alex
7335
Review-AHCI: A closer look at one of my favorite Basel novelties: Laurent Ferrier's Gallet
Somewhat like the 3 Princes of Serendip I fell upon a marvel without looking for one: Laurent Ferrier and his new watch “The Gallet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral”. Galet which is French for pebble and perfectly describes the case’s flat yet curvaceous form. 
I had heard of Laurent Ferrier some while back and Googled him. Amongst the 163000 homonyms I found, there were an author, a filmmaker a few engineers but no watchmaker! But as fate, luck or the Universe has it I ran into someone I knew, who knew someone, who knew…well you get the picture and one fine day I ended up in Laurent Ferrier’s workshops in Geneva.
Laurent Ferrier could have been a one brand man, he spent his entire career at Patek Philippe (with a short break where he took up car racing and participated in the legendary Le Mans 24 hours race where he hit the podium a few times) starting in the prototype department, heading the product development department and finally as head of the technical department where he worked hand in hand with the then Patek CEO Philippe Stern.
Nevertheless, in mid 2008 and after 37 years he decided to leave a rather comfortable position to create his own watches together with his son Christian (also a watchmaker).
Laurent Ferrier had a vision of the watch he wanted and he teamed with other Patek veterans to create the movement. In the summer of 2008 he contacted “La Fabrique du Temps” created by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini (the NB of BNB fame who had left the latter to concentrate on a more traditional approach to watchmaking) one of the better known movement developers in the industry. Incidentally Laurent’s son, Christian, was also working at La Fabrique du Temps and as a prototypist/developer worked full time with his father in developing this movement. Credit is actually given where due as the calibre is named FNB 916.01, FNB as in Ferrrier, Navas, and Barbasini. The 916 is because Laurent Ferrier is born on a 19th and his son Christian on a 16th!
When asked why a tourbillon, Laurent Ferrier responds “It is a complication which we mastered and we knew we could make something extremely fine and which would be functional. We didn’t want to create a conversation piece which would never work but a watch that would represent Genevan watchmaking at its best”.
Watchmaking at its best also meant accuracy. Now the subject of the accuracy of the tourbillon over a regular escapement has been beaten like a dead horse, however, according to Laurent Ferrier the Straumann double hairspring is a true plus in terms of accuracy. The two springs are placed upon the balance one atop the other but move outwards in opposing symmetrical paths thus the centre of gravity of the springs remains constantly at the center of the arbor.
To prove this point Christian Ferrier fetched the timing machine results for the first two production pieces which showed an average 2 seconds advance per day with a maximum difference between positions of +4 seconds a day. According to Ferrier there is still room for improvement of accuracy!
The case is 41mm in diameter (12.5mm thick) but for those who prefer smaller dimensions it sits perfectly on the wrist due to the case shape and inward curving lugs. The back is snap on as Laurent Ferrier didn’t want any “ugly screws” showing but the case still remains water resistant to 30m.
The dial is a reflection of the whole watch, simple, sleek elegant and no nonsense, yet filled with subtle details. The Gallet Tourbillon comes in two choices of dials, white enamel and black onyx. The “Tourbillion Double Spiral” writing just above the sub seconds seems bold but in fact it is very discreet especially on the black dial, nevertheless I would have preferred no other writing other than the brand name on the dial. The white enamel dial is perfectly made with absolutely no visible “bubbles” which often appear on this type of dial (with a rejection rate of 90%). The difficulty is rendered even more absolute here as the enamel dial is in two parts fitted together as the subseconds are recessed.
The elongated Roman numerals are the finishing touch.
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For the rest of Alex's review in Independent's forum, please CLICK HERE
