206 is a new in-house effort by Girard-Perregaux, and its architecture is better revealed looking through the sapphire caseback, though it still has some tricks up its lugs. For starters, it might look like a manually wound movement, but I did say it has a micro-rotor, its platinum oscillating mass fully hidden between the two bridge layers holding up the barrel and the remainder of the winding mechanism.
The aesthetic consideration also informed the design of the flow of power in the movement, being stored at the top, passing through the gear train in the centre, and powering the escapement at 6 o’clock. It’s a slow-beating tourbillon in this case, coming in at 3Hz, and beating for up to 55 hours.
If the reflective, polished surfaces weren’t quite blingy enough, Girard-Perregaux is also launching a diamond-set Laureato TGB variant. Here, the bezel is upgraded to white gold to match the dial bridges and gets outfitted with 32 baguette-cut diamonds totalling approximately 3.2 carats. I can respect gem-set watches for their craftsmanship, but they’re usually not something that aligns with my aesthetic preferences. Every once in a while, though, they’re so well-integrated that I’d have a hard time choosing – in the hypothetical world where I’m tossing up the purchase of a six-figure watch. This is one of those times, as the baguettes really do elevate the octagonal bezel.
Whichever model you choose, they share a main case and bracelet in stainless steel, measuring 41mm in diameter, and around 11mm thick (10.85mm for the steel, 11.25mm for the gem-set). At 30 metres of water-resistance, some robustness was clearly sacrificed for this complicated model, though I’m not quite sure it had to be. This is just a tourbillon after all, operated by a single crown, so I would’ve liked to see at least 50 metres of water-resistance for what is meant to be a sports model for the brand. Alas, I don’t think that’ll be a dealbreaker for anyone intending on picking one up.
For an integrated bracelet watch, the bracelet is an integral part of the wearing experience (all puns intended). When it comes to any Laureato, you’re in luck. The H-link style is composed of small, flat links that are very comfortable on the wrist, though surprisingly no quick-change options that should really be standard these days. When it comes to the clasp, however, you can have your cake and eat it, too. It’s a butterfly style, meaning it’ll hide away nicely when closed, but it also features 4mm of toolless adjustability – a great feature.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Three Gold Bridges pricing and availability
The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Three Gold Bridges is available in two variants – a 50-piece limited edition in steel, and a non-limited variant with baguette-cut diamond setting of the white gold bezel. Price: €178,000 (steel), €241,000 (diamond-set)
| Brand | Girard-Perregaux |
| Model | Laureato Three Gold Bridges |
| Reference Number | 99112-58-3576-1CM (steel) 99112-58S3451-1CM (diamond-set) |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 10.85mm (T) (steel) 41mm (D) x 11.25mm (T) (diamond-set) |
| Case Material |
Stainless steel
Stainless steel, diamond-set white gold bezel |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and rear |
| Dial | Open |
| Lug Width | Integrated |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet, butterfly clasp with micro-adjust |
| Movement | GP09620-2206, in-house, micro-rotor automatic |
| Power Reserve | 55 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds on tourbillon |
| Availability | 50 pieces (steel) Standard production (diamond-set) |
| Price | €178,000 (steel) €241,000 (diamond-set) |