Artistry meets manufacture, in one of only five, white-gold, Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Micro-rotors made exclusively for William & Son. Commissioned to celebrate the opening of their flagship Mayfair boutique, the vertical, satin-brushed, blue dial is unique and has a beautifully contrasting, off-white sub-seconds dial.

In keeping with longstanding tradition of double-signed dials, each was inscribed with the company’s name for this short run, limited edition. Further to this, the dial has matching white-gold, applied tear-drop index markers and Laurent Ferrier’s signature ‘Assegai’-shaped hands. At 41mm, this version of the Galet, is 1mm bigger than the conventional size of a Micro-Rotor.

Laurent Ferrier is a true independent manufacture, lead by Monsieur Ferrier himself, who worked at Patek Philippe for 40 years, finishing as their creative director. The objective of the Galet Square is to assert a bolder presence on the wrist, whilst maintaining the classic “pebble” style from which the watch is inspired. The entire watch is polished and mirror finished, while the crown itself is engraved.

Powered by the in-house, self-winding calibre LF 229.01, it is an incredibly high-quality movement that combines traditional watchmaking and modern innovation. Interestingly, where haute-horlogerie often favours a manual-winding movement so that it is not blocked 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 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, this Laurent Ferrier Galet Micro-Rotor employs a double direct-impulse escapement, that improves 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 for the Galet Micro-Rotor, with contrasts established between the perlaged backdrop and the thick circular grained Geneva Stripes on the bridges. When viewed under a loupe, the incredibly precise finishing of the interior angles are shown, which are uniformly achieved through the use of a burin, and the handwork of the manufacture's skilled craftsmen.

The timekeeping of the Galet Micro-Rotor is impressive - it is chronometer-certified by the Besançon Observatory, outperforming its more commonly, COSC-approved peers. It has a power reserve of 80 hours.

This watch comes on our grey, grained calfskin Antwerp strap, along with its original dark blue alligator strap, and a matching 18-carat white gold tang buckle.

Viewings can be arranged in Central London by appointment only.