A global approach

The harmonious construction of this new Calibre FBN 229.01 stems from the global approach envisaged for each of the movement parts, from development through to realization. The technical specifications are extremely rigorous, since Laurent Ferrier refuses any compromises in this domain.

The automatic winding system was invented in the late 18th century and takes advantage of the watch wearer’s arm movements to wind the barrel spring and thus store up the energy required to run the mechanism. The device has been constantly used and enhanced ever since.

The current trend towards reducing the thickness of cases calls for even slimmer movements, which implies finding technical solutions that are thinner but just as efficient. Hence the value of examining the architecture of a smaller-sized micro-rotor type automatic-winding system. The challenge facing Laurent Ferrier was to define a functional balance between the limited thickness of an automatic movement and a high degree of efficiency for winding the barrel. Achieving this implied finding a system ensuring perfect winding in order to compensate for the lower inertia of a small oscillating weight. In fact a micro-rotor needs as twice as many rotations (300 vs. 150) needed for one complete turn of the ratchet wheel.

Thanks to the efficiency of our escapement we can reduce by one third – to approximately 200 rotations – the number of rotations needed. A gain for the owner of the watch.