To support the Only Watch 2023 Charity auction for raising funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research, L.Leroy has created a unique minute repeater inspired the brand’s historical tact watch from 1810.
The unique timepiece created for Only Watch 2023 takes inspiration from a rare ancient pendant tact watch made by Leroy around 1810 for the Prince Emil Maximilian Leopold August of Hesse.
At that period, when electricity was unknown and luminous hands were not yet invented, this type of watch allowed the time to be read, even in the dark, by touching the hand that moved in the direction of the twelve diamonds on the periphery of the case, acting as indices. Today, L.Leroy reinterprets this exquisite timepiece, now part of the prestigious collection of the Patek Philippe Museum.
The L.Leroy Minute Repeater is a hand-wound mechanical watch with a very complex construction, both in terms of style and mechanics. Composed of 321 parts, the extremely complex manual-winding movement of this timepiece incorporates a flying tourbillon and the minute repeater mechanism. Not forgetting the master engraver and the specialists in top-level finishing.
Fully hand-engraved with a precious floral motif, the 43 mm diameter case is made of grade 5 titanium, an extremely light material making it comfortable on the wrist.
The “L.Leroy Minute Repeater Only Watch” features a unique and unusual time display. This timepiece has a rotating dial boasting a superb flinqué soleil decoration with a translucent aquamarine varnish finish. This pattern emanates near a perimeter point, where the rhodium-plated, arrow-shaped, hand-engraved hour hand is fixed and extends its rays around the circumference of the display.
When the dial rotates, the arrow-shaped hand points towards the diamond markers set on the precious hand-engraved bezel and indicates the hour. There are 24 diamonds totalling 1.35 carats, the larger ones mark the hours while the smaller ones indicate the half-hour.
To know the precise time, the minute repeater comes into action. Once the repeater slide, positioned between 8:30 and 9:30, is activated, the time will be indicated acoustically thanks to the finely tuned chiming mechanism. The design of the case has been meticulously studied and developed to amplify the different tones of the sound indicating the hours, quarters and minutes emitted by the two gongs struck by the two hammers, visible on the case back.
The in-house calibre beats at a frequency of 3Hz/ 21,600 vibrations per hour. It features the minute repeater mechanism on two gongs, a single barrel guaranteeing a 90-hour power reserve and the flying tourbillon which performs a complete rotation in one minute.
This amazing movement with its single bridge, finely hand-engraved with hand-bevelled edges can be admired by opening cover on the case back using the discreet push-button at 4 o’clock.
It boasts a magnificent engraving that evokes another horological masterpiece from the Maison L.Leroy: the Leroy 01.
Awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris World Exhibition in 1900, Leory 01 is an impressive pocket watch with 975 components, 27 precise and functional indications including 17 relating directly to the measurement of time, superlative decorations and engravings. It was considered the most complicated watch in the world until the launch of Calibre 89 by Patek Philippe in 1989.
To commemorate the charity auction, the inscription ‘L.Leroy Only Watch 2023’ is engraved on the inside of the back cover.
The “L.Leroy Minute Repeater Only Watch” comes with a calfskin strap. It features an open-worked round folding clasp with the brand’s interlaced double “L” logo.
Technical details
Model: L.Leroy Minute Repeater Unique Piece for Only Watch 2023 Charity Auction
Movement
Manufacture manual-winding movement, minute repeater, flying tourbillon
Number of components: 321
Fitting diameter: 30 mm
Thickness: 8.89 mm
Number of jewels: 29
Vibrations per hour: 21.600 / Frequency: 3 Hz
Variable inertia balance wheel with flat balance-spring
Swiss lever escapement
Single barrel
Unique bridge with engraved floral decoration, hand-bevelled edges, rhodium-plated
Power reserve: 90-hour
Minute repeater on two gongs struck by two hammers: hours and quarters hammer on the right / Minutes and quarters hammer on the left (view from the case back)
Tourbillon cage
Diameter: 13.60 mm
76 parts
Complete rotation in 1 minute
Functions
Hours and half-hour indication
Minute-repeater on two gongs for audible hour, quarter and minute indication
Case
Material: Polished grade 5 titanium
Diameter: 43 mm
Thickness: 13.95mm, including back cover
Engraved repeater slide between 8:30 and 9:30
Push-button of the back cover: at 4:00 o’clock
Case, bezel and back cover fully hand-engraved
Back cover: hand-engraved motif on the outside, engraved inscription “L.Leroy Only Watch 2023” on the inside
Inscription “Unique piece” on the case back
Diamond-set bezel: 24 diamonds, quality G +VS, totalling 1.35 carats
Water resistance: 3 ATM
Antireflective sapphire crystal glass on dial and case back
Dial
Rotating dial with flinqué soleil decoration, translucent aquamarine varnish finish
Fixed arrow-shaped rhodium plated hour hand, hand-engraved
Diamond hour markers on the bezel: 12 for the hour indication and 12 smaller ones for the half-hour indication
Strap
Aquamarine calf leather strap matching the dial colour
Round-shaped open worked folding buckle featuring the brand’s interlaced double “L” logo, hand-engraved.
Estimate Value
CHF 150,000 – 180,000/ USD 165,000 -198,000/ EUR 154,500 – 185,400
