Watch lovers know that the most valuable resources in the world of haute horlogerie are the watchmakers themselves. A lifetime on from the devastation that quartz wreaked on the entire watch industry and, at last, the world is recovering thanks to a new generation of watchmakers, who have one thing in common: they learned the basics at watchmaking schools, to develop into complete artisans.

Mr. Laurent Ferrier, as is evident from the memes that inform his timepieces, appreciates the classic examples of fine watchmaking from the 19th century, when man and machine, rather than man, machine and computer, created these marvels of miniaturisation. He recalled his very first creation as a watchmaker: the School Piece, or “Montre Ecole”.
It is an introduction into the world of watchmaking beyond mere assembly. The School Piece incorporated the 19th century pocket watches codes, the skills and techniques that traditionalists will never allow to disappear. In paying homage to his ur-watch, Laurent Ferrier’s objective is to develop a case with the same roundness above and below its wrist, as when those pioneering watchmakers converted pocket watches into wristwatches.

Mr. Ferrier’s efforts have given us a new 40mm three-piece bassiné case, its form enhanced by two satin bands, with a matte finish to contrast with the polished. The competing-yet-harmonious surfaces emphasise the curved shape and balance of the piece, assisting the eye in appreciating the subtlety of the curvatures.
Straight, thin lugs were developed to offer another contrast of the modern and the traditional, the “pastille” end-piece decoration mirrored by the winding crown.