Lorige was founded in 2018 by motorsport fans Clément Etienvre and Emeric Paraud. Inspired to create a trophy that could be worn everyday, the founders of Lorige developed and patented a method of repurposing carbon brake pads from racing cars into a material that can be made into a watch case.
Paul Di Resta
Former Formula One drive Paul Di Resta is noted on the company website as the first ambassador of the brand. He is pictured wearing what appears to be a BL-Endurance “Hyperblack” (ref. BL-E.03/THB), which uses brakes from a Peugeot 9X8 Hybrid that was driven by Di Resta.
Inspired by Ayrton Senna
In 2023, Lorige launched the AS-01 Flying Central Toubillon. While not an officially licensed timepiece, the case of each of the eight limited edition pieces is made of carbon from the brake pads used in Ayrton Senna‘s 1993 McLaren MP4/8. Additional nods to the Brazilian Formula One legend include the three championship years engraved on the tourbillon cage, yellow accents inspired by Senna’s helmet, and numerous design cues inspired by 1990s single-seaters within the dial.
References
https://www.the-smalltalk.com/lorige/
https://www.ablogtowatch.com/hands-on-lorige-as-01-tourbillon-watch-with-brake-parts-from-ayrton-sennas-1993-mclaren/
https://masterhorologer.com/2023/04/23/lorige-as-01-flying-central-tourbillon/