Laurent Ferrier

"Simplicity, precision, and pure, uncluttered beauty." That is how independent Swiss watchmaker Laurent Ferrier describes his watchmaking philosophy. However, behind the modest appearance, you'll find a world of complex mechanics. The manufacturer is famous for their iconic micro-rotor, and select models boast intricate complications, such as minute repeaters, tourbillons, GMT functions, and annual calendars.

White and rose gold are Laurent Ferrier's materials of choice, though some entry-level pieces are available in stainless steel or titanium. Popular collections include the Square, the Classic, and the École.

Ferrier founded his company in Geneva in 2008. Only two years later, he won the men's watch prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) for his Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral. Since then, Ferrier has taken home two more GPHG prizes, one in 2015 and another in 2018.

Laurent Ferrier crafts their watches from only the finest materials, and some editions are strictly limited. Exclusive in-house calibers and a large degree of handicraft are par for the course. Together, these factors contribute to higher prices, which begin around 21,000 USD for timepieces like the stainless steel Bridge One. At the next level up, you'll find watches like the gold Galet Annual Calendar selling for roughly 47,000 USD. One of the manufacturer's top models is the Grand Sport Tourbillon, of which only 12 copies exist. This edition has a list price of 172,000 CHF (approx. 188,000 USD).

In 2017, Laurent Ferrier introduced the Micro-Rotor Régulateur École. As its name implies, this is a regulator watch, meaning it uses separate displays for the hours, minutes, and seconds. A large central hand represents the minute, while the hours and small seconds sit at 12 and 6 o'clock, respectively. The dial itself is silver with vertical satin brushing. Inside the watch, you'll find the in-house caliber FBN228.01 with a micro-rotor. This movement has a balance frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (vph) and a 72-hour power reserve.

The Régulateur École's case is available in white gold or stainless steel and measures 40 mm in diameter. Purchasing this model requires some patience and persistence, as it is a rare sight on Chrono24. List prices for these watches come in at 40,000 USD for the stainless steel version and 55,000 USD for the white gold edition.

Introduced in 2010, the Classic Tourbillon comes in your choice of white, rose, or yellow gold. Its design is timelessly elegant and calls to mind images of 19th-century pocket watches. However, at 41 mm in diameter, this watch also looks great on larger wrists.

Laurent Ferrier pairs each case material with a different dial color: onyx for white gold, ivory for rose gold, and white for yellow gold. The manufacturer crafts the last two dial variants out of enamel. Stamped Roman numerals adorn the dial alongside the company and model names.

A sapphire crystal case back provides a view of the manual caliber LF916.01 within. This movement boasts a tourbillon with double springs. A pair of central hands displays the hours and minutes, and the small seconds sits at 6 o'clock. The LF916.01 ticks at a rate of 21,600 vph and has an 80-hour power reserve. The Besançon Astronomical Observatory in France certifies the movement's precision.

Regardless of the case material, prices for a Laurent Ferrier Classic Tourbillon generally come in at around 82,500 USD.

The Classic Origin collection contains two models: the Green from the Série Atelier and the Opaline. Laurent Ferrier introduced these two timepieces in honor of the brand's 10th anniversary in 2020. Both watches feature a 40-mm titanium case.

The Classic Origin Green comes with a dusty green gradient dial. An hour track with yellow numerals runs around the dial's outer edge. The small seconds also features yellow indices and sits at 6 o'clock. The manufacturer chose 18-karat white gold for the hands.

The Classic Origin Opaline features a beautiful silvery-white opaline dial with burgundy markers for the hours 13-24 around the dial's edge; these sit upon a slate gray railroad minute track. The small seconds track is also burgundy, while the hands and hour indices are made of 18-karat white gold.

Laurent Ferrier developed the manual calber LF116.01 specifically for this timepiece. You can view this movement through the sapphire crystal case back. Its bridges have a black rhodium finish and hand-polished edges, and its balance ticks at a frequency of 21,600 vph. Fully wound, this movement has an 80-hour power reserve.

If you would like to purchase this model, be prepared to spend roughly 28,500 USD.

The Galet Annual Calendar Montre École collection is home to various watches with annual calendars. Each timepiece has a 40-mm case, which Laurent Ferrier offers in rose gold, yellow gold, and stainless steel. No matter which material you choose, it will have a user-friendly push-piece at 10 o'clock that you can use to set the day forward or backward. The calendar function can account for months with either 30 or 31 days and only requires manual correction once a year on March 1st. This is all possible thanks to the hand-wound in-house caliber LF126.01 with an 80-hour power reserve.

Like other Laurent Ferrier watches, the dial design is elegant and to the point. The date display combines a scale around the dial's edge with a central pointer, and the months and days appear in windows below 12 o'clock. Across the dial, there's a small seconds at 6 o'clock. Hands for the hours and minutes and narrow indices combine to show the time. Finally, leather straps hold these timepieces securely on the wrist.

Laurent Ferrier produces versions of the Galet Annual Calendar Montre École in rose gold, yellow gold, and stainless steel. In terms of the dial, you can choose from black, blue, or opaline white. While the steel edition costs around 35,500 USD, the gold versions sell for about 43,500 USD.

Other interesting Galet Annual Calendar models include the "Vintage," the "School Piece" Opaline, the "Geneva Edition," and the Navy model from the Série Atelier II. The "Vintage" debuted in 2020 and combines a yellow gold case with a champagne dial. Laurent Ferrier only produced 5 copies of this timepiece. Both the "School Piece" Opaline and "Geneva Edition" premiered in 2019. While the former combines a yellow gold case with a black or white opaline dial, the latter has a stainless steel case and an opaline dial in a warm autumn hue. Finally, Laurent Ferrier announced the Annual Calendar Navy in 2021. This stainless steel model comes with a navy blue dial and several orange design elements. For the strap, you can choose between blue or orange nubuck leather. All four timepieces upon release had a list price of 50,000 CHF (approx. 54,500 USD).

Swiss watchmaker Laurent Ferrier is the creative mind and founder of his namesake brand. Ferrier comes from a long line of watchmakers and began learning the craft at a young age. By the early 1970s, he was already working for Patek Philippe, where he spent a total of 37 years. Ferrier took a short hiatus from his watchmaking career in the late 1970s, which he spent as a race car driver on some of the world's most prestigious race tracks. He even participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans several times.

In 2008, Laurent Ferrier decided to establish his own company. Only two years later, he introduced the award-winning Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral.