ÉCOLE ANNUAL CALENDAR OPALINE BLUE

LAURENT FERRIER ÉCOLE ANNUAL CALENDAR OPALINE BLUE
A GPHG award-winning wristwatch which features one of watchmaking’s most elegant and practical complications, the École Annual Calendar Opaline Blue by Laurent Ferrier is a beautiful triple date timepiece, housed within a classic ellipsoidal shaped case and equipped with a superb, fully in-house manufactured manual winding haute horlogerie movement.

Originally inspired by the pleasing tactile sensation of holding a water-smoothed riverbed pebble in the palm of his hand, the case was first known as Galet, the French word for pebble, and for Laurent Ferrier, whose career had already included being responsible for transcribing Gérald Genta’s two dimensional drawings into the three dimensional reality which would become immortalised in the shape of the iconic Patek Philippe Nautilus, the muse for his eponymous brand was resting quite literally in the palm of his hand.

Influenced by the case of his own graduation Montre École pocket watch of 1968, the École Annual Calendar is a design variation on the pebble-smooth “galet” hallmark of his company’s Classic collections. Being even more rounded than its predecessors, it is evocative of the classic Disco Volante styling of the 1950s, with its uninterrupted flow of curves extending even to the subtle convex sapphire crystal caseback, while the soldered lugs, which are unique to the École series, are slender and roll off to rounded ends.

Beneath the sapphire glass, the deep blue dial has a vertical satin brushed finish, and is perfectly balanced, with the beautiful in-house Assegei spear style hour and minute hands in white gold, applied tapering indices at the twelve, three and nine, and the small seconds subdial at the six o’clock position. The cross hair accentuates a vintage feel, and like the hour markings and brand lettering is set in powdered silver.

Requiring adjustment only once a year, at the end of February, the annual calendar is displayed with a red pointer for the date, which is marked in a ring around the edge of the dial, and with a pair of bevel-edged windows in the upper half of the dial for the day and month.

The calendar mechanism has been refined to eliminate some of the imperfect idiosyncrasies which are common to the complication in other manufacturers. For example, the date can be moved forward or backwards, via the crown, which also facilitates the month setting as well. The day is adjusted via the finger operated pusher set into the case at the ten o’clock position, and so each element of the calendar is quickly and easily reset.

On the underside of the watch, the gently domed sapphire crystal exhibition caseback reveals the meticulous haute horlogerie finishing of the superb in-house Calibre LF 126.01 manual-winding movement. The plates are decorated with Côtes de Genève stripes and treated with black rhodium plating, while the mirror polished angles are painstakingly finished by hand, and curve inwards, outwards and around the edges, exposing the beating heart of the free sprung balance and escapement, and offering a glimpse of the gear wheels, and the long blade ratchet system which is visible in the cutaway above the barrel.

Beating at 21’600 vib/h, the movement derives an impressive eighty hours from its single barrel, and a power reserve indicator on the underside shows when the watch will require winding.

With its immaculate contours and smooth ergonomic form, the Laurent Ferrier École Annual Calendar encapsulates the ethereal beauty of the classic elegance of 1950s watch design, while concealing within a superb in-house mechanical work of art, and has a discreet yet alluring presence on the wrist. It is presented on a dark blue alligator leather strap with soft alcantara lining and pin buckle.
The Laurent Ferrier École Annual Calendar luxury watch. A Swiss made haute horlogerie wristwatch by Laurent Ferrier, presented in a round 40mm case of stainless steel, on a dark blue alligator leather strap with pin buckle or Folding Clasp. Dark blue opaline dial featuring day and month windows, with pointer date, applied indices and polished white gold Assegai hour and minute hands, with small seconds subdial. Sapphire exhibition caseback revealing in-house hand-wound Calibre LF 126.01 movement with minimum 80 hours of power reserve and 3Hz frequency (21’600 vib/h), featuring free sprung balance and Côtes de Genève decorated bridges, with black rhodium finish and hand polished angles.
Limited edition of: Limited production
Case material: Polished stainless steel
Case back: Sapphire crystal
Movement: Laurent Ferrier Calibre LF 126.01 manual winding, 21’600 vib/h
Case Dimension: ø 40mm, h 12.8mm
Dial Colour: Dark blue opaline with powdered silver markings
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date and month
Strap description: Alligator leather with Pin Buckle also available in Folding Clasp
Power reserve: 80 hours
Vendor Ref: Haute horlogerie
Water resistant: 30m
Watch style: Laurent Ferrier
Warranty: 2 years manufacturer warranty