New with hands-on review: Laurent Ferrier Tourbillon Grand Sport

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Laurent Ferrier joins the ranks of the luxury sports watch world with an entrant worthy of the reputation – the Tourbillon Grand Sport, with the coveted LF Tourbillon in a new sporty case

Laurent Ferrier is perhaps well known as an independent watchmaker But in the 1970s, his name was more likely to be seen on the roster of some prestigious motor races.

He competed in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans seven times, coming first in the two liter prototype category in 1977

Laurent Ferrier Photographed in 2012, outside his workshop in Geneva

It was during these racing years that he met with François Servanin.

The two men shared a passion for speed and mechanics, and raced together At the 1979 Le Mans 24 hours race they raced behind the wheel of a Porsche 935T, and came in third overall, just behind Paul Newman’s team who took second position

In 2009, they formed Laurent Ferrier as a watch brand, and today they remember their racing legacy and their friendship with this new Tourbillon Grand Sport, capturing the spirit of racing in the 1970s

Laurent Ferrier Tourbillon Grand Sport

Why a sports watch for a brand so classical in its aesthetics? For starters, early in his watchmaking career in Patek Philippe, he worked on the prototype of the original Nautilus, creating it from design drawings directly from the ateliers of Gerald Genta.

And it is with little wonder that we see some elements of the Gental spirit in the new Tourbillon Grand Sport But we get ahead of ourselves.

If there appears to be a resemblance to the Patek Philippe Nautilus, it is perhaps not a total co-incidence Laurent himself worked on the Patek prototype in the early 1970s

The case, dial and hands

Thus the story of elegance and evergreen design of the Nautilus lives in the Grand Sport.

The lines are mildly reminiscent of the Genta masterpiece, albeit more rounded, and with a rounded square bezel Though on a closer examination, the bezel shares aesthetic cues with the Laurent Ferrier Galet Square and the Galet Square Tourbillon.

The lugs are particularly elegant and sensuously shaped.

The dial itself is in a rather amazing smoked taupe-coloured dial, with an effect of a changing shade from center to the edges, much similar to the much loved fumé dials of Moser Combined with the bright orange hue of the luminous material on the hands and indices, the overall look at the dial side is very elegant, if also very sporty.

The sapphire glass protecting the dial is also lightly tinted to soften the look

We particularly love it that the tourbillon is not visible from the dial side, and no punctures are made to it to showcase the spinning tourbillon This was the original Laurent Ferrier Galet Tourbillon.

One which he adopted from his years in Patek Philippe like this Ref.5101, who also do not show their tourbillons from the dial side Yea, we are aware of one such Laurent Ferrier Galet Classic Tourbillon F which opens []

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