Picture-Perfect Horology

In 2022, Leica, the German brand famed for their cameras and lenses, began manufacturing watches. We speak to managing director Henrik Ekdahl about this groundbreaking move, and the watches borne from it, such as the impressive ZM 12.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

WHEN DYSON FIRST ENTERED the audio technology space in 2023 with the Dyson Zone headphones, the move shocked many. The company designed vacuum cleaners and haircare products. To most, this seemed like a move out of left field.

The move didn't faze me, however. A year before, German company Leica prepared me for such developments, when it announced its move into timepieces. The brand, known for its cameras and lenses, introduced the ZM 1 and ZM 2, two impressive watches with design codes that longtime Leica fans will find familiar.

To better understand Leica’s presence in the watch industry, and the impressive new ZM 12, we speak to the deeply erudite Henrik Ekdahl, managing director at Ernst Leitz Werkstätten GmbH - The Leica Accessories Division.

Tell me about the how and why of the brand's move into watchmaking in 2022.

Leica’s expansion into watches is rooted in the brand's deep history of fine engineering. Ernst Leitz I, the company’s founder, started out as a precision mechanic in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, apprenticing in watchmaking. That prior experience in microengineering set the stage for everything that came next. In 1869, he founded the company that would eventually become Leica, making a name for itself in microscopy, telegraphy, and optics.

This legacy of precision craftsmanship remains central to Leica's identity, from cameras to timepieces. Our majority shareholder and chair of the supervisory board, Dr. Andreas Kaufmann also inspired the move into watchmaking. His passion for both cameras and watches played a key role. He made this decision over 10 years ago, after recognising the intricate mechanics of Leica cameras, particularly models like the M6, which share similarities with watch components. He saw an opportunity to create a ‘Leica for the wrist’.