Many say one of the hardest things from a design perspective in watchmaking is to make a time only watch look unique, interesting and exciting. Few have been as successful at this then Laurent Ferrier. The brand captured my heart the moment I saw them at William & Son in Mayfair years ago. The sheer elegance of the case and movement speaks for itself. Anyway, here is a deeper look at the men behind the brand - hope you enjoy:
Christian, growing up with your father, was watchmaking always set to be part of your working life?
I think so yes.
Several fields have interested me a lot during my life and even today I am convinced that I would have had an exciting career in the field of biology. Finally, I chose the path of microtechnology. I was able to touch the field of robotics for my diploma work as well as the one of space in a research laboratory for my first job. Despite a very "open" professional career beginning, I returned to watchmaking fairly quickly. This is where I have my friends and the history of my family for several generations. So I’ve decided to keep writing this story and I love working on our LF calibers. They are technically very interesting and above all aesthetically fascinating to design. (CF)
What was the first watch you both owned and loved?
A Breitling Chrono Datora, it was a gift from my father. I love to wear it from time to time. (LF)
The most memorable for me was the 1970 Heuer Autavia that my father had offered himself just after a race in 1971 and that he entrusted to me when I started my career in the watch industry.
It is a vintage piece but with a design that crosses time and trends perfectly. (CF)
Has there been a watch design that has influenced you over the others?
All the classic watches have necessarily influenced me. More than 37 years of career at Patek Philippe have left their mark on the watchmaker that I am. (LF)
Whether for cases or calibers, all LF pieces are inspired by our very first timepiece, the Galet Classic Tourbillon double-balance spring. But before this one was born, I found inspiration in the calibers of pocket watches that we encountered in chronometry competitions of the past century. I particularly liked the caliber and design of the 1946 Jaeger LeCoultre JLC170, 1946 which is, I’ve just realized, the date of birth of my father. (CF)
How long did it take to bring the LF brand to life?
As you know we first thought about creating our own timepiece in 1979 after winning the third place of the overall ranking at the 24 Hours of le Mans. But to make our dream come true took about two years. I was 62 years old at that time, it was now or never.(LF)
What was the greatest obstacle?
Building the Galet Classic Tourbillon double balance spring first was truly easy because it was our dream watch, the one we had dreamt of for many years and I had the chance to have carte blanche to build this timepiece so that actually was the easy part. (LF)
Then we have created the whole brand and our DNA around this timepiece, the only obstacle we first encountered was to choose the right path to take for the brand.(CF)
Ultimately, I think it was the doubt of not knowing how would be received our watch and how far we could go with this brand that was the hardest at the very beginning. (LF)
How did you approach the business side of watchmaking as the creator and maker yourself?
We have always made the watches we want to wear, without really worrying about the potential expectations of customers. It is, my friend, the co-founder and now President of the brand, François Servanin who’s in charge of the business side. The main idea of classic watches before Laurent Ferrier obviously existed but attention was particularly given to the dials and calibers of course, but in my opinion, the cases remained very technical and were relegated to the background from a design point of view. So, with our brand, I just wanted to restore its nobility to the watch case by integrating it within the general design of the entire watch. (LF)
Absolutely, we sometimes like to challenge ourselves on what has never been done before that we would like to see on a watch but it is the only business-related aspect we deal with when creating a new timepiece. (CF)
Where do you find inspiration for design?
With Christian, we like the purest and minimalist pieces possible and we try to remain focus on this perspective. (LF)
It often starts from a simple line, curve, or even a color ... and then all the rest of the design is created from it. A good example with our Bridge One where the entire middle case results from the spherical sapphire crystal. (CF)
We didn’t invent anything, it’s always a balanced mix of curves and straight lines. (LF)
When are you both at your happiest?
When a new creation arrives on our desk ... and it happens often! (LF)
Indeed, and for my part, I will add the moment when Basile, our head watchmaker, comes up to me to tell me that the new caliber is working properly… It is a very stressful moment for a watch manufacturer because the possibilities of making a mistake even the smallest are numerous when designing a brand new caliber. (CF)
How do you view the current state of trade shows, how do you feel is best to show clients and the industry your new watches?
Trade shows are always a magnificent showcase, they make customers, retailers, and actors of the whole industry move around the world. Now the internet is more and more a magnificent catalog, but we need to be able to put our watches on the client's wrist so that they could feel the timepiece. Our watches do not only tell the time, but they also provide emotion. (LF)
There are many shows and events around the world today and we cannot be physically behind each watch to introduce it. Behind every watches, there is a lot of interesting information. It is therefore very important that the Internet and the media prepare the ground for information and visuals. Then come the trade shows with the physical discovery of the watch where people can see it with their own eyes, touch and wear it. It is only afterward, often during live meetings with collectors for example, that we can push the explanations further on the many details and anecdotes. (CF)
What is it that makes LF unique?
We make the watches we would really like to wear and we try our best to remain in a timeless design and pure lines, far from all the trends which go as fast as they came. We have the chance to be a small brand and we take time to do things properly whereas in big factories it’s all about productivity and yield. (LF)
Among independent watchmakers, we form a father & son duo who have worked together on creation from the start of the adventure. We are fortunate enough to be able to make watches we would love to wear and as we like the same things in watch design, the future seems quite set for a while.
What are the characteristics of a LF collector?
The discretion the love for pure shapes and the will to own a watch that you could still want to wear in 50 years. (LF)
I might add that they find a deep appeal in our very limited production as we don’t produce more than 150 watches per year. Also, the story of the brand, of Laurent, François, and myself, a family business might be more appealing to a collector than all prebuilt made up stories that big factories could tell. Collectors, seasoned or not, seem more sensitive to this type of authentic watchmaking. (CF)
What are you both most proud of?
In ten years, we managed to launch a quite pleasing collection and that is something to be proud of. Most of all, we are proud to have started our own brand at a time when the economic context was unfavorable and where many people were trying to discourage us. (LF)
I don't particularly feel pride in myself or what I have created. However, I am very proud of my father and all that he has accomplished in his life. (CF)
What does success look like for you personally and professionally for both of you?
We both have an incredible privilege to do what we love and to be able to make a living from it. We have also received some awards and many compliments from customers which really touched us. We are also hopeful for the future and we look forward to concretize many projects on the way. (LF)
Is there a design you are working on currently?
Absolutely, we never stop creating and we still have multiple projects for years to come, on new movements or on aesthetic evolutions of our models. You will have to continue to follow us closely to find out! Novelties are coming very soon… (LF)
For more from Laurent Ferrier hit here.