Hands-On With The New Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon
Laurent Ferrier introduced the Classic Auto with a warm sandstone-colored dial just half a year ago. Today, we see the introduction of a new version. This time, the result is much cooler looking, completely changing the nature of this fine piece of Haute Horlogerie. I got a chance to go hands-on with the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon. Even we at Fratello don’t get a chance to play around with watches of this level every day. Add to this that Laurent Ferrier is probably my favorite modern watchmaker, and you could consider me eager to try this creation.
While I usually pick watches without dates, the Classic Auto is so bold in its implementation of this humble complication that it has me rethinking my principles. Let me try to explain why.
The new Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon
Before I do so, we should probably get the basics out of the way. What, exactly, are we dealing with here? The Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon is a blend of formal and casual, something between a dress watch and a leisure watch. That could have gone horribly wrong in a “neither fish nor fowl” kind of way. Instead, it feels perfectly in tune with our times, when dress codes are more fluid and a watch should simply always be great.
The round stainless steel case offers a versatile 40mm diameter and an 11.9mm thickness. Likewise, its 47mm lug-to-lug length ensures a great fit on most wrists. The truly magical ingredients — the dial and caliber — sit within a sapphire sandwich in the 30m-water-resistant case.
Speaking of the dial, its new light blue shade is accomplished by applying a translucent blue lacquer to a silver-galvanized base with vertical brushing and several other finishing textures. Under the right circumstances, this cool blue takes on hints of purple. The dial has an airy lightheartedness to it that I love. It reminds me of a clear spring sky. Laurent Ferrier describes it as inspired by nature, which is uncommon for the color blue. Here, however, I can see it.
Inside the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon
The dial isn’t the most fascinating part of the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon. That credit goes to the caliber LF270.01 residing behind it. This micro-rotor caliber beats at the favored frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers over 72 hours of autonomy. Naturally, such base specifications don’t do justice to the craftsmanship that goes into a movement like this.
No fewer than 139 hand-finishing operations are performed before getting cased up. The devil, then, is in the details. Look at the automatic bridge and micro-rotor, for instance. The bridge takes the shape of a bird’s beak. The 950 platinum rotor is adorned with feathers to complete the image of an abstracted bird.
Of course, your more traditional techniques, such as Côtes de Genève, perlage, and anglage with internal angles, are all amply present. Still, the caliber looks clean and — dare I say it? — simple. The application of traditional and modern finishes is done with such tasteful restraint that the result is almost modestly elegant.
Beyond minimalism
I often see the word “minimalism” when I read about Laurent Ferrier watches. That term doesn’t do the watches justice in my book. Minimalism is about reducing an object to its essence. Although it is often hailed as the holy grail of modern design, I usually find it wholly uninteresting. Removing all non-essential visual complications is to strip something of identity.
Watches like this Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon go beyond minimalism. We have had Bauhaus and all the similar minimalist movements; Ferrier, however, removes embellishment and decadence without resorting to barren minimalism. There is frivolity and elegance to the design language.
In rhetoric, there is the Latin term reductio ad absurdum, meaning “reduction to absurdity.” I often feel minimalist watches suffer from the same concept. Thankfully, Laurent Ferrier’s design language doesn’t, even if it relies on simplicity. To me, that is what a clean and simple watch design should be — post-minimalism.
Wearing the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon
Merely handling the Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon is a joy. I have often likened the appearance of watches of this caliber to switching from Full HD to 4K. The Classic Auto has that same effect. Everything is refined to a level of detail beyond the human eye, making it appear sharper than reality in a weird way.
Once on the wrist, the attention to detail becomes even more apparent. Although this isn’t a small or even slender watch, it wears exceedingly well. It sits on the wrist with the quiet assertion of an old monk, confident yet modest. This is a US$52,000 watch for those with nothing to prove. You know who you are and what you did; now is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. As always with Ferrier, the experience takes place within you, not between you and the outside world.
Could that date be an Easter egg?
As mentioned, I usually prefer no-date watches. However, when a watchmaker includes a date, I want it either unapologetically prominent or completely discrete. Laurent Ferrier chose the former approach. The date aperture slants inward as if cut into hardwood with a woodworker’s sharpest chisel. Paired with the spearhead index pointing at it from across the dial, connected through the horizontal line of the crosshairs, it naturally leads the eye to the date. It feels almost as if you slide into the date’s aperture.
What fascinates me most is the resulting Müller-Lyer illusion. The right side of the dial appears narrower than the left because of this odd arrangement. In fact, to my eye, the entire watch appears warped because of it. The left side seems larger than the right. The slightly in-set crown emphasizes the effect.
I find this one of the most fascinating pieces of watch-design prowess I have come across. It silently comments on the controversial disbalance caused by date complications in such a playful and clever manner. I am convinced this is an Easter egg carefully and intentionally hidden by Mr. Ferrier. If not, it is serendipitous beyond belief.
Closing thoughts
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon is yet another showcase of the house’s watchmaking brilliance. I may be seeing things that aren’t there, but I consider this a commentary on the everlasting date-or-no-date discussion. As such, to ask whether you like a date — and more specifically, this one — is moot.
This new blue version works perfectly. The color is rich and dynamic while still subtle enough to be versatile. All in all, I would not mind keeping the press sample on my wrist indefinitely. I would not mind at all…
What do you think of the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon? Let us know in the comments section below.
