The Laurent Ferrier Traveller Globe Night Blue is the ultimate haute horlogerie jet setter’s watch
Borna Bošnjak- The Traveller Globe Night Blue is Laurent Ferrier’s celebration of 15 years, with a classically beautiful travel timepiece.
- Laurent Ferrier paints the globe on the dial in stunning champlevé enamel, depicting the world in the dark.
- This non-limited release sports a 41mm case in a special white gold alloy, priced at CHF 90,000.
We’ve been pretty open about our love of Laurent Ferrier lately, and it’s for good reason. Whether it’s a collection inspired by Monsieur Ferrier’s love of motorsport (and his accompanying Le Mans successes), or simply a beautiful example of pure independent watchmaking like the Classic Moon, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. With that in mind, Laurent Ferrier absolutely has a style of its own, not being shy with case sizes despite the traditional approach, and finishing everything to the nth degree. That’s what Laurent Ferrier sought to achieve when he left Patek Philippe after 37 years of service, and he’s now celebrating 15 years of living that dream with the new Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue.
The Traveller Globe Night Blue has everything that makes a Laurent Ferrier watch great. Starting with the dial, it takes a familiar layout of the Classic (previously Galet) Traveller and iterates on the special edition made for William & Son a few years back. The middle portion of the dial is made of solid white gold and is convex to give it a more three-dimensional appearance befitting a globe (sorry flat-Earthers), and the motif is painted on in champlevé enamel. This is a technique that involves carvings being filled with enamel, giving them a greater sense of depth – here used to differentiate between the continents and the oceans – while the bright lights are hand-painted in enamelled gold. Now, if you’re a geography nerd, you might look at this and think “well, that doesn’t look quite right”, seeing as the whole map is in the dark at once (and Western Australia is a little too bright). But being so darn pretty, I’m inclined to forgive this artistic liberty.
The handset is, of course, Laurent Ferrier’s signature Assegai style, with not-quite-symmetrical cut-outs at 3 and 9 for the date and home time displays, respectively. But my favourite small design touch is the elongated, needle-sharp indices that stretch over the circular surround and almost suspend the globe as if it were a prong-set diamond. It’s also worth noting that both the hands and indices are also in white gold, which is a rarity as most watchmakers will settle for plating. Laurent Ferrier, as you may have gathered, is not most watchmakers.
You can buy a Laurent Ferrier in pretty much any metal, but if you ask me, precious metals like platinum or white gold are unbeatable in a watch that’s otherwise fairly demure, despite being a horological marvel. At least as far as this anniversary edition is concerned, Laurent Ferrier seems to agree and looks to differentiate the Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue even further with its high-palladium content alloy. Typically, gold is alloyed with nickel to achieve the silver hue, but apart from potentially causing nickel allergies also tends to lose its lustre over time. In comparison, palladium white gold is more malleable and keeps its shine better. The 18k 210 Pd white gold alloy isn’t just used for the 41mm case, but also for the white gold elements of the dial.
The fine artisanal techniques of the Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue’s dial are reflected in the movement, which is thankfully visible through the display caseback. The LF230.02 is Laurent Ferrier’s execution of a travel time complication, where the wearer would adjust home time with the pushers on the left side of the case in single-hour increments. Apart from the micro-rotor calibre being wonderfully decorated with hand-made, rounded anglage, it also features a natural escapement which has become the defining feature of Laurent Ferrier’s movements, despite being developed by La Fabrique du Temps (before its purchase by LVMH).
Also called the double-direct impulse escapement, it was (like many things in watchmaking) invented by Breguet, it uses two escape wheels with a silicon detent, combining the properties of a classic lever escapement and the not-very-shock-resistant detent escapement. Despite modern advancements, Laurent Ferrier is one of the few manufacturers that regularly uses it these days, and in the grand scheme of movement production worldwide, in fairly insignificant numbers, making it truly rare and desirable. As for the other specs of the LF230.02, it sports a 72-hour power reserve and has a beat rate of 3 Hz, wound by a solid gold guilloché micro-rotor.
Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue pricing and availability
The Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue is a regular-production addition to the brand’s collection. Price: CHF 90,000 (excl. VAT)
| Brand | Laurent Ferrier |
| Model | Classic Traveller Globe Night Blue |
| Reference | LCF012.G1.NGE10 |
| Case Dimensions | 41mm (D) x 12.64mm (T) |
| Case material | 18k 210 Pd white gold |
| Water Resistance | 30 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front and back |
| Dial | 18k 210 Pd white gold (dial, indices, hands), blue champlevé enamel |
| Bracelet and strap | Grey nubuck, Alcantara lining, 18k 210 Pd white gold pin buckle |
| Movement | LF230.02, LFT-developed, micro-rotor automatic, natural escapement |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, date, jumping home time |
| Availability | Now |
| Price | CHF 90,000 |