Leica watches keep German watchmaking in the picture
The new Leica L1 and L2 watches nod to the design of the brand’s cameras
![black dial Leica watches side by side](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eMWSaHqkef2miejLBscPYd-415-80.jpg)
Precision timekeeping meets German engineering in the Leica watch, with the Leica L1 and L2 marking the camera specialist’s venture into watchmaking.
‘We have been working on [watch] design and production since 2014,’ says owner and chairman of Leica, Dr Andreas Kaufmann, referencing a previous collaboration with Swiss company Valbray. For the new Leica L1 and L2 watches, however, he notes a change of approach. ‘We decided to stop what we had been doing and do it ourselves, making [the watches] in Germany, and we had a partner who wanted to work with us and find out how it could be done.’
New Leica watches nod to camera design
The partnership – with Lehmann Präzision – meant most of the watch components were developed and produced at the company’s manufacture in Germany’s Black Forest, an established watchmaking region. The watch itself, powered by Leica’s own mechanical movement with mechanical winding, nods to the distinctive elements of a camera in its design, from the knurled push crown and GMT crown inspired by the M-series camera’s control dials to the domed glass referencing the curve of a camera lens. ‘It looks simple, but it’s very difficult to make it look so clean,’ Kaufmann adds.
Functionality underlines this clean aesthetic, with details such as the push crown’s ability to reset the small second hand putting user experience at the forefront. ‘Together with [designer] Achim Heine, we expanded and fine-tuned the idea of the push crown,’ says Markus Lehmann, managing director of Lehmann Präzision.
‘In contrast to conventional designs – whereby the crown must be pulled out to stop the movement and adjust the time – we wanted the crown to be pressed down, like the release button of a camera. The moment you push down the crown, the watch stops and the small second-hand jumps to zero. Another click releases the movement again. This is an unusual detail that perfectly fits in with Leica.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published