If you’re looking for a special timepiece that combines racing technology with a passion for watches, we’d like to introduce the Lorige Endurance.

Introduction

At Wheels and Things, we have a passion for cars and watches, and when these two come together, our hearts always beat a little faster.

This is the case for Lorige, a young player in the world of timepieces that focuses on a niche: using automotive parts as raw materials for crafting timepieces. In their case, the cases are crafted from authentic prototype brake pads used in endurance-races that have competed in prestigious auto races. As a result, each timepiece carries a unique piece of racing history.

Het gebruik van onderdelen van een race auto kom je ook soms tegen bij andere fabrikanten zoals Atelier Jalaper die we in een vorig artikel bespraken, maar Lorige gaat hier nog een serieus stapje verder naar materiaal en binnenwerk.

You sometimes see other manufacturers, such as Atelier Jalaper, which we discussed in a previous article, using parts from race cars, but Lorige takes this a significant step further in terms of materials and watch movement.

History

Lorige was founded in 2018 by motorsport experts Clément Etienvre and Emeric Paraud. Their goal was to bring together the worlds of endurance racing and haute horlogerie.

Thanks to their dedication, authenticity, and technical expertise, Lorige has developed a patented process that transforms carbon-fiber brake pads used in iconic races into robust, unique watch cases.

This complex transformation ensures that every Lorige timepiece literally wears a piece of victory from a motorsport race on the wrist. Each of Lorige’s limited-edition timepieces features top-quality Swiss movements and individual stories of competition and triumph. The collections have become highly sought-after trophies among race car drivers, seasoned collectors, and motorsport enthusiasts due to their rare materials, unique stories, and uncompromising craftsmanship.

The Endurance timepiece

Lorige currently offers two types of movements: the BL-Endurance and the AS-01 tourbillon.

The BL-Endurance series comes in three versions: the Gris-Circuit, the Hyperblack, and the Bleu 24h. The three versions share the same dimensions and the LOR-PR01 movement. This automatic movement with a peripheral rotor has a 45-hour power reserve and consists of 294 components, including 37 jewels. It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement was developed in collaboration with Timeless Unité Renaud-Favre of Geneva

The tonneau-shaped case of every Lorige timepiece is crafted from a brake pad sourced from a prototype endurance race car—the kind of cars you see racing in events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Every BL-Endurance experiences a breathtaking moment in the battle for first place. At the highest level of motorsport, victory is often decided during braking phases, where brakes can reach temperatures exceeding 900 °C as the car decelerates from 200 km/h in just 2 seconds. Hence the “BL” in the name, which stands for “Brake Late” or braking at the very last moment.

The versions differ from one another in terms of color and the type of vehicle from which they are derived.

The Hyperblack pays tribute to Peugeot’s return to the World Endurance Championship in the Hypercar class in 2020. The housing of the BL-Endurance Hyperblack is directly derived from the brakes used in the development of the 9X8 Hybrid.

The Bleu 24h, on the other hand, is linked to United Autosports, which won the world’s largest endurance race and the 6 Hours of Cota in 2020. Each case of the Bleu 24h BL-Endurance model is crafted from a carbon/carbon brake pad from one of these two races.

The timepiece is mounted on a vulcanized rubber strap with a titanium folding clasp. This clasp features spring-loaded tongues and a 6 mm fine-adjustment mechanism.

The AS-01 Central Flying Tourbillon is the flagship model and has a very special backstory. In 2017, Lorige acquired a set of brakes from a legend of international motorsport. The history of these carbon brakes speaks for itself: they come from the McLaren MP4/8 driven by Ayrton Senna during the 1993 Formula 1 season. You can find photos of this car in this article. Since Lorige has only 8 brake pads in its possession, only 8 timepieces can be produced from them. Due to this limited edition, a highly exceptional movement was chosen: one featuring a central flying tourbillon. This movement is entirely Swiss and was developed in collaboration with Timeless Unité Renaud-Favre of Geneva. It was designed with exceptional rarity and performance in mind, following the very best technology from motorsport.

Specifications

CASE
Recycled carbon fibre,51.6 x 43.6 x 10.50 mm, 50m (5 ATM) water resistant, antireflecting saphire glass

MOVEMENT
LOR-PR01

FUNCTIONS
Hours, minutes, date, power reserve.

PRICE
Starting at 27500 euro – 2 jaar warranty

REFERENCE
Lorige Endurance

Conclusion

Thanks to the carbon fiber material and tonneau-shaped case, this watch gives off a Richard Mille vibe. Price-wise, it doesn’t fall into that exorbitant category, but with a starting price of 27,500 euros, it’s anything but a bargain, yet for any die-hard racing enthusiast, this is an exclusive, top-of-the-line timepiece. Get it while your still can.

More details about Lorige watches