Two Centuries of Watchmaking Converge in a Single Timepiece
Girard-Perregaux has marked the Laureato’s 50th anniversary with a watch that needed no fanfare, yet arrives as one of the year’s most compelling releases. The Laureato Three Gold Bridges unites the manufacture’s two most significant design codes: the 1975 Laureato sports watch and the Three Bridges architecture that dates to 1867.
The technical achievement here is considerable. The new calibre GP9620 arranges its barrel, gear train, and tourbillon along a single axis, each component secured by one of three arrow-shaped white gold bridges. It’s a rare configuration that manages to be both mechanically sound and visually arresting. The platinum micro-rotor sits discreetly behind the barrel, maintaining the movement’s transparency whilst delivering 55 hours of power reserve.
What distinguishes the Three Bridges design is its origins. Constant Girard conceived it in 1867 not as a skeleton watch in the traditional sense, but as an architecture where the structure itself became the aesthetic. Rather than hollowing out an existing movement, he designed the bridges as integral to both function and form. That philosophy remains evident in this contemporary interpretation.
What sets this apart from typical skeleton watches is the finishing. Girard-Perregaux’s master watchmakers have executed 418 hand-polished bevels, including 362 internal angles. These inward corners, notoriously difficult to perfect, create shifting plays of light across the movement. Each piece carries the signature of the individual watchmaker who assembled it, a detail that feels appropriate rather than contrived. The tourbillon cage, crafted in titanium, takes the iconic lyre shape that’s appeared in the manufacture’s work since the 19th century.
The redesigned 41mm case represents a refinement of the Laureato’s familiar geometry. At 10.85mm thick, it wears comfortably despite housing a tourbillon movement. The octagonal bezel now features a more pronounced polished bevel against circular satin finishing, whilst the integrated bracelet includes a tool-free adjustment system that extends up to 4mm. White gold indexes float above the movement, glowing blue in low light. These are the sorts of details that matter in daily wear.
Girard-Perregaux offers a diamond-set version with 32 baguette-cut stones totalling approximately 3.2 carats. The stones follow the bezel’s octagonal form, widening subtly at each corner to accommodate varying sizes. It’s executed with more restraint than you might expect, though the standard steel and white gold version makes the stronger case for itself.