Introducing the Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin for Revolution & The Rake

The resulting timepiece, the Classic Origin Opaline, is a watch that is destined to make you smile, in that it is an expression of all that Ferrier loves. His wonderfully smooth Galet case shape, now in grade 5 polished titanium, is complemented with a uniquely stylized yet charmingly understated dial. I described Ferrier as a bridge between horology’s past and the present, constructed through nuanced details gleaned from vintage timepieces reaching as far back as the 19th century but perfectly reinterpreted for the modern day. Nowhere in his range is this more in evidence. Here, a unique combination of applied baton markers with printed indexes, a burgundy 13–24-hour scale (an amusing and unconventional addition) and continuous seconds subdial come together perfectly.

The movement has all of the codes that we’ve come to love in Laurent Ferrier’s watches. There are three wonderfully finished bridges and a balance cock. The top bridge which retains the barrel features Ferrier’s signature black-polished flat-blade ratchet spring. The second bridge retains the direct drive seconds bridge while the third bridge exists to retain the escapement wheel. Note the use of a shock absorber integrated into the jewel bearing of the escape wheel pinion for greater autonomy from micro-shocks. The fluid shape of this bridge is echoed in the beautiful almost bird-shaped balance cock. All bridges received a micro-sandblasted treatment which contrasts nicely with their polished bezels and sharp hand-made angles.

So the point is that this “simple” Laurent Ferrier is also one of his most appealing offers. But if given the opportunity to run creatively rampant on the Classic Origin, what watch would be the result? For the answer to that, we would need to go back to the popularization of the sector or scientific dial watches. They began in the 1920s as a way of more clearly delineating time and were used on both wristwatches and pocket watches. They featured a circular track where the hour indexes would radiate outward. This means that the hour hand would align perfectly with this track and there could be no mistaking its placement. On the perimeter of the dial, you would have a clearly printed minute track that would align with the minute hand to provide ultimate clarity. Seconds could either be placed in a subdial at six o’clock, or read off a central seconds hand.

Simply Ravishing Sector Dials

Laurent Ferrier has used the sector dial to great effect, in particular in his Galet Square with the Only Watch 2015 pièce unique, the two limited editions for Chicago’s Swiss FineTiming and even in a luminous version with the Borealis. But to me the most beautiful execution of this is the watch created by Aurel Bacs, the world’s greatest vintage watch auctioneer and expert. Around the time the Micro-Rotor watch emerged, Bacs came up with the idea of creating a pièce unique for himself with a sector dial. Using his extensive knowledge, he created what must objectively be called the most beautiful Laurent Ferrier watch of all time. It was so stunning that when he showed it to several of his team members at Phillips, including renowned experts and collectors Alex Ghotbi and Paul Boutros, they too wanted to order one. And finally the watch was anointed as an icon when it was also ordered by none other than the incredible Auro Montanari or John Goldberger, historian, author and collector ne plus ultra.

While I had the choice of titanium or steel, I selected steel. Why? Because first, I found this more appropriate for a scientific-style watch and second, because we wanted to mount the watch on a steel “beads of rice” bracelet made in Japan with straight end-links — this is our preferred way of wearing the watch. This bracelet was directly inspired by Auro Montanari and his wearing of his own Laurent Ferrier Micro-Rotor Aurel Bacs scientific model on a vintage steel Gay Frères “beads of rice” style bracelet. A second Alcantara strap with beige lining fitted with a Laurent Ferrier pin buckle.

Assembled by Order

We’ve sourced a second set of blued steel LumiNova-filled hands which are included with our Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Revolution & The Rake edition. We will be offering this watch by pre-order, please note to specify if you would prefer the luminous hands or the normal Assegai hands fitted, and we will include the second pair in your watch box.