After successfully venturing into the sports watch field — even bringing home a 2023 GPHG award the Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit along the way — Laurent Ferrier is going back to where it all started by expanding its Classic Collection. Watches & Wonders 2024 hosted the official release of the Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon watches, which not only have an annual calendar but also feature the brand’s first moonphase complication. Available in two versions, Classic Moon Blue and Classic Moon Silver, both models don the signature case design that snagged the brand its first GPHG prize in the Best Men’s Watch category back in 2010.
The two variants of the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon watches are stainless steel with a gray-blue opaline dial and red gold with a satin-finished silver dial. Regardless of the material, the cases measure 40mm in diameter and 12.90mm thick and are water-resistant to 30 meters. The cambered bezel and arched lugs highlight the curviness of the watch case; “pebble-smooth curves” is how the brand refers to the appealing silhouette. Even the winding crown is round, resembling a juicy mandarin.
The back of the watch case reveals an expansive view of the beautifully decorated manual-winding movement, Caliber LF126.02 complete with an “Olivette” at the 6 o’clock position on the caseback to only allow Laurent Ferrier watchmakers access. Starting with its previous Annual Calendar Caliber LF126.01, Laurent Ferrier added over 30 new components, updated over 20 existing ones, and boosted the power reserve to 80 hours to create the new Caliber LF126.02. Like the previous caliber, the latest LF126.02 includes the power reserve indicator on the caseback-side of the movement rather than placing it on the more traditional dial side. The bridges are decorated with the famed Côtes de Genève whereas circular graining embellishes the mainplate. The edges and angles are beveled and polished by hand, as are all the recessed screw heads peppered throughout the movement.
This movement serves to power and regulate the annual calendar, moonphase display, and time-telling hands on the dial. There are two windows below 12 o’clock, set deep into the dial below 12 o’clock to indicate the day and the month while the date is displayed via a pointer hand stretching to the date ring around the periphery. On the Classic Moon Silver watch that hand is rendered in a delicious cherry red, matching the color of “31” on the date scale. On the other hand, the Classic Moon Blue features a pastel blue date pointer hand, in the same shade as all the numerals on the date ring except for “31,” which is a touch darker.
Both editions are home to the same moonphase display, made from aventurine glass and translucid enamel. The aventurine glass is first engraved with the silhouette of the moons and stars, and then details are hand-painted in white. Super-LumiNova is then applied before heading to the kiln to be fired up at high temperatures. Following that, the lumed surface is engraved yet again to mimic the craters of the lunar surface. The disk is then topped with a transparent petrol-blue enamel piece, creating a beautiful way to display the current phases of the moon in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. At the center of the disk sits the running seconds hand, pointing to the track encircling the subdial.
Given that the Classic Moon watches are annual calendars, March 1st is the only day out of the year (as long as the watches are kept running, of course) that the watches will need hands-on adjusting of the calendar indications. To do that, there’s a corrector at 8:30 to adjust the moonphase, another one at 10 o’clock to set the day and month, and the winding crown operates the date and time.
Impeccably elegant and flawlessly executed, there are so many wonderful details to take in when just looking at press pictures of the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon watches — I can only imagine that they would be even more impressive in person. The new Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Blue (ref. LCF039.AC.C1WC) in stainless steel will retail for 70,000 CHF and the Classic Moon Blue (Ref. LCF039.R5.G3N) in red gold will retail for 80,000 Swiss Francs. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
