Launched to mark the fifteenth anniversary of the independent brand LAURENT FERRIER, the Classic Origin Beige revisits the inaugural Classic Origin of 2020 and translates it into 5N red gold, framing the familiar “pebble” case architecture in a richer, warmer key. The watch keeps to Laurent Ferrier’s philosophy of calm, balanced design, but the beige dial and red gold case introduce a more nostalgic, almost autumnal palette that sits comfortably between dress and contemporary casual wear. This is also a purist piece: a manually wound LF116.01 with small seconds, no date, discreet dimensions and a focus on tactile and visual refinement rather than complication count.
Classic, Refined
The Classic Origin Beige uses an opaline beige dial that immediately softens the watch and separates it from the colder silvers and whites often seen in the category. The surface has a very fine grain that plays with light in a restrained way, offering gentle diffusion rather than gloss, which suits the under‑the‑radar character of the watch. Layout remains rigorously traditional: central hours and minutes with a small seconds at six o’clock, arranged around a printed brown chemin‑de‑fer minute track and a central cross that underlines the dial’s axis. The brown transfers for the railway track and the central cross match the hour marker transfers and visually anchor the warm beige tone while keeping contrast high enough for legibility.
On the periphery, the minute track is punctuated with red Arabic numerals, a recurring LAURENT FERRIER signature that adds a subtle spark without disturbing the calm of the dial. These red accents repeat in the small seconds at six, where the same colour is used with restraint, creating a low‑key visual dialogue that rewards closer inspection.
Applied 18‑carat 5N red gold hour markers rise slightly from the dial, catching light differently from the printed track and reinforcing the sense of depth despite the dial’s minimalist layout. At the centre, LAURENT FERRIER’s signature Assegai‑shaped hands, here in 18‑carat red gold, sweep across the dial with a finely rounded profile and polished finish, while the small seconds uses a slim baton hand in the same metal for a more discreet, almost instrument‑like readout.
The overall effect is of a dial designed for daily use rather than display cabinet drama: highly legible at a glance, with enough nuance in colour and finishing to keep the owner engaged long after the novelty of acquisition fades.
Rigorous, Sublime
Behind the sapphire caseback, the manually wound calibre LF116.01 defines the technical and aesthetic core of this watch. The movement measures 31.60 mm in diameter and 4.35 mm in thickness, filling the caseback handsomely and avoiding the “small movement in large case” impression that can plague some time‑only pieces.
Mechanically, the LF116.01 is a Swiss‑lever escapement with a screw balance and a Breguet overcoil hairspring beating at 3 Hz, or 21,600 vibrations per hour. The combination of a relatively calm 3 Hz frequency and an overcoil is classic high‑end watchmaking practice, chosen here to favour stable rate in different positions and long‑term chronometric consistency rather than headline‑grabbing frequency figures.
The calibre offers a power reserve of 80 hours when fully wound, a strong figure for a manually wound, time‑only movement with 150 components and 21 jewels. In practical terms, this allows the owner to leave the watch aside for a long weekend without finding it stopped on Monday morning, while still encouraging regular interaction through winding.
Decoration follows the more contemporary, almost technical aesthetic LAURENT FERRIER reserves for this family of calibres, rather than the classical Côtes de Genève seen on other models. The bridges are sandblasted and treated with black rhodium, giving a dark, matte backdrop that sets off the polished steel components and screw heads.
Every bridge edge is hand‑chamfered and polished, with at least one interior angle executed by hand on the escapement bridge, a detail that experienced collectors will immediately seek out with a loupe. The long‑blade ratchet pawl is a Laurent Ferrier signature: fully straight‑grained, bevelled and polished, it works in concert with the click wheel to produce a crisp, satisfying winding tactile and acoustic feedback that many owners will recognise blindfolded.
Mirror‑polished screw heads with carefully chamfered slots punctuate the dark bridges like small points of light, and the overall impression is of a movement that appears restrained at first glance but reveals increasing complexity in its finishing as one spends time with it. Importantly, the brand emphasises that every component is hand‑finished in the workshop, including parts that remain hidden once assembled, reinforcing LAURENT FERRIER’s positioning in the independent high‑horology sphere.
Elegant, Precious
The Classic Origin Beige uses the 40 mm Classic case, executed here for the first time in this line in 18‑carat 5N red gold. While the marketing language references a pebble smoothed by a river, the important point is that the case is all about soft, flowing lines, with a rounded profile that sits comfortably on the wrist and minimises hard transitions between bezel, mid‑case and back.
With a thickness of 10.70 mm, including the domed sapphire, the watch has presence without drifting into sports‑watch proportions, and slips under a cuff with ease. Water resistance is rated at 30 metres, appropriate for a manually wound red‑gold dress‑leaning piece that is designed for daily life but not aquatic activity.
The crown deserves attention. LAURENT FERRIER uses a rounded, ball‑shaped crown in 18‑carat 5N red gold that is both a visual signature and a functional choice, offering excellent grip while remaining gentle on the fingers. The brand explicitly notes that this generous, inviting form is intended to turn winding into a small daily pleasure rather than a chore, which aligns perfectly with the character of the LF116.01.
A sapphire crystal on the dial side and a sapphire caseback protect the watch while showcasing the movement; both integrate cleanly into the case without disrupting the overall softness of the profile. The watch is delivered on a hand‑sewn mocha nubuck strap with tone‑on‑tone Alcantara lining, closed with a 5N red‑gold pin buckle that echoes the case and keeps the ensemble coherent from every angle.
On the wrist, the combination of 40 mm diameter, moderate thickness and curved lugs should accommodate a broad range of wrists, with the warm beige and red‑gold pairing making the watch feel intimate rather than ostentatious.
Exceptional, Independent
The Classic Origin Beige reads as a distillation of Laurent Ferrier’s guiding ideas after fifteen years: a focus on proportion, tactile pleasure and movement finishing, expressed in a three‑hand watch that does not need complication to feel special. The beige dial and 5N red‑gold case introduce a quietly nostalgic tone that nods to classical dress watches while remaining resolutely contemporary in its execution and absence of ornament.
Technically, the LF116.01 is a connoisseur’s choice: hand‑wound, with a generous 80‑hour power reserve, Breguet overcoil, long‑blade pawl and fully hand‑finished components that reveal themselves under magnification and through repeated use. The case and crown invite interaction, the movement rewards it, and the dial offers calm clarity that suits both daily wear and more formal occasions.
Positioned within the Classic Origin family, this Beige version, Ref. LCF036.R5.BR5 – 43,000 CHF (excl. taxes), feels like a chapter that looks back at the brand’s beginnings while articulating where LAURENT FERRIER stands today in independent watchmaking. For collectors who value discretion, manual‑winding ritual and high‑level finishing in a time‑only context, the Classic Origin Beige will sit very comfortably in a focused collection, where its quiet, enduring charm will reveal itself day after day.
