Review & more pics on Hodinkee

I predict these will do very well out of the gate, and if as reliable and high-quality as their cameras over the long run as well. Figures, just as I made the commitment to be out of the watch gettin' game and just enjoy what I have!

Love it! Though I would want the branding to be in the same point size as 'Made in Germany'.

41mm x 14mm, it is not "classic" in size but they will sell.

That size is a little too big for me but it is easy to see for these old eyes. Wonder how much?

The article said they "hope" to come in under 10k Euros. I'm not sure of the exchange rate but that sounds kind of pricey to me.

Not bad looking. No lume on watch, I like to be able to read watches in low light.

quote:

Originally posted by Todd Huffman:
The article said they "hope" to come in under 10k Euros. I'm not sure of the exchange rate but that sounds kind of pricey to me.

That's about $11,500. Even in watch land a tad pricey for a simple movement, but still an interesting range. If they keep making them and the street price comes below $10K they will do just fine.

They will be every penny of $10k USD if you can even buy them here. Best way, though, would be to buy in Germany and take the VAT refund at the airport and just hope you don't get caught when coming back to the US. Since it's a totally new product, I doubt anyone would notice, even if you wore it at Customs.

That said, $10k is nuts for a totally new, untested brand by a company known for making something totally different. They seem to be little more than the cheaper "Porsche Design" trinkets.

'Made in Germany'. How much of it, I wonder?

IMO it's a pretty boring-looking way of blowing >10K.

tac

quote:

Originally posted by tacfoley:
'Made in Germany'. How much of it, I wonder?

"Leica is partnering with Lehmann Präzision, a company based in the Black Forest that makes both high-precision machinery (used in the watchmaking industry) and its own line of watches under the name Lehmann Schramberg, though the latter aren't very well known outside of Germany. This allows Leica to keep the manufacturing in Germany and to get a movement that isn't something you'll find in countless ébauche-based watches.

While the movements are made by Lehmann, finishing, casing, and final assembly are executed at Ernst Leitz Werkstätten on the Leitz Park campus in Wetzlar, Germany (just next door to the Leica factory)."

So, other than some screws and probably the mainspring, looks like all of it.

I’m a little surprised they didn’t make the smaller circle red to give a more obvious nod to their camera marketing. I know it’s on the side, but without the name I wouldn’t have ever connected the two.

I have a few expensive ones already that I almost never wear. I think I'll have to pass.

Why do they have numbers on the second hand but not on the hour hands?

The watches fit their image. Those designs do say "Leica" to me. But their move just reminds me of Kodak, Polaroid, etc. just trying to find where their new cheese is coming from.

Garmin, the map maker, has successfully shifted to car cameras instead. So, transitioning is indeed possible. More power to Leica.

Nice but the consumer has a lot of choices available for $10K.

We will see.
In my opinion the watch market is already flooded with watches. This price may be a little to high for what they are offering.
The number of watches coming out of Europe has been getting better. The high end watch market has been coming out of a rescission lately.
The one advantage they have is they are a well known name.

When you get in to 5 figure watches, there are a ton of options from companies that have been hand making precision watches since the beginning of mechanical time keeping. It's not a bad looking watch, but it's not even going to be in the discussion if I were to spend $10+K on a watch...

I learn stuff on this forum I never would otherwise. I'll never own a 12k dollar watch, but it's nice to learn about them. A 12k gun-well, maybe.

I can’t afford a Leica camera either

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:
I can’t afford a Leica camera either

There was a time I kinda could, I have a very nice M3 bought used and a CL purchased new. With Leitz glass they produced images nothing else could match, the reputation is well earned. I'm pretty sure you could pound nails with the M3. I still have a 35mm specific enlarger that was at least as much fun as the cameras to use. Function and beauty beyond compare.

I find this watch remarkably uninteresting. If I were given one, I'd sell it. I don't expect flash and show from the company but this thing doesn't say "Leica" to me.

It will be 10-times the price of the Nikon watch and not as rugged.