LAURENT FERRIER – Galet Traveller Globe Special Edition

LAURENT FERRIER – Galet Traveller GLOBE Special Edition NEW

It is the culmination of a determined endeavour: Laurent Ferrier, master in the art of visual harmony, deploys the full measure of patiently acquired expertise on the new Galet Traveller Globe. The model is graced with a three-dimensional dial marrying gold and champlevé enamel.

The Galet Traveller was presented in 2013. A contemporary timepiece intended for keen travellers, it features a new interpretation of the dual-time display. Laurent Ferrier has endowed it with a unique sense of proportions curves and details to offer a model combining perfect legibility with the standards of haute horlogerie.

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In 2015, Laurent Ferrier is exploring its model in three dimensions, named Galet Traveller Globe in reference to the new dial specially designed for this model.

Rising from the centre is an 18K/750 white gold convex planisphere depicting the five continents, surrounded by an absolute black enamel sea. The latter is crafted using the age-old champlevé technique: the area destined to host the seas and oceans is hollowed out from the material before the enamel is applied. The whole difficulty lies in performing this enamelling on a surface that is no longer flat but instead domed in order to reproduce the rotundity of the Earth. Hollowing out the matter using the champlevé technique enables the central five-continent motif to emerge in all its splendour.

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To accentuate the three-dimensional effect, Laurent Ferrier has lavished a wealth of finishes on this model. The emerging stretches of land are all polished to achieve a mirror effect. The continents thus created stand out all the more powerfully by contrast with the oceans. Moreover, Laurent Ferrier has gone even further in this style exercise, in that the outlines of the gold continents are slightly sloping nearer the coasts, so as to achieve a gentle transition with the translucent enamel.

Finally, the inner bezel ring of the Galet Traveller Globe has been subtly inclined. Hand-finished with a circular satin-brushed decoration, it dips towards the central sphere, creating the illusion of a raised globe literally balanced on top of the dial.

This inclined inner bezel ring exercises an effect not only on the globe, but also on the drop-shaped hour-markers. Applied to this slightly slanted inner bezel ring, their tips are literally suspended in the void, creating a unique sense of perspective.

A PERFECTLY LEGIBLE COMPLICATION
The Galet Traveller Globe was developed in such a ways as to ensure extremely simple handling, while focusing on equilibrium, readability and performance in all circumstances, values greatly cherished by Laurent Ferrier.
Two perfectly geometrical oblong pushers delicately integrated into the left-hand side of the case serve to adjust the local time indicated by the central hand. When passing from one time zone to another, this central hours hand may be moved forward or backwards in one-hour increments by successive presses. Pressing the upper pusher moves the hand one hour forwards, while the lower one sends it one hour backwards, without affecting the minutes hand.

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In addition to this fast adjustment of local time, the date appearing through an aperture at 3 o’clock automatically jumps when the hand passes midnight, thereby adjusting without any separate intervention to the transitions between different time zones. Meanwhile, the 9 o’clock aperture keeps track of the reference time (home time). The 24-hour display provides a natural distinction between daytime and night time hours.

A TRIED AND TESTED MOVEMENT
The Galet Traveller Globe is powered by self-winding LF Calibre 230.01, incorporating the dual-time adjustment mechanism as well as the date. It features a system of unidirectional automatic winding via a pawl-fitted micro-rotor, backed by a double direct-impulse échappement naturel.

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This escapement is distinguished by the fact that the balance receives two direct impulses for each oscillation, thereby guaranteeing excellent efficiency matched by a 80-hour power reserve.

REFINED FINISHING
The decoration and finishing reflect the finest watchmaking traditions. The sapphire crystal case-back of the Galet Traveller Globe enables one to admire the exquisite refinement of this craftsmanship.

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In addition to the Côtes de Genève décor on the bridges and the circular graining on the main plate, the sides are manually chamfered and the screw heads are polished. The chamfering is done by hand and visible in the clear-cut lines of the interior angles, highlighting the authentic respect for the watchmaking art consistently cultivated by Laurent Ferrier.
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Technical Characteristics

Model: Galet Traveller Globe
Reference: LCF0012/GG

Movement:

• Self-winding Calibre LF230.01 chronometer-certified by Besançon Observatory
• Off-centred micro-rotor in 18K solid gold with pawl-fitted unidirectional winding, fixed between the mainplate and the bridge of the micro-rotor and equipped with a “silent bloc” shock-absorbing system
• Natural escapement with double direct-impulse directly on the balance.
• Silicon pallet-lever with self-lubricating properties, escape-wheels in a phosphorous nickel alloy, produced according to LIGA technology.
• Indications: hours, minutes, date at 3 o’clock home time/reference time at 9 o’clock.
• Correctors: crown for winding and time-setting and, on the left side of the case, two push-buttons (+) and (-) respectively positioned at 10 and 8 o’clock, to adjust the time hour per hour with automatic date correction.
• Stop-seconds function
• Diameter: 14’’’ ( Ø 31.60 mm)
• Thickness: 5,80 mm
• Frequency: 3Hz (21,600 vibrations per hour)
• Power reserve: 80 hours
• 298 parts
• 44 jewels

Aesthetic characteristics

Case:
•    18K/750 210Pd non-rhodium plated white gold
•    Three parts: case middle, bezel and snap-on case-back
•    Size: Ø 41 mm (49 mm including the lugs)
•    Thickness: of the material 10 mm / including the sapphire crystal 12.64 mm 
•    Domed sapphire crystals, front and back
•    Water-resistant to 30 metres
•    “Ball-shaped” crown in 18K/750 5N red gold or 210Pd 18K white gold

Dial:
•    In 18K/750 gold, 

spherical centre in translucent black champlevé enamel with a circular satin-brushed sloping black rim
•  “Teardrop” hour-markers in 18K/750 210Pd white gold
•    Bevelled date window at 3 o’clock
•    Small seconds counter at 6 o’clock
•    Dual time-zone aperture at 9 o’clock
Hands:
•    18K white gold gold
•    Hours and minutes: “assegai-shaped”
•    Seconds: baton-type with counterweight

Strap:
•    Hand-sewn blue or brown alligator leather, Alcantara lining
•    16 mm pin buckle or double-blade folding clasp, in 18K/750 210Pd white gold

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Contact : pr@laurentferrier.ch
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MB&F – Legacy Machine 101 ‘Frost’

MB&F – Legacy Machine 101 ‘Frost’ Limited Edition 

Frost. Brrrrr! For many, the word "frost" conjures forth images of breath-condensing cold and bright, early-morning winter sunshine scintillating off frost-covered lawns. That natural frost sparkles vivaciously due to light reflecting off the microscopically uneven ice crystals – exactly like the LM101 Frost sparkles due to light reflecting off its microscopically uneven frosted surface.

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First presented in 2014, Legacy Machine 101 embodies and accentuates what is essential in a wristwatch: the balance wheel, which is responsible for regulating precision; how much power remains in the mainspring, which indicates when it needs to be next wound; and of course, the time. With the new ‘Frost’ limited editions, those essential LM101 elements now contrast magnificently against the effervescent backdrop of the frosted gold dial − which paradoxically is not really a dial at all, but the top plate of the movement. Additional contrast is provided by Frost's highly polished bezel and lugs, which make the matte surface of the frosted dial really pop.

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Abraham-Louis Breguet is credited with inventing the “frosted” finish (“finition grenée” in French) in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At the time, frosting protected dials and movements from oxidation – more common in Breguet's day – and added subdued vivacity to movement plates. Traditional frosting methods involved dangerous acids which have been largely replaced by the environmentally (and medically) safer method of carefully compressing the surface with a wire brush. However, this is a much more difficult process to master and obtain a uniform, non-polished surface. Very few artisans today create true frosted finishes: the majority of surfaces that look frosted have in fact been bead blasted, which does not quite have the same visual impact.

Visually, LM101 Frost is dominated by the monumental suspended balance wheel, now rhodium plated so that it stands out even more. Two pristine-white subdials hover just above the fine frosted movement top plate: contrasting blued-gold hands display hours and minutes at the top right, while the 45-hour power reserve indicator is displayed below.

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LM101 Frost's highly domed sapphire crystal is virtually invisible, creating the illusion that you can reach out and touch the prodigious balance wheel hanging mesmerisingly from elegant twin arches. The arches are milled from a solid block of metal requiring hours of hand polishing to achieve its mirror-like lustre.

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Turning over LM101 Frost, the display back crystal – domed to reduce the thickness of the caseband and, visually, the height of the watch – reveals the exquisitely hand-finished movement. Sensually curved plates and bridges, hand polished bevels, gold chatons and countersunk blued screws pay homage to the style found in historic pocket watches and testify to the respect accorded to historical legitimacy.

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While award-winning independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen took responsibility for the movement's fine finishing and fidelity to the horological past, its architecture and construction were developed in-house by MB&F.

Legacy Machine 101 Frost is available in two limited editions: 18 pieces in yellow gold and 33 pieces in red gold.

LM101 Frost – in detail

Dial and Indications:
The animated suspended balance has always visually dominated LM101 and the frosted movement top plate amplifies this even more. Set off by the frosted finish, the blued-gold hands and pristine white dials for the time (hours and minutes) and power reserve indications are both aesthetically appealing and highly legible.

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The dials are gently domed with a translucent, high-gloss lustre created using a laque tendue process in which multiple layers of lacquer are applied and heated, causing them to stretch over the surface of the dials. To ensure aesthetic purity of the dials, a sophisticated fixation underneath removes the necessity of visually obtrusive attachment screws. A fine golden perimeter circumscribing each dial elegantly reinforces their timeless classicism.

Frosted finish:
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, frosting was created by treating the components with a special acid mixture and then heating on an open flame (what could possibly go wrong). The result was a silvery-white effect looking similar to frost, which protected the surfaces from oxidation; this was important when watches and clocks were not water resistant at all.

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As watchmakers became more attentive to the potential hazards associated with working with powerful acids, alternative methods were explored, the most effective – in terms of the quality of finish – being to very carefully brush the surface with a wire brush. However, it is extremely difficult to obtain a uniform result because just slightly too much pressure or brushing for too long can quickly ruin the desired matte surface with uneven polish.

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Today there are very few craftsmen with the skills and experience necessary for creating a traditional frosted finish, and they closely guard their secrets. Modern traditional brushed frosting actually burnishes the surface (compresses the metal without removing material), creating a finish so hard that it is impossible to hand engrave.

Engine:
Presented for the first time in 2014, the LM101 movement is an entirely new calibre conceived and developed in-house by MB&F.

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 The balance wheel and spring are at the very heart of any mechanical watch movement and their isochronal (equal intervals of time) oscillations regulate the movement's precision. MB&F founder Maximilian Büsser has long been fascinated by the large slowly oscillating balance wheels of antique pocket watches (2.5 Hz/18,000 vph compared with the much faster 4 Hz/ 28,800 vph more common today). So it was no surprise that this was his starting point.

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What was surprising though is just how radically he re-interpreted tradition by relocating the balance wheel from its more usual position hidden at the back of the movement to majestically floating not just the above movement, but high above the dial. While the location of LM101's oscillator may be considered avant-garde, ‘tradition’ is upheld by the large 14mm diameter balance wheel, featuring regulating screws specifically developed for MB&F, balance spring with Breguet overcoil and mobile stud holder.

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Fine Finishing and Historical Legitimacy:
While the movement was developed entirely in-house, acclaimed master watchmaker Kari Voutilainen assumed responsibility for ensuring the movement's historical accuracy of the bridge design, as well as defining and supervising the fine finishing.
The frost pattern on top of the movement plate (dial side) subtly catches the eye at certain angles without distracting attention from the white dials of the time and power reserve indications. But it is in the style and finish of the bridges and plates visible through the display on the back of the movement where Kari Voutilainen has excelled in providing exquisite historical fidelity; this is demonstrated by both the shape of the elegantly curved bridges and the traditionally wide space between the bridges and between the perimeter of the bridges and the case.

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Over-sized ruby jewels set in highly-polished countersunk gold chatons provide striking visual counterpoints to the curved bridges. While providing historical links with the large jewels seen in high-grade antique pocket watch movements, the ruby bearings have a practical application in reducing wear/increasing longevity by accommodating large diameter pinions and holding more lubricating oil.
In addition to 18k red gold, the LM101 Frost case is available in 18k yellow gold, a first for MB&F – and a further tribute to traditional watchmaking.

Inspiration and Realisation:
Maximilian Büsser has had a long affinity with pocket watches of the 18th and 19th centuries. Virtually all horological complications we see today were not only imagined in that period, they were developed using just paper and pen (no sophisticated computer programs). Components were produced to extremely high precision using – by today’s standards – fairly primitive machines (no electricity) and finely finished, assembled and regulated to an incredibly high quality that we still strive to match today. Their generous size compared with modern wristwatches allowed for uncluttered movement architectures with beautifully shaped bridges and plates.
MB&F's Legacy Machines were conceived when Maximilian Büsser started fantasising: "What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist. There are no Grendizers, Star Wars or fighter jets for my inspiration but I do have pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower and Jules Verne. So what might my early 20th century machines look like? They had to be round (tradition) and three-dimensional (MB&F Machine): Legacy Machines are the answer."
While Legacy Machine No.1 (LM1) was the first in this new collection, LM101 and LM101 Frost take the traditional theme even further by offering a more classically sized 40mm case compared to 44mm for LM1.

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TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Model: LM101 Frost

LM101 Frost is a limited edition of 33 pieces in red gold and 18 pieces in yellow gold.

Engine:
Three-dimensional movement developed in-house by MB&F
Movement aesthetics and finish specifications: Kari Voutilainen
Manual winding with single mainspring barrel
Power reserve: 45 hours
Balance wheel: Bespoke 14mm balance wheel with four traditional regulating screws floating above the movement and dials
Balance spring: traditional Breguet curve terminating in mobile stud holder
Balance frequency: 18,000 bph / 2.5 Hz
Number of components: 229 components
Number of jewels: 23
Chatons: gold chatons with polished countersinks
Fine finishing: frosted mainplate,
superlative hand finishing throughout respecting 19th century style;
 internal bevel angles highlighting hand craft; polished bevels; hand-made engravings
Functions:
Hours, minutes and power reserve indicator.
Large suspended balance wheel over dial
Case:
Available in 18k red gold (33 pieces) or 18k yellow gold (18 pieces)
Dimensions: 40 mm wide x 16 mm high
Number of components: 35
Sapphire crystals:
High domed sapphire crystal on top and box sapphire crystal on back with anti-reflective coating on both sides.
Strap & Buckle:
Dark or light brown hand-stitched alligator strap with gold tang buckle to match case.

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