Laurent Ferrier's Sport Auto is an integrated sports watch, but seen through the lens of independent watchmaking, in titanium, and heavily influenced by Ferrier's years in motorsport. Unlike many Royal Oaks or Nautilus today, the Sport Auto is made with great care and finished by hand, not ubiquitous, and remains completely in the domain of watchmaking cognoscente.
In 1979, Ferrier managed to place on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 935 (just behind Paul Newman), which served as the muse for this effort and 'powder blue' gradient dial scheme. The avant-garde 41mm titanium case adds an edge of angularity to the pebble-like surfacing Laurent Ferrier is known for, but loses none of the elegance in the process; the goal was to recreate the sporting yet curvaceous emotion the 935 evoked. This is only visible in details like a domed sapphire, not flat. This even extends to the date window, which references the sloping hood and intake of the 935. This carries into the titanium bracelet, with contrasting satin-brushed outer and mirror polished inner links, in an almost-vintage 3-link flavor with hidden double-deployant clasp. The Sport Auto also marks the first use of a screw down crown and 120m water resistance in LF.
Underpinning this effort is a new micro-rotor calibre LF270.01. The architecture is aimed toward solidity, with a more robust bridge to support a 950 platinum rotor, swiss lever instead of natural escapement, 72-hour reserve, and more forgiving 4-Hz shock resistance. Finishing standards remain remarkably high, with modern ruthenium coated plates, miraculously wide anglage, and a perlage base. The platinum rotor, in particular, is spectacular under a loupe, with a tyre mark edge and various statistics from LF's 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans race engraved in relief on a magically fine scale.
The Sport Auto is a decidedly unique in design, not constrained by legacy or client demands. It feels very much like the dream of one man, seeking to justly pay tribute to his years in both motorsport and watchmaking equally. Signature touches like the rotor engraving demonstrate Laurent Ferrier's cutting-edge technical ability, but the distinct design speaks to Ferrier's willingness to make exactly what he seeks to. The Sport Auto really isn't for someone who seeks a Nautilus or Royal Oak to cross-shop, it's for someone who seeks unbridled imagination with a retro-motorsport edge.
