Laurent Ferrier's Vanessa Monestel on timepieces ladies want

Laurent Ferrier is a pretty big icon in the horology world. The eponymous brand is created by a quiet watchmaker who spent 30-odd years at Patek Philippe before opening up his own independent manufacture in 2010, making incredibly elegant and refined timepieces that immediately earned accolades from collectors and institutions alike. GPHG awarded the watchmaker the Best Men’s Watch award for the Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral that same year.

To this day, Laurent Ferrier eschews the loud and the bold, instead continuing his quiet ways of creating timepieces that are understated in design, and absolutely innovative at the same time (Ferrier did develop a new tourbillon for himself called the double-spiral). When we took a closer look at the timepieces at SIHH, it was love at first sight.

Vanessa Monestel, general manager at Laurent Ferrier, tells us more about her own experience working at Laurent Ferrier and what women really want when it comes to luxury timepieces.

What is a good watch design to you? 

A beautiful watch is perfectly balanced and harmonious from the movement to the case, from the dial to the hands and the crown. A good watch design brings satisfaction not only the eyes but also to all the senses. Like in many other fields, spanning art and technique, a good watch design has to be considered as a whole in a single creation process. 

You have worked with a number of independent watch brands. What draws you to these independent brands?

After 10 years in the consultancy business and a MBA at IMD Lausanne, a career in independent watch brands was certainly not the most obvious choice. What I was really attracted by was the possibility to work with Creators who strive for excellence and who fight to perpetuate skills that would otherwise disappear. It is great to be part of this.

As a woman in the industry, what do you think women really want when it comes to timepieces? Why do some brands get it right and some do not?

The reason why a women want a timepiece varies a lot. From the jewellery watch to the highly complicated watch for ladies, the offer is huge and most of the brands are successful in these segments. But in many women’s perception, a timepiece remains a masculine attribute that conveys a message about themselves, particularly in a professional environment. For this particular use, I would say that some women would love to wear a timepiece without gender, a men’s watch just meant for them, a timepiece they will buy for themselves without having the feeling that they stole their husband’s watch. I think the Galet Micro Rotor is much appreciated by women for these reasons. 

Do you have a favourite watch from this year? Can you tell us more about it? 

My favourite watch is the Galet Annual Calendar School Piece in our exclusive yellow gold case and with a Silver dial. The Laurent Ferrier Annual Calendar is so easy to adjust that it is a pleasure to do it. One push button for the days and the fast adjustment on the crown for the date and the month, forward but also backward is extremely convenient. One adjustment per year doesn’t seem enough to me! The combination of yellow gold with a silver dial provides a vintage look that I particularly enjoy.