There are all kinds of watches that are tied to motorsports. Horology and racing are inextricably linked, and while the Venn Diagram of people who are into watches and into various aspects of car culture and auto racing isn?t exactly a circle, it?s honestly probably not far off. But when it comes to watches that are inspired by motorsport in one way or another, we find varying levels of refinement and authenticity in the products that make it to boutique shelves. It?s easy enough to slap a logo of a car manufacturer on a dial or make a caseback calling attention to a particular race, but it?s more challenging to draw a real connection between these two worlds, even as they?re so closely linked. One of the things that make the watches made by Laurent Ferrier so interesting is that the connection feels real, a natural result of the history of the team that founded the brand. Before he was a world renowned watchmaker, Laurent Ferrier and his partner Francois Servanin were (very accomplished) amateur racers, and the new version of the Sport Auto celebrates that history. 
For watch fans who might not be familiar with Laurent Ferrier?s personal history prior to the founding of his eponymous brand, he did indeed make something of a name for himself in the automotive world at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1979. Ferrier and his teammates (including Servanin and Francois Trisconi) placed third in that race out of 60, a surprising result for a group of non-professional dr...