A functional travel watch with a top class movement, the Laurent Ferrier Galet Traveller is now available in stainless steel with a vintage-style “sector” dial. Here’s a look, complete with original photos and price.

In the brief six years since its founding Laurent Ferrier has deftly created a distinctive brand identity, focused on subtle and elegant design, as well as lavishly finished movements. Just unveiled at SIHH 2016, the new Galet Traveller Boreal is a striking departure from the usual Laurent Ferrier look, yet quickly recognisable as a product of the brand. The Galet Traveller Boreal is essentially a more affordable and casual looking iteration of the Galet Traveller that was available only in gold. In contrast, the Galet Traveller Boreal is in stainless steel. Material aside it’s the same 41 mm diameter as the gold versions and also equipped with the same calibre 230.01.

Detail of the fine finishing on the Laurent Ferrier calibre FBN 229.01 that is nearly identical to that found in the Galet Traveller

Impeccably finished and eminently functional, the calibre 230.01 displays twin time zones. The disc at nine o’clock shows home time (back where the traveller came from), while the central hands indicate local time (at where the traveller is). Inspired by a system originally found in 1950s Patek Philippe travel watches, a pair of pushers in the case set the hour hand in one hour intervals; the date disc moves forwards and backwards in sync with the local time.

The Galet Traveller Boreal is fitted with a vintage-inspired, but obviously contemporary dial. The hour markers are highlighted in Super-Luminova, either ivory or pale green, and sit on a circular track, a style that is usually referred to as a sector dial. 

Finished with a faint vertical brushing, the dial itself is dark grey, with the Laurent Ferrier logo and markings on the seconds sub-dial in a similar colour, rendering them almost invisible – a tasteful and appealing detail. Though vaguely similar in shape to the traditional Laurent Ferrier hands – known as assegai after the tribal spear that inspired them – the hands on the Galet Traveller Boreal are larger and filled with Super-Luminova, improving their legibility.

The Galet Traveller Boreal costs SFr54,000. That’s approximately US$54,000.