Everything You Need to Know About Leica Timepieces
The camera brand continues to build its watch portfolio with the ZM 12, an even greater expression of Leica design.
“I hereby decide: we will take the risk.” Those fateful words by Ernst Leitz II set off the revolution in handheld photography. Today, as the Leica I celebrates its 100th anniversary, we speak to Henrik Ekdahl, the man in charge of Leica watch and accessories, on yet another unprecedented undertaking by the camera brand: horology.
Where did the idea of a Leica watch come from?
To answer that we have to go back in history quite a bit. When our founder Ernst Leitz I was about 20 years old, he went to Neuchâtel in Switzerland to train in watchmaking. That was the start of his career. He learned how to make big things small, how to work very precisely, and how to use common watchmaking materials. He also learned about serial production. And he took all of that knowledge back to Wetzlar in Germany and used it to construct optical instruments, including cameras.
So in our heritage, we have watchmaking as the base for the Leica you know today. If you look at the lovely M6, there’s a super precise timekeeping device in there that’s accurate to one thousandth of a second. And many of its parts are just like those found in a watch, only smaller. In 2015, our Chairman Dr Andreas Kaufmann said he wanted a Leica for the wrist, and that began the project.
How do you capture the essence of Leica in a mechanical timepiece?
It’s a challenge because cameras and watches are two different products. With the ZM 1 and ZM 2, we transferred a lot of what I would call “hardware DNA”, which is to say their overall design came from cameras. For example, the power reserve recalls an M6’s shutter, and the push crown is inspired by the shutter release button.
With the ZM 11 and ZM 12, it’s more of a “software DNA” transfer, meaning it comes from the world of photography. Pictures, shades, the interaction between light and shadow. See how the dial changes depending on the light and angle you look at it from.
Leica does not make gadgets; we do not want a camera for the wrist. Rather, it’s about a certain design language. And, of course, the same precision and quality that you find in serious watchmaking.
The ZM 1 and ZM 2 watch movement is made in Germany, while for the ZM 11 and ZM 12 it is produced by Swiss-based Chronode. As Leica’s watch portfolio continues to grow, will you be using German or Swiss movements?
We initially went with Lehmann Präzision because they are small yet experienced enough to respond to our needs. They are super good at milling and precision-producing the parts in our first hand-wound movement for the ZM 1 and ZM 2. But they are also limited in their production capacities. So when we started on the second line of watches, we looked for someone else who could produce high-quality movements that are automatic and modular, which led us to Chronode.
For now, the combination of German and Swiss-made movements makes sense for us. Leica is not a watch manufacturer, we do not want to compete with the big guys in the industry. Our niche is our fantastic heritage and connection to the highly emotive world of cameras and photography. That is what makes our watches special.
Besides diehard Leica fans, who else do you see wearing Leica timepieces?
Leica fans are certainly the ones who purchased our watches first, but we’ve also been getting a lot of positive feedback from serious watch collectors. Especially with the ZM 1 and ZM 2, because of their different complications.
Coming from the watch industry myself, I understood how great these complications are once I started wearing the ZM 2. It’s not just that somebody sat behind a desk and drew them up; everything is useful. And that’s typical of Leica — we reduce to the max, but everything you need can be found within the product. As for the ZM 11 and ZM 12, the interest is more in the image; it’s younger and more sporty, I would say.
It is always challenging for a brand that is famous in one area to branch out into a different category. How do you convince people that Leica watches as just as good as their cameras?
With cameras, I can simply say we are better than the rest, even with many other great brands around. To claim the same for watches would be a stretch. We want to be as good as the others, but that’s not in the foreseeable future. It takes decades to establish a brand in watchmaking, and we’re only at the beginning.
What we need to focus on right now is creating a recognisable Leica design, such as what you see on the ZM 11 and ZM 12. Their dials are gorgeous to look at, especially with how the light plays on their horizontal lines.
What are your ambitions for Leica timepieces?
We have a very good base with these two lines; we don’t need three or four right now. Whether that changes in five or ten years remains to be seen. There’s still a lot of potential for fantastic combinations with different materials, colours and straps. And you can keep a movement alive for decades.
The ZM 12 is a perfect example of how we will continue to expand our series. It is slightly smaller at 39mm, and is even more refined in its design. When you compare, I have to say that it’s even more of a Leica design than the ZM 11.
The brand is also celebrating 100 years of the Leica I. What are some lessons from the widespread success of the camera icon that can be applied to Leica watches today?
It’s about believing in what you are doing, in staying true to your heritage, and long-term thinking. The Leica I was a revolution; we changed the way pictures were being taken. We are not talking about revolutions with our watchmaking. Instead, we aim at having the same foresight, focusing on the small details, not being too loud with our designs, and not making gadgets when it comes to our timepieces. We simply have to make sure that our watches are perceived as true Leica products, which takes time.
"Leica does not make gadgets; we do not want a camera for the wrist."
