Laurent Ferrier marks its 15th anniversary with a tribute to a quieter kind of victory: third place overall at the 1979 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by the founder himself.
Laurent Ferrier today introduces the Sport Auto 79, its first Sport Auto entirely in 5N red gold, case and integrated bracelet together. Laurent Ferrier, François Servanin and François Trisconi covered 3,988km in 24 hours to take that podium finish.
The cream dial has a silver-rose galvanic treatment and an opaline finish, with a snailed small seconds at 6 o’clock and the date at 3. The 41.5mm case is tonneau-shaped, with a cushion bezel that recalls the brand’s Square model, water resistant to 120 metres.
The LF270.01 micro-rotor carries a 950 platinum weight, laser-engraved with numerical nods to the 1979 race. Finishing the rotor bridge alone takes 2 to 3 hours by hand. “We’re not world champions,” Laurent Ferrier likes to say, and the understated dial carries that same modesty.
The Basics
Brand: Laurent Ferrier
Model: Sport Auto 79
Reference: LCF040.R5.GR1C1
Diameter: 41.5mm
Thickness: 12.70mm
Case material: 18K/750 5N red gold
Dial: Cream, silver-rose galvanic treatment, opaline finish; powder grey transfers; snailed small seconds; indexes and Assegai-shaped hands in 18K red gold with white Super-LumiNova
Water resistance: 120m
Bracelet: Integrated 3-link, 18K/750 5N red gold, matching folding clasp
The Movement
Calibre: LF270.01
Functions: Central hours and minutes; small seconds at 6 o’clock; date at 3 o’clock
Winding: Self-winding, micro-rotor with 950 platinum oscillating weight
Power reserve: 72 hours
Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
Jewels: 31
Images courtesy of Laurent Ferrier.