Pietropira
After 2025 marks Laurent Ferrier’s 15th anniversary and debuting a stunning dual-time model, the second release celebrating 2025 is on watches and amazing occasions, and is as impressive as the first. If you’re not sure if these two worlds come together, the words “classic” and “automatic” should provide some guidance. Following the success of Série Atelier on sandstone last year, Laurent Ferrier is now part of the brand’s regular collection on the new Classic Auto Horizon. This new edition features a 40mm case, a signature signature for the Geneva brand. Inspired by a 19th century pocket watch, this case is 40mm in diameter and has a pebble shape. This time it is made from stainless steel and paired with Sport Auto’s micro rotors and the latest automatic movement.
The subtle elegance of classical collections is the forefront of the mechanical capabilities of automatic collections, resulting in understated watches packed with serious punches. It is a logical solution to the brand’s dual heritage, a fast-paced motor racing world and high-era finesse.
But it’s modest and subtle until it gets hit by natural light. At that point, the dial comes to life. Labeled as Horizon Blue, the dial tone on this watch is a bright greyish blue that becomes more vibrant as the light gets stronger. To reach the effect, it becomes rainbow color with some light and almost monochromatic in others, the dial is finely brushed vertically and galvanized with silver. Only then is the blue pigment added in the form of a translucent lacquer.
It was an honor to see the Classic Auto Horizon close up and wear it for a while. That’s a classic watch reviewer cliché, but that’s true. From a very nice snail with a subdial of just a few seconds to using blue ink instead of black for printing. The intersection of names, markers and hairlines all almost disappear in some lights, sharing the same ink that leaves space in the vibrant texture beneath.
There is also an engraved opening in the date window, with a gentle slope rotating your eyes towards the date, framed thinly with lines of ink as other prints. Special attention is also paid to date wheels. Instead of black ink, the slate grey one is preferred as the contrast with the white background collides with the rest of the dial. An instantly recognizable time marker completes the front of the watch. Sleek and thin, they are made of white gold, and share the material with Assegai-shaped hand and small seconds baton.
Turn the watch over and focus on the view you can see through the sapphire caseback. The LF270.01 caliber is fully designed, decorated, assembled and adjusted in-house. The off-center micro-rotor is a star at this stage, 950 platinum, with bird feathers fully carved, showing a winding direction to match the shape of the bridge and chevron beak. This highlights the source from the Swiss Lever Escape from a sports collection where resistance to shock and vibration is essential instead of the natural escape you’ve been expecting.
Except for vibration weight, the rest of the movement is meticulously decorated. To reach this level, you will need to take 139 or more operations, some of which are on the bridge holding the rotor. Next, angularisation, mirror polishing, zinc polished surfaces, satin brush and circular particle finishes are observed around the movement, paying rare attention to detail.
Not complicated, but everything is thoroughly devised and created a minimalist watch that is not boring. It’s elegant and simple, but with details that make the package attractive not only for veteran collectors but also for untrained eyes.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon Pricing and Availability
Laurent Ferrier Classic Auto Horizon is currently part of our regular catalogue and is limited only by production speed. Price: CHF 45,000 (~US$51,000)
Brand Laurent Ferrier Model Classic Auto Horizon Case Dimensions 40mm(d)x11.94mm
