The Racing Story of Laurent Ferrier and the Creation of the Sport Auto Watch

The Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto isn’t the brand’s first attempt to enter the highly competitive luxury sports watch market. Three years ago, LF presented a watch with typical features of the category: an integrated design, a combination of robustness and superior mechanics combined with a rather personal touch to make this Grand Sport unique in the sports watch field. Yet, the production was highly confidential, and the price was equally exclusive because the watch was equipped with a complex tourbillon movement. Last year, Laurent Ferrier presented the Sport Auto, a watch that symbolises far more than just a new model in the collection; it’s a watch that results from a long-time friendship, born on the race track and infused with a passion for motorsport. This story, as well as the entire creation process behind the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto, is the topic of our latest in-depth movie (posted above).

Behind the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto is a story of a friendship and passion for motorsport and watches. The brand Laurent Ferrier was founded by two long-time friends; watch industry professional Laurent Ferrier and François Servanin, entrepreneur and investor. The creation of the independent watchmaking company was, however, just another step in their mutual odyssey, which began on racing circuits. In June 1979, behind the wheel of a Porsche 935 Turbo at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the two friends finished third overall, just behind none other than Paul Newman. As a token of gratitude, Laurent offered Servanin a Patek Philippe Nautilus (remember that Ferrier spent more than 35 years working at Patek). The answer of Servanin to this gift was the starting point of the next adventure: “What if after this feat, we continued the adventure as a team by making our own watch?!” And thirty years later, in 2009, the watchmaking brand Laurent Ferrier was born. The new Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto is where the friendship between the two men, as well as their passion for watches and sports cars, meet.

Other details that you might like to discover about the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto are fully explained by Monsieur Ferrier himself in our movie. For more details, please visit laurentferrier.ch.