Girard-Perregaux, the long-established manufacturer, introduces its first new flagship caliber in 30 years

The year 2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the Laureato, now an iconic model representing Girard-Perregaux. To celebrate its birth, the new core caliber GP4800 and the latest model equipped with it, the Laureato Fifty, have been announced. We put its true value to the test.

Girard-Perregaux's new flagship caliber, Cal. GP4800

　Girard-Perregaux's first in-house developed flagship caliber in nearly 30 years is the GP4800. Its power reserve has been extended to approximately 55 hours, and its unidirectional automatic winding mechanism, using ceramic ball bearings, ensures excellent winding efficiency and practicality for everyday use. These bearings incorporate a shock absorber to reduce winding noise and provide shock resistance. Performance advancements are evident in the escapement and regulator, the heart of any mechanical watch. The adoption of a non-magnetic silicon escapement not only provides antimagnetic and wear-resistant performance, but also reduces weight, improving the durability of the escapement, which is subject to even the most demanding stresses in mechanical watches, and contributing to the movement's long life. The regulator's balance wheel is a free-sprung type, eliminating the regulator index, and employs a variable inertia balance wheel whose rate can be adjusted using four white gold mass slots on the balance wheel. Furthermore, by firmly supporting the balance wheel on both sides, shock resistance and stability have been improved, and together with the silicon escapement, the movement has achieved the high precision and reliability required of a core caliber.

　As such, the highlights of Girard-Perregaux's modern, evolved flagship caliber are not just its performance. Its design also incorporates numerous elements that are emblematic of the company. The most notable feature is the three-bridge bridge that covers the entire movement. This bridge was inspired by the three bridges of the Three Bridges Tourbillon from a masterpiece pocket watch from 1867, one of the company's symbols, and has been reinterpreted for a modern flagship caliber.

　To mark the 50th anniversary of the Laureato, Girard-Perregaux announced the GP4800. It is a symbol of the pride of the manufacture, weaving together history with modern technology, and combining practicality with aesthetics.