The Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin Blue

What We Know

Laurent Ferrier is celebrating the 12-year anniversary of its existence as a watch brand with a deep blue take on one of its purest collections. This is the Classic Origin Blue. While this is, for all intents and purposes, a simple color variation of an existing watch, it brings with it a bit of personal color (get it?). As it turns out, blue is brand founder Laurent Ferrier's favorite color. According to the brand, it's his position that every collector should have a blue watch in their collection.

The dial on this piece is blue opaline with an almost fumé effect, where the outer portion is a dark shade of blue which transitions to a powdery center. This is punctuated further by sky-blue-colored Arabic numerals on the outer track. Then there's the blue cross-hair motif at the center, putting a stamp on this all-blue-everything look. A testament to classic watch design, the Classic Origin Blue features a small seconds subdial with a snailed seconds hand.

The case is well-proportioned at 40mm and is crafted from Grade 5 titanium. The caliber LF116.01 manual winding movement is visible through an exhibition caseback and features a screw balance, Breguet-type overcoil balance-spring, and black rhodium finish.

What We Think

The Classic Origin Blue is nothing short of classic. There's just no way around the claim, no matter how much it feels like a writer phoning in some copy. Laurent Ferrier isn't an old brand with a ton of heritage, so to see it iterate on one of its own designs and imbue it with a sense of classicism – and to have it work – is a real testament to just how good that design language is.

I had the chance to walk over to the LF booth at W&W (we're at the point of abbreviations, now) and two things struck me about the aesthetics of the timepiece. First was just how much the minute markers stood out on the dial. They're blue and match the center-most part of the smoked dial, and yet they appear strong and bright, allowing for peak legibility. The second was the overall package. There's a confidence in the look and feel of this piece that makes it stand out despite the fact that a watch like this is quite conservative.

And I probably stared at the movement for longer than was appropriate. The lovely brand representative who allowed me to "touch and feel" the watch had to basically wave her hands in front of my eyes to break my admiring gaze. I don't often get to see watches like this, and quite frankly, many enthusiasts don't. I came away from the fair with an entirely new perspective on Laurent Ferrier as a brand, and of the Classic Origin as an object of pure horological intrigue. It doesn't hurt that it's an insanely cool timepiece, either.

The Basics

Brand: Laurent Ferrier
Model: Classic Origin Blue

Diameter: 40mm
Thickness: 10.7mm
Case Material: Grade 5 titanium
Dial Color: Blue
Water Resistance: 30m
Strap/Bracelet: Strap