Leica’s reputation in the field of optics and cameras cannot be understated. Last year, the brand entered a new territory with the launch of its very own watch. With success in the field of photography, it makes perfect sense for Leica to take inspiration from its vast history for its watches. The new Leica Watch Monochrom Edition is the embodiment of that focus.
The latest Leica Watch borrows inspiration from the release of the latest M11 Monochrom camera and honours the most fundamental principles of black and white photography: contrast and light. As such, remarkable tones and nuances stand out in a symphony of shadows and reflections rich with detail in its design.
Like the camera, the distinctive design of the Leica ZM Monochrom Edition removes all colour and silver tones, except for the red dot, achieving a truly minimalist aesthetic. Sitting below the anti-reflective and strongly curved sapphire crystal are the black rhodium-plated, diamond cut, sandblasted indices, and hands. The dial, including its feet, is milled from a solid block of high-strength aluminium to reinforce its shock-resistance.
Other aesthetics borrowed from the M11 Monochrom camera include the watch strap. Each strap of the new Leica Watch Monochrom Edition is identical to that of the texture of the M11 Monochrom camera. It is made of thick, strong-grained, black calf leather and crafted using a cut-edge construction with hand-stitching to support the sturdy, yet refined look of the Leica ZM Monochrom Edition.
Two Flavours To Entice
The Leica Watch collection consists of two models, both with the mechanical, hand-wound movement developed and produced in-house: the Leica ZM 1 and Leica ZM 2, which are now available in the new Monochrom Edition. Following the holistic view on the Leica product portfolio, the “ZM” in the watch collection name stands for “Zeitmesser”, which is the German descriptive word for an instrument that measures and displays time.
Launched in February 2022, the Leica Watch Collection immediately became a valuable asset for Leica enthusiasts and watch lovers, with only a select number available for purchase in a few Leica Stores worldwide. Following this success, the ZM collection will now be expanded to include the Monochrom Edition and will soon be available in up to 25 Leica stores worldwide.
The Leica ZM is unique, even in a highly developed and competitive watch market. It’s different in a Leica way, with its own distinctive design language, paired with unconventional solutions to classic timekeeping functions. The patented push-crown, with a simple push, stops the movement from working, resets the seconds hand to zero and enables easy time-setting.
The push-crown solves a function used by all watch brands in a completely original way, making the Leica ZM a typical Leica product, though not for taking pictures. The Leica ZM 2 has an additional feature as a GMT-watch (Greenwich Mean Time), which together with a day/night indicator allows the wearer to read two time zones with a single set of hands.
The new Leica ZM Monochrom Edition will be retailing at €11,550.00 for Leica ZM 1 Monochrom and €15,450.00 for Leica ZM 2 Monochrom, including VAT. Available only at Leica Store Raffles Hotel Arcade from 15 May 2023.
(Images: Leica)
