One year after its presentation, Laurent Ferrier offers its aficionados a new version of its Galet Micro-Rotor: an ultra-limited 18-piece platinum limited edition with a white grand feu enamelled dial. A high-performance “motor”, encased in precious bodywork exalting its understated elegance.
Inside this platinum case nestles a concentrated blend of horological innovations developed, finished and assembled at Laurent Ferrier. This calibre with automatic winding via an off-centred micro-rotor stems from an exclusive development inspired by Abraham-Louis Breguet's “natural” escapement. It demonstrates the effectiveness of combining a modern construction with cutting-edge materials.
NEW-GENERATION CALIBRE
The harmonious construction and the technical performances of the Galet Micro-Rotor (FBN Calibre 229.01) stem from a global approach envisaged for each of the movement parts, the goal being to optimise energy management – and ultimately to improve user friendliness thanks to more efficient winding. Since it was founded, Laurent Ferrier has been developing in-house movements endowed with a range of atypical and visually pleasing technical attributes. This micro-rotor calibre with its original horological construction proudly cultivates this distinction.
Invented in the late 18th century, the automatic winding system takes advantage of the wearer's arm movements to wind the barrel spring and thus store up the energy required to run the mechanism. The device has been consistently used and enhanced ever since. Laurent Ferrier sought to achieve a functional balance between the limited thickness of the automatic movement and the need to achieve a high degree of barrel-winding efficiency. Achieving this implied finding a system ensuring perfect winding in order to compensate for the lower inertia of a small oscillating weight.
Laurent Ferrier thus chose to develop a new silicon double direct-impulse escapement directly on the balance. Inspired by the “natural” escapement invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1789, this mechanism transmits two impulses per oscillation. Its excellence efficiency guarantees the high amplitude of the balance. The mechanical force required to wind the mainspring is thus reduced and the movement winding is in turn optimised.
This automatic winding mechanism is a unidirectional-winding pawl-fitted micro-rotor. This type of pawl mechanism is closer to that used in traditional horology and is above all more efficient over the long term. The micro-rotor is fitted with an 18K gold guilloché oscillating weight. This winding device is off-centred and housed on the mainplate between two bridges, fixed on an axis between two rubies. This ensures maximum stability compared with a conventional micro-rotor, thereby reducing the movement thickness and ensuring the clearest possible view of the construction.
ACCOMPLISHED AESTHETIC APPEAL
The curve of the 950 platinum case reflects the pure, restrained House style. It echoes the smooth pebble shape of the understatedly elegant models of 19th century horological history. It is fitted with a ball-shaped winding-crown to facilitate handling.
The white grand feu enamelled dial is punctuated by a small seconds subdial at 6 o'clock. It is swept over by “assegai-shaped” hour and minute hands and a baton-type seconds hand. Its perfect readability is ensured by the graphical layout of the eight hour-markers and the three painted black Roman numerals (XII, III and IX). The railtrack type minute circle and the small seconds subdial are painted in blue. This ultra-classical dial displays its strong aesthetic kinship with the rest of the Laurent Ferrier collection.
The exceptional finishing of the movement is crafted in the finest watchmaking traditions. In addition to a Côtes de Genève pattern on the bridges and circular graining on the mainplate, the flanks are hand-drawn, the wheel spokes are bevelled, the screw heads are polished, and the interior angles of the balance-cock are hand crafted with a burin. The sapphire crystal caseback provides a glimpse of the exquisite finesse of this work.
This limited edition of the Galet Micro-Rotor is fitted with a dark blue Alcantara-lined alligator leather strap. A pin buckle or double-blade folding clasp matching the colour of the case sets a refined finishing touch.
GALET MICRO-ROTOR LIMITED EDITIONREF. LCF-006TECHNICAL INFORMATIONMovement: FBN Calibre 229.01, automatic winding with pawl-fitted micro-rotor, 80-hour power reserveIndications: hours, minutes, small seconds at 6 o'clockMovement diameter : 14''' = 31.60 mmMovement thickness : 4.35 mmNumber of parts : 186Number of jewels : 34Frequency : 21,600 vph (3 Hz)Case : 950Pt platinum; hold with 5 screwsWater resistance : 30 mCase diameter: 41 mmCase thickness: 11.80 mm
Dial : white grand feu enamelled dial. Painted black Roman numerals (XI, III, IX) and baton-type hour-markers, Painted blue railtrack-type minute circle and small seconds at 6 o'clock
Hands: “assegai-shaped” in 18K gold for the hours and minutes, baton-shaped for the secondsStrap: hand-sewn dark blue alligator leather with Alcantara liningBuckle: 950Pt platinum pin buckle18-piece limited edition: : engraving on the back “Série limitée 18 pièces”
