THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: PATEK PHILIPPE
MODEL: LCF040
YEAR: 2023
BOX/PAPERS: YES/YES
CASE DIAMETER: 41.5MM
CASE MATERIAL: TITANIUM
BRACELET MATERIAL: TITANIUM
MOVEMENT: AUTOMATIC
Despite being (primarily) a vintage watch seller, and having a small wrist that makes most modern sports watches look ridiculous, I must admit I've absolutely fallen in love with the Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto.
I have vivid memories of Laurent Ferrier introducing the model back in 2022, shortly after my brief encounter with him at Antoine de Macedo in Paris. At the time, I knew Laurent Ferrier as the master watchmaker who had spent nearly 40 years at Patek Philippe before founding his eponymous brand, focusing on beautifully made, exquisitely finished dress watches. The story behind the Sport Auto, however, goes beyond his tenure at Patek and extends to his other identity: that of a racing driver.
In June 1979, Laurent Ferrier and François Servanin (who would later become the co-founder and chairman of Laurent Ferrier) finished third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind another familiar name—Paul Newman. That achievement became the inspiration behind the Sport Auto: Laurent Ferrier's first integrated-bracelet sports watch, crafted entirely from Grade 5 titanium and powered by the LF270.01, only the second automatic calibre ever produced by the manufacture.
The 41.5 mm case wears surprisingly well, even on my 16.5 cm wrist, thanks to its relatively short lug-to-lug distance and arguably the most comfortable bracelet I've ever worn. The star of the show, however, is the opaline dial, which displays mesmerising shades of blue depending on the light. The hands and indices are filled with Super-LumiNova, while the sapphire caseback reveals the calibre LF270.01, whose finishing requires 139 separate manual operations.
If you're thinking this is another homage to the Patek Philippe Nautilus—you're not entirely wrong. Laurent Ferrier himself worked on the original Nautilus alongside Gérald Genta, translating Genta's two-dimensional sketches into a manufacturable case. It was also a Nautilus that Laurent Ferrier gifted François Servanin, planting the seed that would eventually grow into their own brand some thirty years later.
This example has survived in amazing condition, with no visible marks on the case. It comes complete with its original boxes and paperwork.
If you're here, you already know what you're looking at. Simply amazing.