Laurent Ferrier’s new watch is a masterpiece of understatement

We had no hesitation in including Laurent Ferrier in our list of the 25 greatest independent watchmakers in the world and today we are pleased to take a look at the latest watch from the small but powerful brand.

Since 2020, Laurent Ferrier has been creating small, limited edition collections for his community of watch lovers in his Série Atelier line. It started with the Classic Origin Green in 2020, followed in 2021 by the Ecole Annual Calendar with a navy blue dial and striking orange strap. Two magnetic green pieces – a Classic Micro-Rotor and a Classic Traveller – were unveiled in 2022, and a fun Sport Auto with a funky green dial and yellow hands was the star of 2023.

Laurent Ferrier likes to have a little fun with this Série Atelier collection, but this year they opted for an understated approach, capturing one of the qualities we love most about the brand’s watches. This year’s limited edition Série Atelier VI, 2024, is called the Classic Auto Sandstone and is a mix of the robustness of a sports watch and the elegance of the brand’s Classic line. The watch was designed to be both traditional and modern, and to suit both formal occasions and everyday wear.

Housed in a round, pebble-shaped stainless steel case, this sixth edition features a sandstone-colored dial that catches the light thanks to a vertical satin finish in the center and a circular satin motif for the railroad track and small seconds counter. The earthy and coppery tones of the dial give it an interesting vintage feel, making it subtle and discreet.

The dial is the focal point of this watch as every detail has been carefully considered, starting with the slate grey date on a white disc in an elegant frame. Notice how the aperture slopes gently to the right, drawing the eye to the date. Other elegant details include a central cross, spear-shaped white gold assegai hands, teardrop-shaped indexes and a recessed small seconds counter with slate grey markers and a baton hand, all of which fit together in a particularly appealing way.

It is no coincidence that the name Classic Auto coincides with the brand’s previous Sport Auto line, as they both share the same caliber LF270.01. This movement pays homage to Laurent Ferrier’s first automatic movement – the Micro-Rotor with natural escapement – and, like the first, was entirely designed, decorated, assembled and adjusted in-house. It features a Swiss lever escapement that uses an automatic winding system via a decentered micro-rotor. This movement is also equipped with a 950 platinum oscillating weight, mounted between the plate and the micro-rotor bridge. This has the advantage of ensuring precise timekeeping and optimal winding performance for a 72-hour power reserve.

The LF270.01 caliber requires a whopping 139 manual finishing operations, including chamfering and beveling of the internal and external angles, mirror polishing, circular graining and more, which can be admired through the sapphire crystal caseback. The wearer will also notice that the new platinum micro-rotor features a spring engraving, accompanied by angles indicating the winding direction.

Limited to 20 numbered pieces, this Série Atelier VI: Classic Auto Sandstone will be available exclusively on Laurent Ferrier’s website from August 29, 2024, priced at 50,000 CHF (approximately $59,300 at the time of this writing). The pieces will be available on a first-come, first-served basis and will be quickly delivered to their new owners.