Reviving a Lost Art: The Craftsmanship behind our 'Assegai' Hands

The Anatomy of Elegance

The Assegai hands have become one of the defining aesthetic signatures of the LAURENT FERRIER workshops. Named after the slender African spear, the term perfectly captures their elongated and refined silhouette.

With subtly balanced curves that are soft and harmonious, these hands were meticulously designed to match the elegance of the dial's applied indexes and gold numerals. The result is a display of perfect visual coherence.

Inspired by the Past

When designing the Assegai hands, we wanted to draw inspiration directly from the pocket watches of the last century.

Historically, watch hands were genuinely stamped, resulting in varying heights along their entire length. This traditional technique imbued them with depth, character, and a profound sense of life, qualities that are far less common in modern hands, which are typically stamped flat and then finished using diamond-cutting techniques.

Reviving a Lost Art

To achieve this vintage depth, we turned to Fiedler SA, a manufacturer that still preserved this traditional expertise. Fiedler possessed the rare ability to give watch hands a three-dimensional architecture capable of capturing and reflecting light with remarkable intensity and nuance.

However, bringing this vision to life was not easy. In 2009, amidst the global financial crisis, we presented our project to Fiedler, only to learn that this type of manufacturing had virtually disappeared from their workshops.

The revival of this exceptional craftsmanship was ultimately made possible by three key factors:

• Our modest annual production, which allowed for a highly specialised, small-batch approach.

• A deep relationship of trust built over time with Mr. Chillier and his daughter, Isabelle.

• The dedication of a master machinist within the Fiedler company, whose passion drove him to take up the challenge.

The Final Flourish

Today, the crafting of our Assegai hands is a testament to uncompromising quality. Every set is crafted from solid 18-carat gold. To achieve their distinct colours, specific treatments are applied:

• Black Hands: Finished with a sleek ruthenium coating.

• White Hands: Delicately painted to achieve a flawless hue.

Both technical and poetic, the Assegai hands beautifully embody the core spirit of LAURENT FERRIER: a relentless pursuit of understated elegance, where every detail is thoughtfully conceived to strike the perfect balance between watchmaking tradition and modernity.