The Craft That Nearly Vanished

Historically, watch hands were genuinely stamped. This gave them varying heights along their length, creating a three-dimensional form that modern techniques often lose. The process imbued them with depth and character, a quality that allowed them to interact with light in a way that flat, diamond-cut hands cannot.

The Assegai hands from Laurent Ferrier are a direct link to this past. Named for the slender African spear, their elongated and refined silhouette was designed to match the applied indexes and gold numerals on the dial. The inspiration came from the pocket watches of the last century, seeking a visual coherence that required reviving a forgotten method.

A Nearly Lost Technique

To achieve this specific kind of depth, the workshops turned to Fiedler SA. The manufacturer was one of the few that still possessed the traditional expertise to give a watch hand a complex architecture, one capable of capturing and reflecting light with unusual intensity. But the knowledge was dormant.

When Laurent Ferrier presented the project to Fiedler in 2009, the world was in a global financial crisis. The timing was difficult, and the news was worse. The specific type of manufacturing needed to create the Assegai hands had virtually disappeared from Fiedler’s workshops.

The Human Element

The revival of the craft did not come from a massive investment or a new technology. It was made possible by three specific factors. First, the modest annual production of Laurent Ferrier allowed for a highly specialized, small-batch approach that a larger brand could not entertain.

The second was a deep relationship of trust, built over time with the manufacturer’s leadership, Mr. Chillier and his daughter, Isabelle. This personal connection provided the foundation for an unconventional request.

The final element was the dedication of a single master machinist within Fiedler. His personal passion for the craft drove him to accept the challenge of bringing the old technique back to life. Without him, the project would have ended.

Today, every set of Assegai hands is crafted from solid 18-carat gold. They receive specific treatments to achieve their distinct colors. The black hands are finished with a sleek ruthenium coating, while the white hands are delicately painted to create a flawless hue. Each one is a testament to a pursuit that balances tradition and modernity, made possible by a few people who refused to let a craft disappear.

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