The latest addition to the Laurent Ferrier’s Galet collection is an exclusive timepiece dubbed Galet Square Swiss FineTiming Limited Edition “Vintage America I”. This collection is the manufacturer’s first one which debuted in 2010 with Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Hairspring –the model that has been awarded by the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix. Last year, Laurent Ferrier presented the Galet Square tooled with a Micro-Rotor with natural escapement. Now, the evolution continues with a new watch that perfectly unites the best of its two predecessors.
The Galet Square Swiss FineTiming “Vintage America I” was exclusively designed for and in collaboration with Chicago Retailer Swiss Fine Timing. The piece is issued in the ultra-limited quantity of only 10 specimens.
As we got used to from Laurent Ferrier’s timepieces, the new watch features a mesmerizingly beautiful two-tone sector dial that was typical for the late 1930s. The dial is marked out by a black nickel gold chapter ring featuring curved markers with a nod towards the manufacturer’s soon to be iconic drop-styled hour markers. The Arabic markers at 3, 9 and 12 are also black nickel gold, whereas the outer rail has blue-painted Arabic numerals.
The dial composition is divided between an outer circle with a circular satin-brushed finish and a central zone with a vertical satin-brushed finish. Its dial also comprises the small seconds counter which is placed at the base of the dial where the 6 o’clock marker would usually be.
The “assegai-shaped” gold hours and minutes hands are treated with ruthenium and stamped in order to achieve the extreme slenderness of the watch, while the seconds hand is the baton-styled in order to set the perfect finishing touches.
The case of the Galet Square Swiss FineTiming reveals the purest expression of style and elegance with a new lug design and a side decoration consisting of a polished Swiss cross. The case is crafted from stainless steel and measures 41mm x 41mm. The case is fitted with a ball-shaped winding-crown. It is constructed to provide water resistance up to 30 meters (approximately 100 feet).
The Laurent Ferrier Galet “Vintage America I” is powered with the automatic winding movement FBN caliber 229.01 with micro-rotor and natural escapement. The mechanism is capable to store enough energy to keep the watch tracking the time for approximately 3 days (72 hours). It is the third exclusive in-house movement which is entirely developed, assembled and adjusted in the Laurent Ferrier workshops. The caliber 229.01 is tooled with a silicon escapement with a double direct impulse on the balance that gives two impulses to the balance per oscillation, a system requiring two escape-wheels and a specially designed lever. The impeccable movement is built on 35 jewels, oscillates at the semi-rapid frequency of 21,600 alternations per hour (3 Hz) and it is built on 186 individual parts.
Caliber 229.01
The movement finishes include the Côtes-de-Genève motif on the bridges and the circular graining on the mainplate, the beveled wheel spokes, as well as the screw heads which are chamfered and polished and the interior angles which are hand-crafted.
The reverse side of the watch reveals the Swiss FineTiming logo. The back bezel features the limitation number of the watch one out of ten.
The Galet Square “Vintage I” Limited Edition is teamed up with a brown alligator leather hand-stitched strap which has a double layer with a flat upper part. The watch is exclusively available at Swiss FineTiming in Chicago. The retail price is $42,700.
