The Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor Di Rosa, in Collaboration with Artist Hervé Di Rosa

On its own, a Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor is already a true thing of beauty. The ultra-smooth, almost pebble-like case, the refined architecture of the dial and of course that superbly finished micro-rotor movement with natural escapement. There’s genuinely nothing we would change. However, Laurent Ferrier’s latest iteration of the Classic Micro-Rotor shows it can be taken in a whole different direction. In collaboration with renowned artist Hervé Di Rosa, this Classic Micro-Rotor Di Rosa comes with a fascinating hand-engraved dial.

Hervé Di Rosa, born in France, is an artist that can’t really be categorized in terms of style. Rejecting any diktas of the high art world, his references are commonly associated with comics, science fiction, rock or punk. This modest art, as he calls it, is on display all over the world, but also in his MIAM (International Museum of Modest Art) in Sète, France.

Hervé Di Rosa also happens to be a friend of Laurent Ferrier, both the brand and the man himself. It was inevitable a collaboration would happen at some point in time, and it has now materialized in this rather special Classic Micro-Rotor. The inspiration comes from a bas-relief art piece in Iroko wood, made in Foumban, Cameroon. This in turn is inspired by an original Hervé Di Rosa art piece called Dirosapocalypse (see at the very top). The centre figurine is a green star-shaped character with twelve arms called “Ah! Ah! Ah!”, said to be “the master of time and reproduces himself throughout eternity”.

For this special edition of 5 pieces, “Ah! Ah! Ah!” is hand-engraved onto a white gold dial in the same style as the Iroko wood bas-relief. Its twelve arms form the hour markers, and time is indicated by white gold Asegai hands. Where normally the Classic Micro-Rotor shows the hours, minutes and small seconds, here it’s reduced to hours and minutes only.

All is set in the familiar 40mm wide stainless steel case and powered by the FBN 229.01 automatic micro-rotor movement. This of course features Laurent Ferrier’s Natural Escapement and is superbly finished from top to bottom. It runs at the rate of 21,600vph and has a power reserve of 72 hours. The caseback, fitted with a sapphire crystal, is also engraved with “Ah! Ah! Ah!”, in reference to the figurine on the dial.

Only five of these highly artistic iterations of Laurent Ferrier’s Classic Micro-Rotor will be made, all strapped to a forest green nubuck green leather strap with pin buckle. The price is set at CHF 80,000 before taxes, which is quite a bit more than the regular Classic Micro-Rotor costs. Then again, this comes with a detailed hand-engraved white gold dial.

For more information, please visit LaurentFerrier.com.