Leica Forays into the Watch Business with Two Impressive Timepieces

Assembled at the camera icon’s manufacturing campus

From being a camera brand to being a watchmaker is not an easy journey. Leica has just done that. It has entered the watch business by launching two terrific timepieces. A few hours back, the German brand released its first-ever watches, L1 and L2, and they look stunning. One is a regular three-hand piece, while the other is an industrial design pedigree.

Leica watches

Both the watch pieces look similar from the outside. Their overall feel and attention to detail also seem identical. One of the reasons could be that Leica hired a freelance Berlin-based industrial designer, Professor Achim Heine, to conceive the interiors. He had created a string of epic Leica instruments in the past, including but not limited to the Digilux 2 and 3 cameras.

One thing that makes each watch more appealing is that Heine has incorporated design details drawn from the Leica canon that all the die-hard fans of the brand will recognize easily. The inside of each watch is designed by another German specialist, watchmaker Lehman AG. He created the new hand-wound mechanical movements and crafted most of the components in-house. Each watch also comes in steel with a diameter of 41mm and has a patented pusher crown that lets seconds sub-dial at six o’clock to function as a chronograph in the L1 and reset the GMT timer in L2.

Both timepieces by Leica have a 60-hour power reserve. L1 will cost $15,500, and this watch will come with a veal leather strap. L2, on the other hand, will cost $22,000. This watch will have a strap made of alligator leather. It also allows you to set and view an alternate time zone using a second crown.

Leica will release both the watches at special places around the world this month only. However, the release in Australia is not expected so soon. They might hit shops later this year. Both are available at the famous Los Angeles store of the company. Those who live nearby and afford it can instantly buy one watch or both of these beauties.