Just like his father, and his father’s father, Laurent Ferrier is a watchmaker. In 2010, he ensured his family’s position in the industry by setting up his own manufacture, which makes around 120 watches per annum, all of which are engraved with the patronymic name.
Today, collectors from all over the world seek timepieces with the word "Ferrier" on the dial. But they remain notoriously difficult to collect. In London, only one address has them. Exclusivity was granted to William & Son in 2012, and the Mayfair-based retailer has become a destination for Laurent Ferrier enthusiasts.
For their clients, William & Son have asked Laurent Ferrier to create a special 18k rose-gold limited edition of the manufacture’s new Galet Traveller Midnight Blue, using gold-leaf to highlight the United Kingdom’s position on the enamel dial.
The UK-only edition, nicknamed the Night Blue, is based on the manufacture’s first practical complication, the Galet Traveller, which displays home time at 9 o’clock, and travel time via the hour and minute hands. Crucially, it features a date that is tied to travel time.
As ever, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Traveller is 41 mm in diameter and 10 mm thick, though the bombé case and presence of domed-shaped crystals on either side exaggerate the dimensions of the watch on the wrist.
The remarkable architecture of the LF 230.1 movement – which offers 80 hours of power reserve and functions with a so called "natural" escapement – is visible through the sapphire case back. No changes have been made to it, though the name of the British retailer has been engraved at 12 o’clock. The natural escapement was invented by Breguet and was named by him the échappement naturel. It's a high precision escapement, with advantages over the lever, but due to the additional difficulties in constructing it, especially in a wristwatch, it's seldom used today (for a look at other watches using variations on it, see here).
The Galet Traveller Globe Night Blue for William & Son will be limited to five pieces, and will be offered for £62,900.00 (including VAT). This is the second watch made especially for William & Son, following another limited edition of five Galet Squares.
