Girard-Perregaux Turning Fifty with the Laureato New Calibre GP4800

When is a motion greater than the sum of its elements? There are numerous solutions to that however essentially the most helpful, if banal, is that this: when it drives the fingers to ship essentially the most regular charge attainable, whereas encased throughout the protecting shell of a case. Earlier than this, a motion is only a insurgent searching for a trigger, if you’ll; we will handle a greater metaphor right here. With System 1 season effectively and actually upon us, you would possibly take into account for those who would favor wanting on the engine and finding out its superior construction as an exhibit, or for those who would somewhat see it energy a race automobile, because it ought to.

All this preamble is only a method of mentioning the plain: Watch manufacturers have good causes to not current actions independently, not less than for the general public’s eyes. With the brand new Calibre GP4800, Girard-Perregaux scraped that specific little bit of the playbook. The truth is, though the embargo broke in September, the model has been speaking about this motion and the watches it should energy for a while now with choose press, of which WOW Singapore is one.

Regardless of tons of of years of producing historical past, 80 patents, greater than 30 energetic actions, with notable entries in 1998 (calibre 3300) and 2017 (calibre 1800), the La Chaux-des-Fonds model needs to make an impression with the brand new Calibre GP4800. The manufacture thinks that one of the simplest ways to navigate the chaos of our instances is methodically, and we agree.

We already printed the motion reveal on-line, however all embargoes have since handed so, after all, the precise assortment of watches is understood too: the Laureato, which celebrates its fiftieth birthday with this new calibre, the momentous Calibre GP4800, which we are going to henceforth seek advice from as GP4800.

On that notice, taking us by way of this motion reveal is Girard-Perregaux Managing Director Marc Michel-Amadry, who was appointed to his function earlier this 12 months. Michel-Amadry is an expert watch govt, other than a stint as Managing Director of Sotheby’s Switzerland. He was even based mostly proper right here in Singapore, working for LVMH, however Michel-Amadry is likely to be extra acquainted to observe commerce insiders for his final function. From 2017 to October final 12 months, he was the Chief Business Officer for IWC.

Additionally chiming in with particular market insights is Regional Model Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Nguyen Vuong Thong, though Michel-Amadry has some expertise on this space too. Given Michel- Amadry’s background, we merely needed to ask about what the story is with the Laureato, a sports activities magnificence watch, and the way it stands other than its many distinguished friends. Nevertheless, Michel-Amadry doesn’t suppose it actually has far more than superficial hyperlinks with different such watches.

“The Laureato was designed by Girard-Perregaux in-house and with an in-house motion when it was first launched in 1975, not a Jaeger-LeCoultre motion or one thing…however that’s necessary as a result of it’s a part of our DNA,” he says. He goes on to notice, accurately, that not one of the unique built-in bracelet watches have been a part of a pattern. Likewise, the Laureato’s attraction was outlined by itself phrases – it housed a big quartz motion that finally led to all watchmakers adapting its timekeeping frequency customary.

So, origin story apart, what truly is going on right here and does Girard-Perregaux not have already got its personal actions? In fact, to start with, the scenario with quartz is totally different in the present day, now that it’s now not a frontier value exploring for many watchmakers. We will dig in now, as we began on-line, with the brand new motion. That is actually nothing just like the debut of the Fixed Escapement L.M. in 2013 as a result of GP4800 is a Swiss lever automated motion. Because of this Girard- Perregaux has aspirations in thoughts that transcend the Laureato Fifty as effectively.

In contrast to a calibre that deploys radically totally different technical options, GP4800 is able to go proper from the beginning. It boasts compact dimensions, being simply 25.6mm in diameter and 4.28mm thick, and is envisioned as the bottom for future problems. Trying on the motion, there’s a clear callback to the structure of the model’s iconic Three Gold Bridges design. Here’s what the press launch says about it, so you may have it from the horse’s mouth. The veterinary overview will come later.

“GP4800 is fitted with a silicium escapement, that includes an escape wheel, pallet lever and curler, all crafted from the light-weight materials,” reads the presser, and we will verify that the one lacking factor not in silicon (recognized in French as silicium) is the hairspring. Clearly, there’s a plan to suit such a spring right here as a result of the steadiness is adjusted through the telltale screws on the steadiness wheel, somewhat than by adjusting the spring itself (silicon hairsprings can’t be adjusted; they’re manufactured as completely as attainable). We’re a bit of unclear on “curler” and a solution is forthcoming from the manufacture.

Michel-Amadry is happy concerning the potential of GP4800 when he confirms the structural nods within the motion to the aforementioned Three Gold Bridges. “I feel what’s fascinating is that individuals will instantly recognise that, when it comes to development, we began from scratch versus what we have now completed to date with the opposite conventional Girard-Perregaux actions. (The GP4800) is constructed round three bridges from steadiness wheels to the gear practice and barrels, and we launched lots of new functionalities.”

“So, this new motion can be hosted within the very particular restricted version 200-piece Laureato Fifty (which the model calls FIFTY, for the file),” Michel- Amadry continues. “We didn’t need this motion to be a part of the common assortment (for a begin). What we needed was for the primary use of GP4800 to be iconic and significant.

On this celebration piece (for the fiftieth anniversary of the Laureato), the concept is that it is a testomony to in-house mastery. Not solely when it comes to the way you produce but additionally the way you design, the way you conceive, and the way you develop (new watches).”

Trying on the motion, for those who think about it with out the oscillating mass, you will notice these three bridges – one for the steadiness, one for the gear practice and one for the barrel – clearly. As for the features Michel-Amadry talked about, these are actually options of the motion and embody the brand new escapement and the facility reserve of 55 hours, which he says would possibly go as excessive as 60 hours however Girard-Perregaux is being conservative, formally; for the file, most manufacture Girard-Perregaux actions have energy reserves within the 40-plus hours vary.

“Now we have additionally achieved higher chronometry, after all, with this new calibre. So, principally it’s an necessary enchancment,” mentioned Michel- Amadry.

The most important enchancment right here is within the space of reliability, each in accordance with the press supplies and Michel-Amadry, who’s extraordinarily upbeat concerning the efficiency of GP4800 over time. It’s positively a proven fact that there are fewer elements than in the usual 3000 collection and having an inexpensive energy reserve, a double steadiness bridge and good chronometric efficiency is an enormous deal in a motion that’s comparatively compact.

It’s also value noting that the automated winding system right here represents the very newest and bestest in all issues Swiss watchmaking. The skeletonised 18k gold oscillating mass is mounted on ball bearings with ceramic balls and a shock absorption system, with each being crucial in any respectable and strong calibre. The latter may also scale back a few of the noise from the rotor however that continues to be to be examined.

Past the structural issues, the calibre additionally seems nice, with a minimum of 10 various kinds of ending evident. To be clear right here, Girard-Perregaux doesn’t declare that these are all completed by hand – GP4800 shouldn’t be an artisanal motion.

That doesn’t preserve it from being simple on the attention although, with diamond bevelled edges on plates and bridges, vertical Côtes de Genève, mirror-polished screw heads, and sandblasting on the seen elements of the mainplate. Tellingly, GP4800 offers a sign of the place it is likely to be headed with this, and by the truth that even the surfaces that aren’t seen have been given the eye of the finneseurs – round graining graces the underside of the mainplate, as seen within the pictures.

All this leaves one matter largely unattended to, and that’s the Laureato Fifty. Effectively, we’re now not certain by any embargoes however the watch does deserve its personal house. For now, we are going to say that the mannequin differs from the unique most importantly in its 39mm dimension – the unique was out there in three sizes: 31, 33 and 35mm, in accordance with Vuong, and considerably simply confirmed with a little bit of Google sleuthing.

The press launch notes that the tonneau case has been reimagined with sharper angles, deeper bevels, a greater built-in bracelet (though it’s lacking the old-style center bit in gold, as a substitute bearing a extra typical gold center hyperlink), and a class-leading water resistance of 150m.

“I feel it’s essential actually have a look at the proportions (and the watch in individual) as a result of it seems like all the pieces is identical, when it comes to the prevailing Laureato, however principally all the pieces has modified,” says Michel- Amadry. There’s something to this, particularly whenever you examine this watch with current Laureato fashions, and it goes past the absence of the Girard-Perregaux emblem and the Laureato identify itself.

“The Laureato Fifty is the essence – the quintessence, in reality – of the Laureato,” Michel-Amadry continues. “It has all of the pedigree; it has all the most recent enhancements, in how we end the case and the way we conceive of design; and when it comes to the GP4800 motion, it has one thing that can be there for the subsequent 20 years! Subsequently, it’s actually essentially the most completed Laureato version we have now had to date.”

These are robust phrases to shut on, however that is actually only the start for the brand new Laureato. The following instalment on this collection will cowl the Laureato Fifty in additional element, together with the essential matter of worth. We dare say that for a metal and gold watch, with matching bracelet, the proposition is compelling – and there should not many bimetal references to match towards.

This story was first seen as a part of the WOW #81 Autumn 2025 Subject

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