Laurent Ferrier

Who are Laurent Ferrier?

Laurent Ferrier is a small Swiss watchmaker in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, named after the watchmaker who co-founded it with his friend François Servanin. The brand launched in 2010 (Laurent Ferrier). It makes mechanical watches with a restrained, rounded style and does its watchmaking and finishing in-house, from pre-assembly through casing (Laurent Ferrier). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Laurent Ferrier watch second-hand in the UK.

Output is small: Wikipedia gives about 300 watches in 2021. A member of staff describes it on the company’s team page as “an independent family brand on a human scale” (Laurent Ferrier).

The history of Laurent Ferrier

The watchmaker. Laurent Ferrier was born in Geneva on 19 December 1946 into a family of watchmakers, and graduated from the École d’Horlogerie de Genève in 1968 (Laurent Ferrier). Most of his career was spent at Patek Philippe, where Wikipedia says he worked on the prototype of the Nautilus and rose to technical director. Sources give different lengths: the company’s own account says 37 years at “a Geneva watchmaking house”, as does Monochrome Watches, while Wikipedia says about 30. See our page on Patek Philippe.

Le Mans. Ferrier also raced. In 1979 he and François Servanin finished third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Porsche 935, and the company says that was the day they decided to make a watch of their own (Laurent Ferrier). Wikipedia says Paul Newman’s car finished ahead of them in second place.

The brand. Servanin, who SJX Watches says made his fortune with the vehicle maker Auverland, offered Ferrier the chance to create a brand from scratch. Ferrier took it up in 2009, at 63, and the brand launched in 2010 (Laurent Ferrier). Wikipedia gives 2009 as the founding year and 2010 as the launch. SJX Watches says the first two models, a tourbillon and a micro-rotor, were developed with the movement maker La Fabrique du Temps.

Prizes. The first watch, the Classic Tourbillon Double Hairspring, won Best Men’s Watch at the 2010 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The Square Micro-Rotor won the Horological Revelation prize in 2015, and the École Annual Calendar Best Men’s Complication in 2018 (Laurent Ferrier). The Grand Sport Tourbillon of 2019 was the brand’s first sports watch (Watchonista), and the Classic Origin, a hand-wound, time-only watch, marked the tenth anniversary in 2020 (Monochrome Watches).

What is Laurent Ferrier known for?

The natural escapement. Laurent Ferrier’s micro-rotor watches use a version of the natural escapement, a design the company credits to Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1789 (Laurent Ferrier). Monochrome Watches says its version works with two escape wheels and silicon parts and needs no lubrication. Not every model has it: the Classic Origin’s calibre LF 116.01 uses a conventional Swiss lever escapement (Monochrome Watches). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the movement matters when you buy.

The double hairspring. The first watch paired a tourbillon with a double hairspring (Laurent Ferrier).

Rounded cases. Early watches carried the name Galet: Wikipedia and Monochrome Watches use names such as Galet Classic and Galet Square. The company’s site now groups watches by case shape (Classic, Square, Sport, Grand Sport) and by movement (Micro-Rotor, Origin, Auto, Tourbillon, Moon, Traveller) (Laurent Ferrier).

Which Laurent Ferrier collections are there?

The current range is grouped by case into Classic, Square, Sport and Grand Sport, with a separate Série Atelier (Laurent Ferrier). The collections table on this page gives a line on each.

When you read listings, check both the case family and the movement, because the same case can carry different calibres. Older watches may be listed as “Galet” rather than “Classic” or “Square”. The Sport Auto 40 of 2023 was limited to 40 pieces, a reference to the car number at Le Mans in 1979 (Worn & Wound), so check edition numbers against the papers.

Who owns Laurent Ferrier?

Laurent Ferrier is privately owned and not part of a group. In 2019 SJX Watches reported that François Servanin, who financed the founding, owned most of the company and was taking management control alongside Laurent Ferrier and his son Christian. The company’s team page lists Servanin as director and founder and Laurent Ferrier as creative director and founder, and says Christian Ferrier works with his father in the creative department (Laurent Ferrier). Wikipedia names Florent Perrichon as chief executive.

The current shareholdings are not published.

Buying a Laurent Ferrier watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

1. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

2. Authenticity. Laurent Ferrier says that to check the authenticity of a pre-owned watch you can contact the company for help (Laurent Ferrier). Do that before you pay, and have the watch looked at by a watchmaker you choose. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a check involves.

3. Warranty and the Owners Club. The standard warranty is two years from purchase; for watches bought from 1 January 2024, registering adds 12 months, making three years (Laurent Ferrier). Ask the seller for the purchase date and whether the watch was registered with the Owners Club. The company’s FAQ does not say whether the warranty passes to a second owner. See watch warranties explained.

4. Movement and servicing. Ask which calibre the watch has, when it was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork.

5. Who you buy from. Laurent Ferrier says it does not sell pre-owned watches, though its sales team can help locate one (Laurent Ferrier). That means you will buy from a dealer or a private seller; our guide to private seller versus dealer sets out the trade-offs. If the watch is abroad, read our guide to import duty and VAT.

6. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Laurent Ferrier?

A Geneva watchmaker, born in 1946, who spent most of his career at Patek Philippe before co-founding his own brand (Laurent Ferrier; Wikipedia).

When was Laurent Ferrier founded?

Laurent Ferrier took up the project in 2009 and the brand launched in 2010 (Laurent Ferrier).

Who owns Laurent Ferrier?

It is privately owned. In 2019 co-founder François Servanin was reported to hold a majority stake (SJX Watches).

Did Laurent Ferrier race at Le Mans?

Yes. He and François Servanin finished third overall at the 1979 24 Hours of Le Mans (Laurent Ferrier).

What is a natural escapement?

An escapement design credited to Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1789, used in Laurent Ferrier’s micro-rotor watches (Laurent Ferrier).

Does Laurent Ferrier sell pre-owned watches?

No. The company says it does not offer pre-owned watches yet, but its sales team can help locate one (Laurent Ferrier).

What warranty does a Laurent Ferrier have?

Two years from purchase, plus 12 months if a watch bought from 1 January 2024 is registered (Laurent Ferrier).

What is the Laurent Ferrier Owners Club?

The registration scheme a buyer can join to extend the standard two-year warranty by 12 months on a watch bought from 1 January 2024 (Laurent Ferrier).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Laurent Ferrier.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.