To understand the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon, we need to first delve into the École Annual Calendar, which has always been something of a cult favorite. It may not be as dressy as the Classic and neither is it as athletic as the Grand Sport, but the École does always have a signature of its own. A contemporary tribute to Laurent Ferrier’s school piece which was a pocket watch featuring a sleek, elegant profile reminiscent of a pebble that’s been sculpted smooth by gentle running water. The annual calendar display here comes as a triple date format with twin windows for day and month plus an analog date on the circumference of the dial.

Often released as a limited edition, it is slightly more uncommon than other Laurent Ferrier watches, plus the annual calendar function is found nowhere else but in the École line — until now. For 2024 Watches & Wonders Geneva, Laurent Ferrier releases the Classic Moon, a new annual calendar watch which brings a couple of extra surprises to boot.

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon

Cased in the Classic collection’s sober 40mm size with reasonably svelte proportions measuring 12.9mm in height, the Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon reveals a new vision of the independent watchmaker’s annual calendar complication. Somewhat more contemporary yet without relinquishing the sense of timelessness one never fails to associate with Laurent Ferrier timepieces, here the familiar triple calendar display gets a minor facelift — notice how the day and month beveled windows sit side by side within a recessed segment just under 12 o’clock — but the star feature here is undoubtedly the new moon phase display.

Indeed, this is the first moon phase complication by Laurent Ferrier and so the independent watchmaker did well to make it extra special in design. Ensconced within the small seconds sub-dial, it is a double moon phase indicator providing phases of the moon as one would observe in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Crafted through a highly artisanal creation process, it consists of a dark blue moon disc moving according to the cycles of the moon and is made of aventurine glass sourced from Murano artisans. They’ve engraved the surface of the glass creating the shape of the moons and the stars, and then filled out the celestial bodies with hand-applied white paint.

Next, the moons and stars are hand-filled with SuperLumiNova and then fired at high temperatures, before going through a final engraving stage where the moons’ craters are sculpted by hand. As a final flourish, this beautiful moon phase disc is topped with a translucent petrol blue enamel applique which shields or reveals the moon disc underneath in order to display the various phases of the moon as it waxes and wanes across the starry night sky.

This translucent enamel applique offers a stunning view of the moon phases whenever daylight filters through the glass. However, when night falls, that’s when the Classic Moon really stands out. The twin moons glow with an ethereal beauty, emitting their own soft, shimmering light to illuminate the dial like it’s your own personal window into the universe.

For greater clarity, the watch marks out N for Northern hemisphere and S for Southern hemisphere for the moon phase display. Another feature you will find here is the running small seconds, which is indicated by the miniature baton pointer made of white lacquered or ruthenium-treated white gold.

Laurent Ferrier Caliber LF126.02

Working with the Caliber LF126.01 which is the current annual calendar movement found in the École Annual Calendar, Laurent Ferrier has essentially redesigned the existing caliber, not just to incorporate a moon phase complication but to refine and improve different aspects of the movement as well. It now has an 80-hour power reserve manually wound through the crown, and over 30 additional components added, ostensibly for the moon phase complication.

In addition, more than 20 components have been revised and optimized, and the watchmaker introduces a power reserve display on the back of the watch. As an annual calendar, this movement automatically takes account of every month with 30 or 31 days, so only once a year at the end of 31^st March does it require a manual adjustment to 1^st February. This is done via the flush fitted corrector set on the left side of the case at 10 o’clock.

Similarly, the moon phases can be adjusted via another flush fitted corrector located between 8 and 9 o’clock. Everything else is done via the ball-shaped crown which Laurent Ferrier fans have long since recognized as a trademark design of the brand. Likewise the long blade ratchet pawl with its hand-polished bassiné finish characteristic of all hand-wound Laurent Ferrier movements.

Variations in Silver and Blue

Emphasizing the poetic beauty of the moon and stars in a midnight sky, Laurent Ferrier creates the Classic Moon in two dial options, one in silver cased in 5N red gold and the other in grey-blue opaline cased in stainless steel. Both versions feature the same alluring moon phase display that glows in the dark but during the day the watches looks completely different.

The red gold model is paired with a silver dial that has been finished with a gentle vertical brushing which creates a subtle and delicate interplay of light. Reflecting the warmth of the red gold case, this piece also comes with touches of red on the date hand and number 31 on the date display. Wear it on a brown calf leather strap with matching Alcantara lining.

Contrastingly, the stainless steel model evokes a much more youthful and contemporary vibe. Its grey-blue dial with opaline finish injects a sense of urban modernity, as do the pastel blue numerals and date hand. But when taken in with those elongated Roman numerals and vintage-inspired date numbers, one immediately sees the Laurent Ferrier design language and timeless aesthetic. Worn on a hand-sewn dark grey Nubuck strap with soft Alcantara lining, this watch features painted white hands crafted in Laurent Ferrier’s now familiar Assegai shape inspired by the iron-tipped spears used in African tribal culture.

Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon