After careful consideration, I think Laurent Ferrier might be one of the coolest watch brands operating at the moment, purely because they never seem to get caught up in chasing trends or conforming to the rest of the industry. They’re quietly in their own bubble creating the watches that they want to make and focussing on nothing else. And nothing demonstrates that better than the new Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor Di Rosa, made in collaboration with, of course, Hervé Di Rosa.
Laurent Ferrier (left) and Hervé Di Rosa (right)
Hervé Di Rosa is a French artist who has pioneered and championed a movement known as Modest Arts, a playful approach that stands in dialogue with Fine Art. Where Fine Art is perceived to be lofty and deeply conceptual, Modest Arts focusses on more mundane ideas. It encompasses things like cartoons, tourist souvenirs and local or regional art that is expressed and made only in specific locations and rarely seen in high-end galleries.
Di Rosa’s desire to experience different forms of artistic expression led him to Switzerland and his friend Laurent Ferrier with the pair deciding to collaborate on a timepiece together. The figure depicted on the dial of the watch is a character from the Diromythology, a group of fictional mythological characters created by Di Rosa. Specifically, the figure shown is “Ah! Ah! Ah!”, the 12-armed master of time who reproduces himself throughout eternity.
Compared with Laurent Ferrier’s typically minimalist style, the character is raucous and wild, both menacing and protective in his role of guarding time. Although compared to the original bas-relief of the character created in Cameroon, the Ferrier edition is less extravagant and his hands are empty instead of grasping a series of equally unsettling beings. The dial is engraved by Jeanne Valentine in white gold.
Beyond the collaborative dial, the watch itself is more or less the Classic Micro-Rotor as we know it. With a 40mm case in stainless steel and a ball shaped crown. It houses the FBN 229.01 automatic movement with micro-rotor, which provides a 72-hour power reserve and has central hour and minute complications.
I can fully understand anyone who thinks the Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor Di Rosa is silly, or even distasteful, for any number of reasons. The central character is aggressive in its angularity not to mention cartoonish and bizarre. But I think that’s why I do like it so much; it brings a capricious energy to a brand that is so often reserved and understated. The contrast itself is part of the story and artistry of the piece. It’s a limited edition of 5 pieces at a price of CHF 80,000 (approx. £72,000), which is a price more to do with the art than the watch, as it’s about 10k higher than the standard precious metal model.
Price and Specs:
More details at Laurent Ferrier.
