Hands-On With The Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone — Finally, Someone Who Takes The Date Window Seriously
If one thing is true about Laurent Ferrier’s watches, it’s that his designs are boldly understated. The watches don’t try to impress anyone with skeletonized dials, and the case shapes are nothing out of the ordinary. These aren’t watches you wear because you want to impress people from a distance. With timepieces like these, it’s all about the details. You wear a Laurent Ferrier watch because you thoroughly enjoy the attention to detail. These are watches made for their wearers’ pleasure, not for others around them. The very same is true of the brand’s new Classic Auto Sandstone with its three-dimensional wide-screen date window.
As Mike mentioned in his introduction article, Laurent Ferrier must have made this watch with specific customers in mind. I, like Mike, would much prefer to have this watch without a date window. But we also know many people would never buy a watch without one. The majority of the brand’s watches have no date window, so why not introduce a limited edition that features a nicely executed one? Now, let’s take a closer look at the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone.
A date window isn’t “just” a date window
I won’t go over all the specs of the Classic Auto Sandstone because Mike already did so in his introduction. I’ll simply zoom in on some of the most striking details of the watch, starting with its peculiar date window. For the record, this is not the first time Laurent Ferrier has presented a watch with a date window. Heck, even the same angled three-dimensional execution was present in the cushion-shaped Sport Auto. However, as the name already suggests, that is a sportier watch. A date window somehow goes well with that concept.
On a dressier piece, though, that might not necessarily be the case. Just take a quick look at the other watches in the brand’s portfolio. Many of them don’t have a date window. That is, of course, a deliberate choice. Those time-only watches simply look so clean and well balanced. A date window would mess up the equilibrium. Adding a complication causes the character of a watch to change. That’s why when Laurent Ferrier adds a complication, he does so with full dedication. We’ve seen that on the Classic Moon, and we see it again now on the Classic Auto Sandstone.
Laurent Ferrier is a View-Master
When I look at the Classic Moon and its wide-screen day/month aperture, it reminds me of my old View-Master with its two peepholes. It’s not like Laurent Ferrier simply cut two holes into the dial, oh no. The angled openings let your eyes slide toward the information on the discs underneath. The day/month display sits right in the middle of the dial’s top half, keeping the overall design nicely balanced. On the Classic Auto Sandstone, however, the date window is at 3 o’clock, which makes it much harder to end up with a balanced dial design.
That’s why the arced sides were added to match the dial’s round shape and why the crosshairs are there to figuratively hold on to the date window. What it also suggests, at least to me, is that the date window can disappear. It’s almost like it’s a visualization that can be activated and deactivated with a push of a button. When I push that imaginary button, the date window folds itself together again and turns into one of the beautiful, elongated drop-shaped hour markers. Meanwhile, the crosshairs retreat, and the whole thing looks uniform. Yes, that’s what it is — a Transformer date window.
Every detail counts, also on the back
All right, that might be taking it one step too far, but at least it shows you what a great design can do with one’s imagination. All I want to say is that Laurent Ferrier finally gave the date window the necessary attention it deserved. This, of course, is no surprise in a watch in which every detail has a right to exist and a designated purpose. Again, the 18K white gold elongated indexes look utterly stunning with the Sagaïe-inspired hands made of the same material. Then, there’s the vertically and circularly brushed coppery dial, which sublimely plays with the light. And let’s not forget about the double-stepped sub-dial with one of the finest azurage textures I’ve ever seen.
Put all that together with the smooth pebble-shaped 40mm stainless steel case and the unsigned onion-shaped crown, and you’ve got yourself an understated but impressive-looking watch. I also appreciate how Laurent Ferrier adapted the movement’s finishing to the dressier style of the Classic collection.
The Sport Auto houses the same LF270.01 automatic movement. However, it has quite an industrial look with its ruthenium-coated and brushed surfaces. On the new Classic Auto Sandstone, however, we find rhodium-plated bridges decorated with Geneva stripes and polished bevels. Laurent Ferrier even added some feathers on the platinum micro-rotor to match the beak-shaped bridge that holds it in place. In addition, the chevrons on the rotor indicate the direction in which it winds.
Final words
Indeed, if I could choose, I’d still opt for a dateless version. But if you can’t live without a date window, the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone has one of the best-executed ones in the biz. If you’re one of the people who has fallen deeply in love with the watch, just as I have, you’d better be quick. Laurent Ferrier has produced only 20 pieces, and judging by the attention this watch is getting, they’ll probably move quite fast. Of course, the CHF 50,000 price is something to consider. But I think there are more than enough people who think this watch is worth every penny, including me.
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone is available from the brand’s official online boutique. You can also try your luck at one of the 33 physical points of sale worldwide.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone.
