More than an art of living, travel is about returning to the essentials of life. LAURENT FERRIER dedicates this No.3 “Série Atelier” to those who are not willing to sacrifice beauty for the sake of comfort when travelling. This new version of the Classic Traveller with dual time zones features a polished titanium case with a gracefully sunburst magnetic-green dial and a forest-green nubuck strap. In line with previous editions, this Classic Traveller Magnetic Green “Série Atelier” is produced in a limited edition of just 15 pieces, available exclusively on the www.laurentferrier.ch website.

Trying on a LAURENT FERRIER is like entering a parallel watchmaking world without realising it. At first glance, everything appears minimalist and classic. But the longer you look, the more you are struck by the multitude of exceptional details that distinguish the design of LAURENT FERRIER watches. More than 40 years of experience in watchmaking culture have led Mr Laurent Ferrier to apply the principles of omnipresent attention and meticulous work in his aesthetic creation. His vision is to create every watch component with passion and extreme care. The Classic Traveller is no exception.

A MAGNETIC DIAL
The first striking element is the watch’s overall balance and harmony. The gentleness of the dial is enhanced by a graceful shade of green. A central sunburst electrifies the mineral nuances of the dial. In addition to creating a multitude of shimmering green reflections, this finish reveals the multiple faces of the dial, depending on its exposure to light. The dual texture adds character to the dial, as the central sunburst is surrounded by a soft circular satin-finish. This magnetic green is intensified by the deep green of the nubuck strap.

The 18ct white gold drop-shaped applied hour-markers complete the dial. Their sophistication goes beyond their fine, elongated form: they are a three-dimensional creation. Wider and higher on the outside, they become narrower across all three planes as they approach the centre. Their surface is soft, rounded and perfectly polished. The last detail to draw the gaze is the studs with rounded heads in polished gold that replace these hour markers at 3 and 9 o’clock, where the counters prevent the use of long indexes. The result in no way compromises the harmonious rhythm of the twelve markers.

The small seconds at 6 o’clock are set back from the thickness of the dial, paradoxically highlighting it. Its transferred Arabic numerals in slate grey display extreme finesse. The loops and curls of its 1920s-style cursive typeface are set inside an elaborate grid where the track and ten-second sections are marked on a barely perceptible snailed surface. Characterised by a pattern of concentric circles, its geometry demarcates a space for the hand to express itself.

This extremely slender, baton-shaped seconds hand is balanced by a slightly domed counterweight in a curved shape favoured by the brand and dotted over the dial of the Classic Traveller “Série Atelier”. And it is this raised form that is also found on the stamped hour and minute hands, anchored in the centre. They adopt LAURENT FERRIER’s favourite Assegai shape, resembling long, tapered spears. Beyond the surprise discovery of their cut, the eye is drawn back to the dial’s shine, reflections and subtle domes

A LIGHT CASE
The bewitching magnetic-green dial is housed in a 41mm grade 5 titanium case. This case offers the softness, domes and curves typical of the “pebble-shaped” cases created by LAURENT FERRIER from the very beginning. Its sides, bezel and lugs are polished. This gives the Classic Traveller “Série Atelier” a flattering finish, just as precious as white gold, but with its wearability transformed by the properties of titanium. Four times lighter than 18ct white gold, it makes the Classic Traveller “Série Atelier” ultra-light, with a weightless feel on the wrist. Titanium is also scratch-resistant thanks to its hardness. It is simply rubbed with a gentle, caressing touch to achieve an immaculate shine. Obtaining a brilliant finish on such rounded and softened surfaces is demanding work, particularly on the recessed surfaces of the correctors. This uncompromising choice was made with a single aim in mind: ensuring that every aspect of the Classic Traveller “Série Atelier” is pleasant to wear and to touch, and, as a traveller’s watch, contributes to the wearer’s comfort.

EASY TO USE
The Classic Traveller joined the LAURENT FERRIER catalogue in 2013. Previously, the brand offered a tourbillon with a double balance-spring or a micro-rotor with a natural escapement, and launched this new GMT watch that did not call itself by this name, nor did it have a classic look.

Rather than the traditional second hour hand in the centre, or off-centre in a dedicated sub-dial, LAURENT FERRIER opted for a remote time display on a disc, visible through an aperture at 9 o’clock. By placing it directly opposite the date aperture at 3 o’clock, the Classic Traveller introduced a symmetrical element to the dial, reinforcing the sense of harmony and proportion that was already apparent.

The hour hand located in the centre represents local time, the one that is read first, at all times of day. It is also the one that is changed when travelling across time zones, by means of the corrector push-buttons, which cause the hand to jump from hour to hour depending on the distance travelled, forwards or backwards.

The time displayed in the window at 9 o’clock is the distant time, or Home Time. It remains constant regardless of travel and is therefore controlled directly by the crown. And to reflect the fluid nature of passing time, it has a trailing disc.

A CALIBRE THAT STANDS THE TEST OF TIME
To bring these functions to the wrist, LAURENT FERRIER has chosen its LF230.02 calibre, a self-winding movement with a micro-rotor and natural escapement, designed in collaboration with La Fabrique du Temps. It also benefits from the highest level of finishes, for which LAURENT FERRIER is one of the most emblematic figures. The finely circular-grained mainplate, the hand bevelled bridges decorated with a horizontal rhodium-plated satin finish, the mirror-polished openwork anchor bridge revealing exceptional hand-crafted interior angles, the mirror-polished and hand-bevelled rotor bridge, and the bevelled and guilloché rotor are just some of the details that bring texture, brilliance and distinction to the watch and make it a traditional timepiece of the highest quality. The Classic Traveller offers an unobstructed view of the micro-rotor with its unidirectional 18ct gold oscillating weight, thanks to its sapphire crystal case-back.

This escapement with a double direct impulse to the balance wheel, which is as rare as it is complex to produce, was inspired by the father of modern watchmaking, AbrahamLouis Breguet. It refers to a system with two escapement wheels, operating alternately and transmitting their energy directly to the balance wheel. This is called direct impulse to the balance wheel because it is not the anchor that gives the impulse to the balance wheel as in the classic Swiss anchor escapements, but the escape wheel, which is much more efficient in terms of performance. As the escapement wheel can only rotate in one direction, a second escapement wheel completes the set to send the impulses to the balance wheel alternately. They interact with an anchor in silicon, an ultra-light, selflubricating material. The gain in efficiency thus achieved is directly reflected in its autonomy, as the Classic Traveller offers a substantial power reserve of more than 72 hours.