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Leica to Make High-End Mechanical Watches
Renowned German camera brand Leica has ventured into the world of high-end watches by creating two mechanical timepieces.
Called the time-and-date L1 and the GMT-equipped L2, the watches are the result of consultations between Leica and several high profile watchmakers including Hanhart, Chronoswiss and A. Lange & Söhne.
For the design of the watches, Leica opted to work with Achim Heine, a famous German product designer who has developed multiple cameras and other optical devices for Leica over the years.
Both watches feature 41mm brushed stainless steel cases and come with several design elements that are quintessentially Leica. The round ruby set into crown evokes the famous red dot logo and the power reserve is styled similar to a gauge found on the Leicameter light meter made for the M3 rangefinder.
The movements for both watches are manufactured by Lehmann Präzision, a precision machinery company located in the UK that makes both high-precision horological machinery and its own line of watches under the name Lehmann Schramberg.
Pricing is yet to be announced, but is expected to start at under €10,000 Euros for the L1. Production will be restricted to around 400 pieces total for the first year.