Introducing The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit

When Laurent Ferrier steered his brand into the luxury sports watch terrain, he applied his signature formula of sensually shaped design and a precision hand-finished tourbillon engine discreetly hidden on the back. Introduced in 2019, the Grand Sport Tourbillon reflected the founders’ love of motor racing with its sleek lines and high-performance engine. The latest iteration of the watch – Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit – comes in a lightweight titanium case with a lovely salmon-pink dial that evokes the colour of the sky at dawn.  

The origins of the Grand Sport can be traced to Laurent Ferrier’s passion for motorsports and his stint as a semi-professional car racer. The apogee of his racing hobby came in 1979 when he and François Servanin came in third at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 935.

As a contender in the luxury sports watch segment, Laurent Ferrier’s Grand Sport Tourbillon steers clear of the generic look adopted by so many wannabes. Inspired by the aerodynamic contours of vintage racing cars, the barrel-shaped case and cushion-shaped bezel give the watch a compelling 1970s vibe. The onion-style crown – somewhat anachronistic in a sports watch, but a signature LF trait – is protected by smooth-flowing crown guards to ensure the 100m water-resistance of the case.

The first edition of the Grand Sport Tourbillon combined a steel case with a rubber bracelet. A year later it appeared in steel with an integrated steel bracelet, followed by an opulent red gold model in 2022.

Titanium Case and Bracelet

The new Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit shares the same case specifications as the former editions – 44mm diameter and height of 13.40mm – but is now housed in a grade 5 titanium case weighing just 118 grams (for comparison, the rose gold weights 310 grams). Using different brushed finishings – circular on the bezel, vertical on the case middle and bracelet – the matte case and bracelet look sporty. There are also touches of mirror-polished areas on the flanks of the bezel, the bevelled case middle and the central links of the bracelet.

Salmon Gradient dial

The salmon-pink colour selected for the dial is designed to evoke the sky at dawn as Laurent Ferrier and François Servanin tore around the track of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. With its opaline finish, the gradient pink dial transitions from a lighter hue in the centre to a more saturated hue on the periphery. The hallmark drop-shaped hour markers and Assegai-shaped hands are crafted in ruthenium-treated white gold and treated with white Super-LumiNova. To accommodate the snailed small seconds counter at 6 o’clock, the markers at 5 and 7 have been shortened. According to the press release, the hour and minute hands have been slightly enlarged to hold more luminous material. A domed sapphire crystal, echoing the rounded contours of the case, protects the dial.

Calibre LF619.01

Understatement and elegance are key concepts at Laurent Ferrier, and the tourbillon powering this movement is displayed on the reverse side of the case. The watch is fitted with the hand-wound LF619.01 calibre with a double balance spring regulating the one-minute tourbillon. Beating at 3Hz and delivering a robust 80h power reserve, the movement made its debut inside the Classic Tourbillon, which won the Men’s Watch Prize at the GPHG in 2010. The precision of the watch is chronometer-certified by the Besançon Observatory. Decorative finishings, like the brushed ruthenium-coated bridges, the mirror-polished bevels, the hand-decorated bridge of the tourbillon and the 30 handcrafted internal angles can be seen through the sapphire crystal caseback.

Availability & Price

The Laurent Ferrier Grand Sport Tourbillon Pursuit joins the brand’s permanent collection but remains highly exclusive since only 15 pieces will be produced a year. The price is on request (expect around CHF 200,000). More information at laurentferrier.ch.