The design
The Laurent Ferrier Galet Traveller Boréal, with luminous sector dial, was released in early 2016, incorporating all of the practical elements of a travel time. Sized at a contemporary 41mm, it has a distinctive amorphous, bevel-free shape. With a rounded bezel, thin lugs and the manufactures' signature onion-shaped crown, the design elements are proportionate and work well together. The case is polished and mirror finished throughout, with the exception to the crown, which is engraved with a pattern. Integrated on the left side of the case are two oblong push-buttons, which adjust the local time.
The black sector dial is inspired by timepieces from the late 1930s, with Superluminova applied for the chapter ring and a vertical satin-brushed finish on the dial. The sub-seconds features a circular pattern, with a fine, slate-grey minute track around the outer-edge. The arrow-shaped hour and minute hands are also enhanced with Superluminova.
These free-flowing lines are only interrupted by the date aperture at three o'clock and 24-hour home-time window at nine o'clock. The central hands shows the local time, and these can be incrementally adjusted in both directions. This intuitive system allows the Galet Traveller to be quickly and easily adjusted. On a flight from London to New York, five pushes of the lower button would set the watch to the exact local time upon landing.
The movement
Powered by the in-house, self-winding calibre LF 230.01, the movement combines traditional watchmaking elements, with modern innovation. Interestingly, where haute-horology often favours a manual-winding movement (uninterrupted by a rotor), Laurent Ferrier decided that contemporary needs, called for an automatic movement. The solution was the incorporation of a micro-rotor as a winding mechanism, allowing the architecture of the movement to be shown completely. The fan-shaped micro-rotor is made of solid gold and is suspended by a large bridge, together, intended to create the impression of a bird standing on one foot. Furthermore, it uses a pawl, allowing it to wind in a unidirectional manner, adding efficiency and reliability.
Impressively, the Galet Micro-Rotor also utilises a double direct-impulse escapement, which improves the efficiency of the movement through its ability to use less power and maintain amplitude, achieved through the escape-lever being locked down between two escape wheels. The finishing of the movement is a major focus, with contrasts established between the perlage backdrop and the thick circular-grained Geneva Stripes on the bridges. The interior angles are achieved through the use of a burin, and the handwork of the manufacture’s skilled craftsmen. It took two years to create the fully-integrated, dual-timezone mechanism and date, for the calibre LF 230.01.
The timekeeping is equally impressive - it is chronometer-certified by the Besançon Observatory, outperforming its more commonly, COSC-approved peers. It also has a power reserve of 80 hours.
The set
This watch comes on one of our Tokyo grey grained leather strap. It also has its original Laurent Ferrier black strap with green stitchings, a tan extra leather strap and the corresponding stainless steel tang buckle. It its accompanyied by the original inner and outer boxes and the stamped paperwork from Laurent Ferrier.
The watch was recently serviced by Laurent Ferrier in Geneva, in November 2020, and comes with the manufacture's full servicing warranty.
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