Swiss-based watchmaker Laurent Ferrier and Phillips auction house have collaborated on a limited-edition timepiece that will appeal to the vintage watch collector.
The Laurent Ferrier x Phillips Hommage II is available in a 40 mm diameter stainless steel case, with either a black or powder pink dial — made to look like it came straight out of the mid 20th century (the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s).
It’s worth noting that other than the movement, all the components were made especially for this timepiece, including the stepped case, which does not exist in Laurent Ferrier’s catalog. The dials feature a subtle throwback signature “Fab. Suisse/Swiss Made” that’s been integrated into the printed hour ring. Each dial has a combination of snailed, opaline, and circular satin-brushed finishes. And even the hands, crown, and logo were made especially for this collaboration.
Aurel Bacs, Senior Consultant and Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches Continental Europe and the Middle East, the two men behind the design said: “The (Laurent Ferrier) HOMMAGE II is a true tribute to the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, the golden era of watchmaking. We didn’t invent anything, clearly, but during our respective careers we have seen hundreds and thousands of vintage timepieces and we thought what were the elements that we particularly appreciated in these pieces, may it be a step case, flat bezel, polished and brushed surface finish on a case, snailed polishing of a crown, multiple tone dials with varying finishes, the shape of the hands and many more elements, and we brought them all together in one watch. The watch is a fusion of designs from the first half of the 20th century we appreciated in Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, IWC, or Movado to name a few, and added our own personal touch to create a watch with different elements that may have been seen separately but never together. It took us close to two years to finalize the design and hope that the community will appreciate the results as much as we enjoyed designing the watches.”
Laurent Ferrier’s new hand-wound caliber LF 116.01, which has been micro-blasted with a gilt finish reminiscent of the 1940s — with gorgeous hand chamfered and polished edges — provides power to the hours, minutes, and small seconds.
There will be 32 examples of the Laurent Ferrier x Phillips Hommage II limited edition available for sale, half with a black dial and the other half with a two-tone powder pink dial. The retail price is approximately $32,000 and the watches are available exclusively through Phillips Perpetual boutique.
Photos by Phillips.
