Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto

[fmc000]

Originally Posted by _speedmaster_

Alright, i wasn’t going to say anything because I love this brand….but I don’t understand the pricing at all and it’s inexcusable to me.

You replace the double direct impulse escapement with a Swiss lever because it is more robust…fine I get it. The half bridge no longer has interior angles or black polish…okay fine. The lower plate and jeweled staff have been redesigned to have less curvature, making the anglage easier to execute….okay fine. Remove the cote de Geneve….okay.

I’m fine with all of these changes…but they all result in a much easier and cheaper movement to finish. A movement that no longer has a double direct impulse escapement. And….it’s more money? A bracelet and platinum micro rotor do not outweigh those cost cutting moves the movement took.

[bondtoys]

Does anyone know, how that micro-reverse engravement on the rotor is done?

[cascavel]

I want one.

[ap1]

Originally Posted by mongrelnomoad

Something about the proportions and the squirkle just don't sit right.

Agree

[CasinoRoyale_007]

I personally love it. It’s very Laurent Ferrier to me.

[Benzsiam]

It looks good but seems overprice.

[uniqueMR]

Should have priced it around $30k.
Anyway its been sold out for this year.

[cascavel]

Originally Posted by uniqueMR

Should have priced it around $30k.
Anyway its been sold out for this year.

Thank you! You've saved me some phone calls. Like the Lange Odysseus this is one to check out in the secondary market and then ignore because it's too much work to figure out how to trade into it. Being lazy has it's advantages, I still haven't gotten around to selling my PP 5711.

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by uniqueMR

Anyway its been sold out for this year.

And 2023

[uniqueMR]

Originally Posted by Russell996

And 2023

Hopefully not

[Racecar001]

I’ve talked to a couple dealers and 2022 deliveries are going to be 3-4 watches per store. Same for 2023. Lists are already longer than that so it could take a while

[Bug04]

Really superlative for me this.
The Sport Auto instead is more difficult to me … it shows its character but I have to understand my real feeling about it

Originally Posted by raclaims

For reference here is my tourbillon





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[charger_vital]

Originally Posted by raclaims

For reference here is my tourbillon



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Does it look to you like the Sport has a more drastic taper on the bracelet than the Tourby (proportionally speaking)? One of the things I love about yours in the pictures anyway - since I havent seen in the flesh - is what looks to be a wide-set bracelet for a good few links near the dial; more reminiscent of the Nautilus bracelet. From the pictures of the sport, it looks to taper more drastically - more along the lines of the Royal Oak bracelet.

Do you get any sense of this?

And if you have time, would you mind snapping a pic or two of the bracelet on yours so I can get a sense of how the bracelet tapers from the case down?

PS: Excellent decision on that watch. It is on another level!!!

[GeraldGentaFan]

Just ordered one. My AD gets 3 this year and all sold out. Mine is for 2023. Not that bad.

[uniqueMR]

Originally Posted by GeraldGentaFan

Just ordered one. My AD gets 3 this year and all sold out. Mine is for 2023. Not that bad.

Same here. Ordered for next year delivery, 2023

[Russell996]

Originally Posted by GeraldGentaFan

Just ordered one. My AD gets 3 this year and all sold out. Mine is for 2023. Not that bad.

Originally Posted by uniqueMR

Same here. Ordered for next year delivery, 2023

Congrats.

[mongrelnomoad]

Enjoy in good health! Looking forward to seeing real-life wrist shots and impressions.

[Stranger]

I love it. I think the date window is rather well done actually, although I'd like it better without one. The case shape, dial, hands, and crown are gor-geous.

[athens7]

Got a 2022 coming my way later this year

[Longhorn]

would have preferred to see the dial conform to the case shape and design. Seems like a lot of empty bulk on the bezel and case contributing to a larger size than I think is necessary. Feels like the LF movements have gone down in detailing and visual quality over the years.

Maybe I'm just missing it because even at an astronomical price they got people lining up around the building.

[athens7]

Originally Posted by Longhorn

would have preferred to see the dial conform to the case shape and design. Seems like a lot of empty bulk on the bezel and case contributing to a larger size than I think is necessary. Feels like the LF movements have gone down in detailing and visual quality over the years.

Maybe I'm just missing it because even at an astronomical price they got people lining up around the building.

I agree that the price, in historical terms, is eye watering. I would like to have seen the MSRP 6-10K CHF less. Whether this is due to inflation (both materials and labor), the manufacture taking advantage of a generally breathless market (a hard to pass up opportunity for independents, who have historically struggled), something else entirely, or a combination of all of these things, I don’t know.

Laurent Ferrier executes a cushion case as well or better than anyone in the industry. A big difference between the Sport Auto and the Galet Square is the lack of lugs on the Sport Auto. It gives a completely different proportion to the case and bracelet. It is likely more polarizing than a watch with traditional lugs, or an integrated bracelet watch with a wider bracelet. I’m guessing the intent is to emphasize the case/dial. The bracelet is 22.7 mm wide at the case and 18.5 mm wide at the clasp.

As to finishing, straight graining is very unforgiving. It is harder to execute cleanly than Cotes de Geneve. The reduction in interior angles could be in order to achieve a sportier look, or it could simply be a way to make more money. If it is the latter, LF is (unfortunately), in good company. Few makers provide a level of finishing that compares well to the past, without a huge price premium. Romain Gauthier stands tall as an exception here. His Continuum has wonderful finissage at the price point.

[Amateur]

I smile whenever I read independents "struggling" all these years. Can someone please define struggling in that context? Is it not being able to profit 40% from the cost of production including R&D, from concept to final execution, on each piece? Did these independents live in the streets? Or are we just comparing their conditions to bigger companies and corporations? If I own a company and "struggle" for more than 3-5 years, I would close shop so IMO most of the "usual" independents have always done OK, no struggling involved.

If that is the case, how come some of them "survived" for 20 years and more and were not driven to closure or being purchased by some big corporation?

Agreed this watch is a tad overpriced.

[charger_vital]

Originally Posted by Amateur

I smile whenever I read independents "struggling" all these years. Can someone please define struggling in that context? Is it not being able to profit 40% from the cost of production including R&D, from concept to final execution, on each piece? Did these independents live in the streets? Or are we just comparing their conditions to bigger companies and corporations? If I own a company and "struggle" for more than 3-5 years, I would close shop so IMO most of the "usual" independents have always done OK, no struggling involved.

If that is the case, how come some of them "survived" for 20 years and more and were not driven to closure or being purchased by some big corporation?

Agreed this watch is a tad overpriced.

Did you build your own business? Or is this just an opinion waxed from the desk of papa's cozy corporate office?

[cascavel]

Originally Posted by Amateur

I smile whenever I read independents "struggling" all these years. Can someone please define struggling in that context? Is it not being able to profit 40% from the cost of production including R&D, from concept to final execution, on each piece? Did these independents live in the streets? Or are we just comparing their conditions to bigger companies and corporations? If I own a company and "struggle" for more than 3-5 years, I would close shop so IMO most of the "usual" independents have always done OK, no struggling involved.

If that is the case, how come some of them "survived" for 20 years and more and were not driven to closure or being purchased by some big corporation?

Agreed this watch is a tad overpriced.

There was a time, not that long ago, maybe 3 years, when independent watchmakers like LF, Gronefeld and even Journe, had to work to market their product. The amount of inventory you'd see in their cases at Cellini was overwhelming.
Today they struggle, but the struggle is to produce, not so much to market.

[athens7]

Originally Posted by Amateur

I smile whenever I read independents "struggling" all these years. Can someone please define struggling in that context? Is it not being able to profit 40% from the cost of production including R&D, from concept to final execution, on each piece? Did these independents live in the streets? Or are we just comparing their conditions to bigger companies and corporations? If I own a company and "struggle" for more than 3-5 years, I would close shop so IMO most of the "usual" independents have always done OK, no struggling involved.

If that is the case, how come some of them "survived" for 20 years and more and were not driven to closure or being purchased by some big corporation?

Agreed this watch is a tad overpriced.

In 2017, DeBethune was rescued by a group of investors. Journe has (reportedly) sold off the majority of his company in order to keep going. Groebel Forsey has had to restructure in order to survive. The forerunners of this group fared even more poorly. Genta, Mueller, Dubuis, and Roth all had to sell their companies. At this moment, most all independent makers are enjoying a favorable market, but it has not always been thus.

LF will sell 100 Sport Autos this year. That extra 10,000 CHF translates to 1,000,000 CHF, huge money for a small company.

[ajw45]

Originally Posted by charger_vital

Did you build your own business? Or is this just an opinion waxed from the desk of papa's cozy corporate office?

I was thinking more like his mom's basement

[Bloomberg]

Sport auto price = Odysseus price + czapek Antarctique price
My choice was easily taken.

[uniqueMR]

On chrono24 already....
What the!

Link: https://www.chrono24.com/laurentferr...id22571691.htm

[DoraTheExplorerII]

Originally Posted by uniqueMR

On chrono24 already....
What the!

Link: https://www.chrono24.com/laurentferr...id22571691.htm

Definitely just a listing to set up market for speculation

[ILoveFerrari]

Originally Posted by athens7

In 2017, DeBethune was rescued by a group of investors. Journe has (reportedly) sold off the majority of his company in order to keep going. Groebel Forsey has had to restructure in order to survive. The forerunners of this group fared even more poorly. Genta, Mueller, Dubuis, and Roth all had to sell their companies. At this moment, most all independent makers are enjoying a favorable market, but it has not always been thus.

LF will sell 100 Sport Autos this year. That extra 10,000 CHF translates to 1,000,000 CHF, huge money for a small company.

Journe sold 20% to Chanel. Not majority at all.