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Ferrari

Ferrari is a famous Italian sports car brand that has been applied to many watches since the 1950s. Current Ferrari and Scuderia Ferrari watches are produced by Hublot and Movado, respectively.

Enzo Ferrari's Watches

Beginning in the 1950s, famed sports car and motor racing impresario, Enzo Ferrari, began purchasing watches with the prancing horse logo of his company to give as gifts and awards to employees, racing drivers, vendors, and friends. The earliest-known Ferrari logo watches came from brands like Zenith and Longines. Ferrari purchased the watches in bulk from jeweler Gerardo Veronesi of Bologna, Italy, and they were modified by the factory or by the dealer's watchmakers.

Ferrari continued this practice through the 1970s, often selecting Longines but also Lemania, Rewel, and Girard-Perregaux. The last-known custom watch was presented by Enzo Ferrari shortly before his 1988 death to Pope John Paul II.

Heuer Ferrari

Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari, 1975 (click to enlarge!)
Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari, 1975
© Heuer

Heuer was the timekeeping partner of Scuderia Ferrari throughout the 1970s. During this time, the company produced a Heuer Chronosplit LED chronograph model.

Longines Ferrari

In the 1970s, Ferrari struck an official deal with Longines to produce a line of co-branded watches. In keeping with the times, these were generally modern-style two-tone watches with simple bar markers or Roman numerals. The dial bears both the Longines name and logo as well as the Ferrari script logo or prancing horse at 6 00. The case is small and thin, rectangular in shape, with a distinct screwed bezel. All used Quartz movements.

Longines was an official sponsor of the Ferrari Formula One racing team from 1980 through 1986 and again from 1988 and 1989.

Ferrari Formula by Cartier

In the 1980s, Enzo Ferrari struck a new deal with Alain Dominique Perrin of Cartier to produce a line of “Ferrari Formula” watches. These had round cases with contrasting bezels (usually yellow gold) and some cases were coated in black. These watches carried the Ferrari text logo and prancing horse at 12 00 on the dial. Many featured the Ferrari name on the bezel with at least one bearing the name twice in a style resembling the Bulgari Bulgari.

The Cartier name was conspicuously absent on these watches. All packaging was done in the “Ferrari Formula” brand, and the Ferrari name and logo are prominently featured. This is reminiscent of the modern Scuderia Ferrari watches by Movado.

The Ferrari Formula watch lineup included chronographs with the Valjoux 7750 and Seiko 7A38/7A48 "Mecha-Quartz" movements, a three-handed quartz model, and a two-handed automatic with date.

Girard-Perregaux Ferrari

Girard-Perregaux Chronograph Tribute to Enzo Ferrari Tourbillon (click to enlarge!)
Girard-Perregaux Chronograph Tribute to Enzo Ferrari Tourbillon

In 1994, Ferrari struck a new deal with Girard-Perregaux to produce high-end co-branded watches. Most of these featured both names on the dial, with Girard-Perregaux or Ferrari at 6 or 12, but some featured only one or the other brand on the dial.

One of the first models was the popular Ref. 8020 chronograph, which usually featured the prancing horse at 12 00 along with a three-register chronograph display with date. Later models included a perpetual calendar chronograph, rattrapante, and small-seconds Ref. 8030. In the 2000s, Girard-Perregaux experimented with titanium cases, carbon fibre dials, and a world time chronograph. Particularly unusual models include the Laureato F 2004 with its octagonal bezel, the tonneau-cased Ferrari 250 GTO model, and the Tribute to Enzo Ferrari Tourbillon.

Ferrari Engineered by Officine Panerai

On March 24, 2005, Ferrari signed a new deal with Panerai to create a higher-end watch offering. The resulting “Ferrari Engineered by Officine Panerai” models moved upmarket from any previous offering for the brand with only limited-edition models created. Although created and sold by Panerai, the Ferrari models did not feature that iconic brand name on the dial. Instead, Ferrari branding was used.

In all, Panerai created 26 “FER” references, numbered FER00001 through FER00020 and then 22, 24, 25, 28, 30, and 38. Notable references include the Granturismo Rattrapante Ref. FER00005, two-register Granturismo Chronograph Ref. FER00011, and Granturismo GMT 8 Days Ref. FER00012. Most used a Luminor-style case with no bezel. The Panerai partnership ended in 2010.

Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan

In 2010, Ferrari took a major step upmarket as haute horlogerie manufacture Cabestan introduced the Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan. Limited to 60 pieces (30 each in black/red and black/yellow), the Scuderia Ferrari One featured Cabestan's unique “vertical tourbillon” technology from the Winch Tourbillon Vertical but with signature Ferrari design elements and materials. This would be the only collaboration between Ferrari and Cabestan.

Hublot Ferrari

In 2011, Jean-Claude Biver announced a brand partnership between Hublot and Ferrari, with high-end watches offered to Ferrari owners. Notable models include the Big Bang Chrono Tourbillon Ferrari, Ref. 308, Big Bang Ferrari, Ref. 401, Big Bang Ferrari Unico, Ref. 402, Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph, Ref. 408, and Big Bang Ferrari, Ref. 411.

Hublot retains this branding partnership as of 2019, even as Movado-produced Scuderia Ferrari watches occupy the low end of the market.

Scuderia Ferrari by Movado Group

At Baselworld 2012, just four months after the Hublot partnership was announced, Ferrari launched a line of branded watches produced by Movado Group. These are sold in Ferrari's lifestyle boutique stores, mass-market retailers, and at Ferrari dealerships and are priced in the near-luxury range below 1,500 Euro.

Scuderia Ferrari watches use the prancing horse shield logo and are sold as “Ferrari” or “Scuderia Ferrari” brand. Although manufactured by Movado group, they do not include the Movado name on the watch or packaging. All use Japanese quartz or automatic movements. Some are assembled in Italy while others are produced in Asia. Models include the Pilota chronograph and open-heart automatic, EVO and Rev sports models, Ultraleggero dress models, and Abetone and Forza driving watches.

ferrari.txt · Last modified: 03.07.2022 15:33 by 127.0.0.1

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