Leica L1 & L2 - Legend enters the watch game

[nom_deplume]

I am a big Leica fan. The Leica look, best cameras bar none. What do you thin of these? Love to see these come out .. 41mm x 14mm

"Inaugural hand-wound timepieces from the legendary German camera manufacturer with exclusive, ground-up German movements."

Review: Monochrome

Review - Leica Watch L1 and L2 (Specs & Price)

Few camera companies have the prestige and brand recognition of Leica, the legendary German manufacturer that invented discreet, mobile street photography with the 35mm Leica 1. Introduced in 1925 at the Leipzig Spring Fair in Germany, the Leica 1 brought the 35mm “movie” format to mainstream...

monochrome-watches.com

 

[nom_deplume]

@BMW760 Thoughts ? ...

 

[Teamjlf]

They look very nice and have some interesting functionality in terms of PR display and how the time is set. They aint cheap though at between $10,000 and $14,000 USD..... plenty of competition from the stalwarts in that range.

 

[nom_deplume]

They look very nice and have some interesting functionality in terms of PR display and how the time is set. They aint cheap though at between $10,000 and $14,000 USD..... plenty of competition from the stalwarts in that range.

Agree ... Leica aficionados prob primary market ... I used my buddies Leica Rangefinder for a day and was hooked on everything Leica after that.

 

[p0pperini]

There's no doubt that the Leica name is a pretty badge with an illustrious history. And that name is also a licence to print money.

When I saw this, I was suspicious that (like the Leica camera offerings of recent years), the watch would be based on an okay off-the-shelf model with the Leica logo slapped on and a massive premium slapped on the price. However, while the latter would appear to be somewhat the case, at least the watch seems to have been designed from the ground up as a new model and so has some merit as a standalone Leica product. So, fair dos to them for that. And the patented seconds-set-to-12 time setting function sounds very neat. But for me, the aesthetic visual design of the dial layout just doesn't work - it looks too scattered with separate elements that don't sit together well.

Still, these will probably prove popular with Leica nuts (as in, no one would choose a Leica over other brands these days, unless they're a Leica nut) and collectors looking for another prestige name for the collection.

 

[nom_deplume]

There's no doubt that the Leica name is a pretty badge with an illustrious history. And that name is also a licence to print money.

When I saw this, I was suspicious that (like the Leica camera offerings of recent years), the watch would be based on an okay off-the-shelf model with the Leica logo slapped on and a massive premium slapped on the price. However, while the latter would appear to be somewhat the case, at least the watch seems to have been designed from the ground up as a new model and so has some merit as a standalone Leica product. So, fair dos to them for that. And the patented seconds-set-to-12 time setting function sounds very neat. But for me, the aesthetic visual design of the dial layout just doesn't work - it looks too scattered with separate elements that don't sit together well.

Still, these will probably prove popular with Leica nuts (as in, no one would choose a Leica over other brands these days, unless they're a Leica nut) and collectors looking for another prestige name for the collection.

Mostly agree ... think they were trying a little too hard to get the camera into the design. The indexes bother me the most, out of place. Regarding photography "these days", we don't just choose between new cameras to shoot with. Also lenses matter, so Leica still kill it, even these days. Luxury camera .. so funny overpriced like your rolex brand fans.

 

[p0pperini]

Regarding photography "these days", we don't just choose between new cameras to shoot with. Also lenses matter, so Leica still kill it, even these days.

Well I can't argue with that. I'd be using my Nikon F Photomic if I had a darkroom setup (and I still intend to set one up again at some point). And regarding new cameras, I use a Lumix full frame in part because it gives me the option to use Leica glass.

 

[nom_deplume]

Well I can't argue with that. I'd be using my Nikon F Photomic if I had a darkroom setup (and I still intend to set one up again at some point). And regarding new cameras, I use a Lumix full frame in part because it gives me the option to use Leica glass.

+1 Leica Glass. Still love Nikon's set up on their cameras, like Leica everything where you need it. which to your point also comes through in this time piece built ground up with the use in mind.

 

[PTwatchLover]

I don't find the design on those watches particularly interesting so there's nothing that grabs my attention other then the Leica logo. I love photography, even though I shoot Nikon and Fuji, and not even my love for photography gets me interested in that watch. I think brands should stick mostly to what they do best and not diversity to unrelated areas just to grab a broader market and increase profit. If Rolex started making lenses with a Nikon or Fuji mount would I buy then? Probably not.

 

[crashworkz]

Although I'm not super excited about the watch as a whole, I do think that the curved crystal looks really nice. As for the red dot, I understand it is not connected to the movement, which is a bit of a miss in my opinion. That could perhaps have been used to indicate night/day cycle or something a bit more interesting.

 

[nom_deplume]

This is an amazing piece in detail and function ...

 

[JayBee0815]

It will be exciting to see if the watches are accepted. However, it's not really clear to me how much "Leica" is involved. The watches come from the German company Lehmann, which is definitely in the price segment that corresponds to the Leica watches: https://www.lehmann-uhren.com/en
I like them in terms of design and functionality.

 

[Patj44]

Lehman has been around for 12 years! I to use Leica cameras. Got me first one over 60 years ago. My M3 still works great. I was under the assumption that Leica was going to come out with a cell phone. Maybe the M12 will have a built in phone and watch.

 

[Patj44]

I am a big Leica fan. The Leica look, best cameras bar none. What do you thin of these? Love to see these come out .. 41mm x 14mm

"Inaugural hand-wound timepieces from the legendary German camera manufacturer with exclusive, ground-up German movements."

Review: Monochrome

Review - Leica Watch L1 and L2 (Specs & Price)

Few camera companies have the prestige and brand recognition of Leica, the legendary German manufacturer that invented discreet, mobile street photography with the 35mm Leica 1. Introduced in 1925 at the Leipzig Spring Fair in Germany, the Leica 1 brought the 35mm “movie” format to mainstream...

monochrome-watches.com

Very nice Leica M11! The thing I like about Leica is I can use the lens I used on my M3 on the M240 I have now. Thinking seriously about getting the M11

 

[Patj44]

I am a big Leica fan. The Leica look, best cameras bar none. What do you thin of these? Love to see these come out .. 41mm x 14mm

"Inaugural hand-wound timepieces from the legendary German camera manufacturer with exclusive, ground-up German movements."

Review: Monochrome

Review - Leica Watch L1 and L2 (Specs & Price)

Few camera companies have the prestige and brand recognition of Leica, the legendary German manufacturer that invented discreet, mobile street photography with the 35mm Leica 1. Introduced in 1925 at the Leipzig Spring Fair in Germany, the Leica 1 brought the 35mm “movie” format to mainstream...

monochrome-watches.com

Very nice Leica M11! The thing I like about Leica is I can use the lens I used on my M3 on the M240 I have now. Thinking seriously about getting the M11

 

[championdefoot]

I honestly don't see this breaking through the $10-15k market which is already so competitive and expansive, but they definitely look cool !

 

[Ilovwatchesto]

Nice looking watches.

 

[trailboss99]

Leica fanbois will snap them up for sure but for me the style is only complete on the GMT and the extra ask is OTT for that non-complication.

 

[Jazz01]

design not bad ... but 14.5 mm thickness for a non-Chronograph - sorry, Leica - I am out

 

[Procurator]

Love this bloody forum. Absolutely love it.

I just watched the video from Peter Kotsa on these and went on (naturally) to shout it to the membership here, but then I stopped myself and went "oh wait, this is RWI, there's probably like 6 threads on this already.
And what do ya know. Here we are. LOL.

So my 2 cents:
love the seconds 60 snap
quite like the date pusher (and the system behind it)
quite like the design and finish of the case and the dial, with an exception of the domed xtal
really don't like the proportion and layout of the dial and complications
really don't like the 50m WR
still not decided on the GMT inner bezel
really don't like the movement decoration, especially with the Mathais Reis name attached to the product
really don't like the pricing

For 7-10 grand, yeah ok, high, but reasonalbe.
For 20 grand? LOL!

And in this market, Im really not sure it has the potential to succeed...