Laurent Ferrier Unveils The Classic Auto Sandstone
As someone who lives and breathes watches daily, I make it my business to keep track of as many brands and new releases as possible. However, there are a select number of brands that I avidly follow. Laurent Ferrier is one of them. The company designs piercingly clean watches that resonate with me. Today’s new Classic Auto Sandstone is exciting, but with a date function, is this as captivating as its time-only counterparts?
That’s right; I have a soft spot for Laurent Ferrier. Of all the high-horology brands making non-futuristic-looking pieces, Ferrier is leading the pack. Somehow, this small producer is beating the most formidable and historic brands that have long dominated the game. That game is dress watches and sporty dress watches. Pieces from the Square and Grand Sport collections are achingly beautiful and are often more tempting than competing offerings. The Classic lineup is the most traditional, yet the new Classic Auto Sandstone is the first piece to feature a date function. Let’s take a look.
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Sandstone
The Classic Auto Sandstone uses the familiar 40mm by 47.1mm “pebble” case found on other watches in the collection. Here, though, instead of using a precious metal, Laurent Ferrier chose stainless steel for the case construction. The bulbous onion-like crown is used for winding and to set the time and date. A domed sapphire crystal brings the total thickness to 11.94mm. This is thin enough to stand in as a dress watch but substantial enough to work in casual settings. A 30m water resistance rating will likely render it a topside participant in most activities.
The big news — a date window
The highlight (or concern) of the Classic Auto Sandstone, is the addition of a date function. Until now, non-base models offered more “exciting” complications, such as a triple calendar or an additional time zone. We can presume that Laurent Ferrier’s customers requested this one. Hopefully, they like the result! Normally, I’m not a fan of intrusive date windows, and I’ll be blunt: I’d take a dateless version every time over this model. However, I know that I’m a curmudgeon, and the reality is that most consumers outside of the enthusiast set want the date peering back at them from a watch dial.
If we take the design at its word, then I reckon it’s quite inventive for such a common feature. Instead of presenting the date within a rectangular aperture and framing it, Ferrier has created an “off-ramp” to ease the eyes into the complication. We’ve indeed seen this before on the brand’s Sport models, so the styling is proven. The addition of crosshairs across the dial and its intersection with the arced end of the frame looks tidy.
The sandstone-colored dial
The Classic Auto Sandstone gets its name from the hue of its dial. It is vertically brushed and lacquered, with black details and applied white gold indices on top. The brand’s signature assegai-shaped hands are one of my favorite details of any watch, and thankfully, they’re here. The printed crosshairs keep the dial from looking like a boring bastion of nothingness with the addition of a date window. It’s an effective manner of adding simple detailing to the dial. A large sub-dial for the running seconds is at 6 o’clock with a circular-grained surface.
The LF270.01 micro-rotor
In reality, the finely crafted dial is a relatively minor part of the charm of the Classic Auto Sandstone. The in-house LF270.01 micro-rotor automatic caliber is stunning when viewed through the sapphire crystal of the case back. Considering that the movement requires at least 139 hand-finishing processes, there’s good reason for its beauty. Anglage and Côtes de Genève finishing are used extensively. A 950 platinum rotor is also finely finished with chevrons and feathers. It attaches to a micro-rotor bridge for enhanced stability. Specs-wise, the movement runs at 28,800vph and has 72 hours of power reserve. Laurent Ferrier also adjusts it in six positions for accuracy.
Overall thoughts and pricing
I stand by the opinion that Laurent Ferrier makes some of the most attractive and understated watches in the Haute Horlogerie category today. After assessing this watch, I would still choose a non-date option, but if a date is necessary, the Classic Auto Sandstone presents a creative way of integrating it into a dial’s design. If you’re familiar with Laurent Ferrier’s pricing, the CHF 50,000 list price will not surprise you. With only 20 numbered pieces available via the brand’s website or at retailers, it will be a rare sight on the owner’s wrists. I am sure that the date function will appeal to the lucky few.
For more information on the Classic Auto Sandstone, visit the official Laurent Ferrier site.
