Laurent Ferrier Archives - Revolution Watch

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Katherine Arteche — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 01:00:23 +0000

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Inspired by the legendary Porsche 935 Turbo No. 40 that Laurent Ferrier and his teammates raced in the summer of 1979’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, this timepiece is a homage to that very moment.

News

By Katherine Arteche

Sep 1, 2023

On 9 June 1979, François Servanin and Laurent Ferrier were out on the fast roads of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 935 Turbo. Unbeknownst to these two semi-professional race car drivers, who would later on be the founders of Laurent Ferrier, they would emerge in third place after 297 laps – just after Paul Newman.

To celebrate, Ferrier gifted his race partner a Patek Philippe Nautilus; Ferrier was working at the Genevan manufacture at the time. According to Servanin, he admitted that it was a beautiful timepiece, and it was a gift he treasured, not just because the watch instantly became one of sentimental value, but because he mused that to own a Patek Philippe timepiece is to own one of the most beautiful watches in the world, yet to attain one is impossible. To this, Ferrier proposed that they make their own watches, but it was merely a remark that he didn’t mean to pursue at all.

Now long story short, in 2008, that idea was revisited, and Servanin lent his support to found Laurent Ferrier. This journey of ‘Becoming Laurent Ferrier’ is an amazing story, therefore I insist that you have to hear it from the man himself. In presenting the new “Série Atelier” Sport Auto 40 in a video interview with Revolution, Ferrier tells Wei Koh about the brand’s beginnings, his approach to designing a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet (that’s unlike anyone else’s), and why this watch has everything to do with that moment in Le Mans – which is what I would love to get into.

Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40

The Sport Auto 40 is more than just the brand’s connection motorsports – it’s a piece of history of Laurent Ferrier himself. To first understand the use of the outlandish color palette (and I mean it in the best way possible) of green, yellow, and fuschia, one has to turn to the aforementioned Porsche 935 Turbo No. 40: The car’s livery were in those very colors. In translating this to the timepiece, a ‘Valiant Green’ gradient was applied, where colorful contrasts of yellow and fuschia add to the dial’s maximalist look.

The opaline finish and semi-glossy lacquer create a stunning canvas for the faint fuchsia crosshair, which then frames the chamfered date aperture at 3 o’clock. The minute track gets a bit of color too, and white gold indexes are adorned with orange Super-LumiNova, adding an extra layer of dynamism. The number “40” imprinted on the small seconds is very cleverly camouflaged in white to minimize distraction. These details only make sense to those who know it, and that’s the discreteness of Laurent Ferrier.

The 41.5 mm grade 5 titanium case boasts a combination of finishes that are mirrored in the integrated titanium bracelet, forming a cohesive and striking aesthetic. Under the hood, the self-winding LF270.01 calibre powers the watch. The micro-rotor self-winding system is positioned between the main plate and the rotor bridge, providing stability and optimal winding power, providing a power reserve of 72 hours.

With only 40 numbered pieces available, this limited edition “Série Atelier” is priced at CHF51,000 CHF and is exclusively available on the Laurent Ferrier official website.

Tech Specs: Laurent Ferrier “Série Atelier” Sport Auto 40

Movement: Self-winding caliber LF270.01; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; Small seconds; Date
Case: 41.5mm; Grade 5 titanium; Sapphire crystal case back; Water-resistant to 120 meters;
Dial: Gradient viridian green opaline dial; Matte white opaline small seconds with semi-glossy opaline “40”; White gold indices with orange Super-LumiNova
Strap: Grade 5 titanium bracelet with folding clasp
Price: CHF51,000 (excluding taxes)
Availability: Exclusively available on the Laurent Ferrier official website

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Angelus

ANGELUS x REVOLUTION CHRONODATE "ANGELS' SHARE"

$23,800.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber A-500; 60 hours power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes, small seconds, chronograph and date
Case	42.5mm; titanium; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Salmon (6N gold plated) with gené or frosted area; Super-LumiNova filled Arabic numerals
Strap	Ballistic gray rubber; titanium folding clasp

The post Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Revo Talks: Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Revolution — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 06:56:07 +0000

Wei and Constant have a sit-down conversation on our newest limited edition, the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia. Join us as we go into the stories of Laurent Ferrier, the man himself, and the amazing process that created this beautiful timepiece. Our Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia is limited to just 15 examples and is priced at USD 57,500 excluding taxes. Available for purchase on 19 June 2023, 10pm SGT | 4pm CET | 10am EST. Email shop@revolutionmagazines.com to register your interest.

The post Revo Talks: Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

Wei Koh — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 14:00:25 +0000

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

Our latest collaboration with the legendary Laurent Ferrier is a Classic Micro-Rotor in steel featuring applied white gold indexes and a sector track, with a verdant green dial inspired by Ferrier’s love for nature.

Laurent Ferrier

By Wei Koh

Jun 16, 2023

There is an expression that comes over Laurent Ferrier’s august visage that I love. This happens when he picks up one of his own watches and gazes at it lovingly. It is akin to what I imagine Proust’s face looked like when he tasted the famous madeleine in À La Recherche du Temps Perdu, and a torrent of memories come flooding back into his mind.

Similarly, I imagine when Ferrier holds one of his wonderful watch cases in his hands, he senses how the edges feel like a river stone, worn smooth by the passing of water over it; he looks at the perfect, restrained design language, punctuated with just a touch of exhilaration injected by his signature Assegai hands modeled after the spears of an African warrior tribe; and when he gazes at the simultaneously vibrant yet subdued signature color palette, you know that he is experiencing a flood of memories that stretches back almost a half century.

Laurent Ferrier, master of neoclassical watchmaking

Deep inside Laurent Ferrier’s imagination, inchoate but present when he made his first pocket watch in 1968, and enriching itself to full maturity over his 37 years at Patek Philippe and the 14 years as the creative director of his eponymous brand, is a singular voice of immeasurable horological grace. When he did unveil this vision to the world with the launch of his brand in 2009, the watch that he created, the Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral, triggered an incredible flood of what Proust would call “involuntary memories.”

Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic Tourbillon Double Spiral

Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor

Laurent Ferrier Annual Calendar

Laurent Ferrier Classic Traveller

Since then, he has achieved this over and over again with each successive launch, from the Classic Micro-Rotor, to his Traveller and Annual Calendar, and most recently with his sublime Classic Origin. I would say, more than any other independent brand, Ferrier has reconnected us all with the love for classical watchmaking — a remembrance of things past that we had almost forgotten.

Laurent Ferrier is our bridge between the past and the present. His watches are the living, beating repositories of horology’s greatest collective memories. So artfully does he wield nuanced details inspired by 19th and mid-20th century Swiss watchmaking that his vision feels like it has already existed for a century or more, already permanently inscribed into the lexicon of horology’s great canon.

Laurent Ferrier Classic Origin

The point is, there is nothing in watchmaking design at this stage that Ferrier doesn’t know, hasn’t tried and, according to whether or not it fits his singular philosophy of less is more, hasn’t decided to discard or assimilate into his watchmaking vocabulary.

I recall a full three years ago when I first broached the subject of creating a “sector” dial watch with Ferrier, specifically a manual wind Classic Origin limited edition series of 12 watches, he’d already had far more design experience with this kind of dial than I could have ever imagined. The resulting timepiece, featuring a cream center section surrounded by a black sector track, followed by a circular brushed silver section with black printed Arabic indexes, far exceeded anything I could have hoped for. It was that beautiful and I am deeply honored to own the prototype of that beautiful timepiece.

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Sector Dial Watches**

My passion for all things sector dial goes back to the popularization of the sector or “scientific” dial watches. They began in the 1920s as a way of more clearly delineating time and were used on both wristwatches and pocket watches. They featured a circular track where the hour indexes would radiate outward. This means that the hour hand would align perfectly with this track and there could be no mistaking its placement.

Omega ref. CK 859, a re-edition of its vintage sector dial watch

Longines ref. 5182 “Tre Tacche” from 1943 (Credit: Phillips)

On the perimeter of the dial, you would have a clearly printed minute track that would align with the minute hand to provide ultimate clarity. Seconds could either be placed in a subdial at six o’clock, or read off a central seconds hand. Further, different sectors of the dial would always have different decoration to more fully create a sense of information compartmentalization.

Over the ensuing decades, brands including Omega and Longines, the latter in particular with its “Tre Tacche” waterproof watches, became synonymous for this style of scientific watches.

From left: Laurent Ferrier Galet Square Only Watch 2015; The limited Edition Vintage America II for Chicago’s Swiss FineTiming; Galet Square Boréal

In the modern era, I would argue that Laurent Ferrier is that unrivaled master of the sector dial. Laurent Ferrier has used the sector dial to great effect, in particular in his Galet Square with the Only Watch 2015 pièce unique, the two limited editions for Chicago’s Swiss FineTiming, a luminous version with the Boréal, and a beautiful pièce unique execution created by Aurel Bacs, the world’s greatest vintage watch auctioneer and expert.

It was my immense pleasure to launch our own Galet Classic watch with Ferrier in a series of 12 watches that quickly sold out and that appeared for strong premiums the few times they have sold at auction. Most notably, gentleman collector Mark Cho sold his Revolution Classic Origin at auction on October 13, 2021. That watch achieved a price of HKD 302,400.

From left: The Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor for Revolution & The Rake with salmon dial and Laurent Ferrier Classic for Revolution & The Rake with brut champagne dial; Our first limited dition with Laurent Ferrier in 2020, the Classic Origin for Revolution & The Rake pictured here with vintage style “beads of rice” bracelet

In 2021 we followed up on this wonderful collaboration with two Revolution Laurent Ferrier limited editions, both featuring sector dials in combination with applied Breguet hour markers at 12, three and nine o’clock. The first of these was a “brut champagne” colored dial with sunray finish that used the Classic Origin’s manual wind movement. The second of these was a “rose champagne” colored dial with sunray finish that featured the Classic Micro-Rotor’s automatic caliber replete with Breguet natural escapement. The movements of both of these timepieces featured the same yellow gold, frosted finish with hand mirror-polished angles that was found in our first collaboration.

A rare one-of-one Laurent Ferrier Steel Galet Micro-Rotor with salmon dial for Revolution

The mirror polished bridge of the FBN229.01 micro rotor in the L aurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor for Revolution & The Rake , fashioned to look like the bridges used for tourbillons in classical watchmaking

With each subsequent collaboration, I felt that Ferrier was allowing himself to be a bit more expressive with his sector track. The 2021 watches were distinguished by a more exuberant — dare I say — more tempestuously Latin sector track. I loved this as, to me, this was Ferrier allowing himself just a soupçon more of self-expressive freedom, perhaps best characterized by the additional square hour plots found within the minute track that creates a slightly more visually stimulating Laurent Ferrier dial than his normal oases of calm and tranquility.

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”**

When asked what he might be inspired to do for our collaboration this year, Ferrier said the following, “I would like to bring an even greater sense of sophistication to the design of our sector dials by making the Arabic indexes at 12, three and nine o’clock as well as the sector track from white rhodium treated gold, and have them be applied to the dial itself.

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

“Previous to this, in our other collaborations, we have always triple printed the sector track to give it a raised effect,” he added. “But I didn’t want to use an additional element and apply it to the track, because there were some issues with how precisely this could be placed in the past. We have since worked with our dial maker to overcome these issues and I was confident we could have the track be applied as well, and even thinner than the previous ones we’ve executed to keep the dial elegant.”

I was blown away by Ferrier’s ambition to keep pushing the value and ambition of our collaborations to the next level. All I could think to ask was what color he might wish the dial to be.

The wonderful verdant green canopy of the Amazon rainforest, together with its crucial ecological role, was the inspiration behind our latest collaboration with Laurent Ferrier

Ferrier paused for a moment, got that slightly faraway look in his eyes, and said, “I would like it to remind me of the Amazon rainforest and be a wonderful verdant green. The Amazon is the single, most species-rich biodome in the world, and an important resource for humanity. It covers one percent of the Earth’s surface but is home to 10 percent of the species on our planet.”

Indeed, the Amazon rainforest or Amazonia plays an incredibly important role in stabilizing our environment, storing 76 billion tons of carbon, and releasing 20 billion tons of water. It is also the habitat for a rich plethora of undiscovered species of plants and animals.

Says Ferrier, “I’ve always believed there is no inspiration greater than nature. At the same time, I feel that the mechanical watch is an important ethical device in that it endures forever, and it only consumes the energy imparted by its owner when he winds it or, in the case of an automatic micro-rotor watch, when he wears it.”

The stunning Laurent Ferrier Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia” features the caliber FBN 229.01, an automatic winding movement that uses Breguet’s natural escapement, a dual wheel escapement that runs without any lubrication. Like the other Revolution collaborations, this watch features a yellow gold colored finish. It will be made in just 15 examples with a price of USD 57,500.

AVAILABLE NOW. For enquiries, email shop@revolutionmagazines.com.

Tech Specs

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”

Movement: Self-winding caliber FBN 229.01 with natural escapement; 72-hour power reserve

Functions: Hours, minutes and small seconds

Case: 40mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m

Dial: Verdant green, with sector track; applied, white rhodium treated gold Arabic numerals and hour markers

Strap: Brown calf leather with Alcantara lining, stainless steel pin buckle; additional Milanese bracelet in stainless steel

Price: USD 57,500

Availability: Limited edition of 15 pieces

Laurent Ferrier

By Revolution

Revo Talks: Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Jun 20, 2023

Videos

By Revolution

In Conversation with Laurent Ferrier: The Renaissance Watchmaker behind the Amazonia

Jun 15, 2023

Videos

By Revolution

Up Close with the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Jun 14, 2023

Laurent Ferrier

By Revolution

VIDEO: The incomparable Laurent Ferrier’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties

Mar 30, 2023

Laurent Ferrier

By Sheng Lee

Introducing the Laurent Ferrier Classic & Square Micro-Rotor Evergreen

Mar 27, 2023

FROM THE SHOP

Sold Out

Laurent Ferrier

Limited Edition

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”

$57,500.00

TECH SPECS

Movement	Self-winding caliber FBN 229.01 with natural escapement; 72-hour power reserve
Functions	Hours, minutes and small seconds
Case	40mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 30m
Dial	Verdant green, with sector track; applied, white rhodium treated gold Arabic numerals and hour markers
Strap	Brown calf leather with Alcantara lining, stainless steel pin buckle; additional Milanese bracelet in stainless steel
Limited Edition	Limited edition of 15 pieces

The post Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’ appeared first on Revolution Watch.

In Conversation with Laurent Ferrier: The Renaissance Watchmaker behind the Amazonia

Revolution — Thu, 15 Jun 2023 14:00:07 +0000

Wei joined Laurent Ferrier for an in-depth discussion on his design ethos for hyper-classic masterpieces and how our Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia came to fruition. Laurent Ferrier’s passion for watchmaking was inspired by his father, who was also a watchmaker. He has over 37 years of watchmaking experience, including working as the head of product development at Patek Philippe. The brand is known for producing watches that combine traditional Swiss watchmaking techniques with contemporary designs.

Laurent Ferrier watches are known for their exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail. The brand produces a limited number of watches annually, each crafted by a team of highly skilled artisans. Laurent Ferrier watches are often made with precious metals and feature complex movements that are assembled by hand.

The brand’s dedication to quality and attention to detail earned them a reputation as one of the top luxury watch brands in the world. Additionally, the brand has won numerous awards for its craftsmanship and design, including the coveted “Aiguille d’Or” award at the 2010 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Our Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia has a beautiful brushed green dial with white gold sector track, FBN 229.01 Self-winding Micro-Rotor caliber with natural escapement with a silicon balance all housed in a 40 x 10.7 mm stainless-steel case. Limited to just 15 examples, this watch is priced at USD 57,500 excluding taxes.

Available for purchase on 19 June 2023, 10pm SGT | 4pm CET | 10am EST. Email shop@revolutionmagazines.com to register your interest.

The post In Conversation with Laurent Ferrier: The Renaissance Watchmaker behind the Amazonia appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Up Close with the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Revolution — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:03:57 +0000

The Laurent Ferrier x Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia is our latest collaboration with the man himself, featuring a verdant green dial inspired by Laurent’s love for nature and conservation.

Laurent Ferrier’s legendary status needs no introduction, a third-generation watchmaker, with a three-decade career as a technical director for Patek Philippe and also a semi-professional racecar driver, winning third place in the 1979 Le Man 24 Hours race after Paul Newman, Laurent has done it all. In 2009, at the age of 63, Laurent created his namesake brand together with his fellow racing friend, François Servanin, to fulfill his lifelong dream and started creating beautiful and classical timepieces with technically avant-garde movements. Soon after, his son, Christian Ferrier joined his venture as well. The Laurent Ferrier x Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia case is based on the original 2010 Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic Tourbillion Double Spiral that won the Best Men’s Watch award at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix and in 2015, Laurent Ferrier launched the Galet Square which also won the GHPG “Horological Revelation” award featuring the movement that is also in this limited edition. So in every respect, it is indeed the best of both worlds. Laurent Ferrier x Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia measures 40 x 10.7 mm in a stainless steel case. The watch also features white gold hands, applied Arabic numerals, and a sector track. Housed inside is the breathtaking Self-winding caliber FBN 229.01 with natural escapement, Silicon balance with a double direct impulse for better shock resistance, a masterfully engraved micro-rotor, and finished with impressive finishing and depth. Created by a legend even within the world of independent watch brands, this watch is made in just 15 examples and is priced at USD 57,500 excluding taxes.

The post Up Close with the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia appeared first on Revolution Watch.

VIDEO: The incomparable Laurent Ferrier’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties

Revolution — Thu, 30 Mar 2023 00:21:42 +0000

Laurent Ferrier is a third-generation watchmaker, who graduated from École d’Horlogerie de Genève in 1968 and worked 37 years in Patek Philippe. Hailed by many as the master of sector dial watches, Laurent Ferrier was 63 when he started his eponymous watch brand in 2010. At Watches and Wonders 2023, he introduces three new novelties to Revolution Founder Wei Koh: the Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon – Pursuit, which arrives with a salmon dial and white gold hands. Its 44mm titanium case houses the caliber LF619.01 and this whole watch weighs just 118g. He has also just debuted the square 41mm Laurent Ferrier Micro-Rotor ‘Evergreen’ in steel, and the 40mm Micro-Rotor ‘Evergreen’ in 18K red gold and classic round case. Both Micro-Rotor watches are driven by the calibre FBN229.01.

The post VIDEO: The incomparable Laurent Ferrier’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties appeared first on Revolution Watch.

Laurent Ferrier Archives - Revolution Watch

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40

Tech Specs: Laurent Ferrier “Série Atelier” Sport Auto 40

MORE STORIES ABOUT GENEVA WATCH DAYS

FEATURED FROM ARTICLE

TECH SPECS

Revo Talks: Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Sector Dial Watches**

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”**

Tech Specs

MORE STORIES ABOUT LAURENT FERRIER

FROM THE SHOP

TECH SPECS

In Conversation with Laurent Ferrier: The Renaissance Watchmaker behind the Amazonia

Up Close with the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

VIDEO: The incomparable Laurent Ferrier’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties

Laurent Ferrier Archives - Revolution Watch

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Geneva Watch Days 2023: Laurent Ferrier’s Sport Auto 40 is a Tribute To a Racing Legacy

Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto 40

Tech Specs: Laurent Ferrier “Série Atelier” Sport Auto 40

MORE STORIES ABOUT GENEVA WATCH DAYS

FEATURED FROM ARTICLE

TECH SPECS

READ THIS NEXT

Revo Talks: Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor ‘Amazonia’

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Sector Dial Watches

Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”

Tech Specs

MORE STORIES ABOUT LAURENT FERRIER

FROM THE SHOP

TECH SPECS

READ THIS NEXT

In Conversation with Laurent Ferrier: The Renaissance Watchmaker behind the Amazonia

Up Close with the Laurent Ferrier X Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor Amazonia

VIDEO: The incomparable Laurent Ferrier’s Watches and Wonders 2023 novelties

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Sector Dial Watches**

**Laurent Ferrier × Revolution Classic Micro-Rotor “Amazonia”**