Manufacturer: Laurent Ferrier Year: 2019 Movement No: 797 Case No: 1/12 Model Name: Galet Micro-Rotor 40mm for Hodinkee Material: Titanium Calibre: Automatic, cal. FBN 229.01, 35 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: Titanium LF pin buckle Dimensions: 40mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by Guarantee, instruction manual, fitted box, loupe, polishing cloth, outer packaging and extra strap Literature: Laurent Ferrier and the Galet Traveler are prominently illustrated in Watchmakers, The Masters of Art Horology by Maxima Gallery pp 136-159.
Catalogue Essay
With their exquisite hand-finished movements and superbly classical styling, Laurent Ferrier’s timepieces have become one of the most desirable of the modern independent watchmakers.
As a successor to the immensely successful Galet Traveller released in partnership with HODINKEE in 2017, Laurent Ferrier and the online watch publication and retailer teamed up again in 2018 to release this highly limited iteration of the Galet Micro-Rotor, with only twelve examples being offered. The rarified collaboration was made even further exclusive, with it not being listed publicly on the website but instead offered only to select members of the Hodinkee community.
Crafted in lightweight titanium, the case is the classic Galet pebble-like form Laurent Ferrier is known for, both ergonomic and supple. The aesthetics of the dial have been completely pared back in this iteration, most notably in the lack of a subsidiary seconds indicator. Drawing inspiration from coveted vintage timepieces, the sector dial is made up of a central disc of opaline white and a gray, circular brushed outer track. Extremely thin lines, rather than traditional hour markers, break up the outer sector except for 12, 3, 6, and 9, and a delicate chemin de fer on the very edge of the dial allows the wearer to track the minutes. The resplendent movement finishing has been altered in this particular example to be treated with galvanic ruthenium, giving a darker tone to the movement that matches the outer track of the dial.
The present Galet Micro-Rotor Limited Edition is numbered one of twelve, accompanied by all its original accessories, and comes from the collection of the original owner. It is in excellent, hardly worn condition, and is the first example of this limited collaboration to come to the public market.
Introducing its first watch to critical acclaim in 2010, Laurent Ferrier was founded by long-time Swiss watchmaker of the same name. Following a 37-year career at Patek Philippe, Ferrier founded the brand in 2008, creating timeless wristwatches inspired by the finest wrist and pocket watches from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Revered by collectors around the world for their genuine innovations and understated elegance, the brand specializes in exquisitely hand-finished movements featuring state-of-the-art watchmaking technology. Galet, or "pebble" in French, describes the signature feature of the brand's cases used across its collection — with soft curves, domed crystals and rounded edges reminding one of a smooth pebble.
Key models include the Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral and the Galet Micro-Rotor, with stunning movement architectures designed after prestigious observatory chronometer movements of the twentieth century.