The Leica Watch is finally on sale, and what is its unique concept?

On June 14, 2018, watch journalists from around the world were invited to Wetzlar, Germany. The reason was to "unveil Leica watches."
I went there with high expectations, since they had made the effort to invite me, and the new models that were announced were just as I had expected. What is worth noting is not the design of the watch, nor the in-house movement, but the exceptional feel of the watch.

Reviving the Black Forest watchmaking tradition

　After leaving the hands of the founding family, Leica Camera received capital from Hermès, and in 2006 came under the umbrella of ACM, an Austrian investment bank (currently also has capital in an American investment fund). Under ACM, Leica Camera's sales soared from approximately 158 million euros in fiscal 2007/08 to approximately 400 million euros in fiscal 2016/17 (all sales figures are estimates), but an insider said, "The Leica business is more of a family business run by the Kaufmann family, the company's owners, than an investment."

　After successfully turning around Leica Camera, its owner Andreas Kaufmann next considered expanding into the watch industry. However, it seems that the reason for this was not so much because it was a promising business, but because he is a watch enthusiast. He says, "I first decided to get into the watch business in 2012."

　Leica released several watches after that, but Kaufmann wasn't satisfied.
"We thought about partnering with Hanhart, Chronoswiss, and Glashütte Original, but it didn't work out. We also had the idea of ​​using ETA or Miyota, but we still wanted to make a watch that was uniquely Leica."

　He wanted to start a new collection, and chose Lehmann Precision Uhren, a watch manufacturer in the Black Forest region of Germany, as his partner. Kaufmann says, "Except for the crystal, everything is made in Germany. I wanted to revive the tradition of Black Forest watchmaking."

　Markus Lehmann, formerly of A. Lange & Söhne, left the company to found a precision machine tool manufacturer in Schramberg, southern Germany, which quickly became a success. Its clients include famous Swiss watchmakers and, of course, Leica Camera. Lehmann Precision Würren had done business with Leica in the first place, and the company even produced an original watch in 2011, so it was perhaps only natural that they chose Lehmann Precision Würren as a partner. "Plans for a watch with an in-house movement began two years ago," says Kaufmann.

The Leica L1 and Leica L2 were unveiled

　Two watches were unveiled: the basic Leica L1 and the Leica L2, which adds a second time zone display. What they have in common is that they both have a mechanism where winding and setting the hands are switched by pushing in the crown. In other words, there is no need to pull out the crown to set the time. I wondered why this was the case, but when I pushed the crown in, it made sense. The stroke when pushing in is just long, and at the end there is a slight resistance and a click as the watch switches. The feeling is just like that of a Leica M-type release.

　The hand-setting mechanism, visible through the movement bridge, is quite elaborate. When the crown is pushed in, a long operating lever turns the column wheel, which moves the hand-setting mechanism, allowing you to set the time. In addition, pushing the crown resets the small seconds to zero. A similar mechanism is A. Lange & Söhne's zero-reset mechanism, but this is better made.

　Markus Lehmann, who is in charge of design and parts manufacturing, explained, "The hand-setting mechanism for the Leica L1 and L2 was extremely difficult. At the beginning of the design, there were so many errors that I thought it would be impossible to complete it." However, the hand-setting mechanism is so sophisticated that it's hard to believe it was a first model. "That's why we sought advice from Andreas Strehler, an independent watchmaker, when designing it."

　Andreas Strehler, the genius behind the design of outstanding movements for H. Moser & Cie. and the fascinating chronograph modules for Chronoswiss, is no surprise given his involvement in the intricate hand-setting mechanism and its thrilling tactile sensation. Leica must have wanted to create a watch that is enjoyable to touch, and from what I can tell, they definitely succeeded in that aim.

The project was completed in about nine months

　I asked Peter Braun, editor-in-chief of Armbentühlen, who happened to be there, for his thoughts. "It's great that it's made in Germany, and the price of 10,000 euros for the Leica L1 is justified. What's more, Leica completed this project in just nine months. Isn't that also impressive?" I see, that makes sense. The Leica L1 and L2 that were announced have an incredible design and feel, but there were cutting marks on the case and hands. The finish of the prototype itself suggests that this project was rushed. However, the product manager has stated that improvements will be made in the future, and the details will likely be improved in the production version.

　Leica has completed its own in-house movement in an astonishingly short period of time, and has even opened a watchmaking workshop, Ernst Leitz-Werckstatten, in a corner of the new Leitz Park (which was somehow completed the day after the watch was announced), so it seems that the company is seriously getting into the world of watches.

　The Leica L1 and L2 feature a unique concept. Opportunities to see them are still limited, but their feel is sure to be popular not only with Leica fans but also with watch enthusiasts.