L. Leroy - An Extraordinary Destiny
Founded in Paris in 1785 under Charles Leroy, himself the son of watchmaker, L. Leroy has written some of the finest chapters in the history of French watchmaking and chronometry, developing a wealth of technical and inventive treasures for over two centuries.
This human, artistic and industrial adventure is marked by illustrious names including Marie Antoinette, Proust, Matisse, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Roosevelt, Chopin, Nobel, Bugatti, the aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Santos-Dumont, to mention but a few owners of a watch signed by L.Leroy.
In 1835 L. Leroy was appointed Watchmaker to the Naval Ministry and it was expanding on all front. In 1863 the Maison earned the official title of Watchmakers to the Queen Victoria, a distinction bestowed in person by Her Majesty. The title of Watchmaker to the French Naval Ministry was an honor confirming the recipient’s supreme mastery in the art of time measurement. L. Leroy left an indelible imprint on the history of precision and the excellence of its production is confirmed by the 384 gold medals won in chronometry competitions, a total that remains an absolute record to date. The exceptional heritage of L.Leroy boasts horological pieces of art such as the Leroy 01.
This masterpiece remained the most complicated watch until 1989. It won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1900. It required seven years of work, features no less than 25 horological complications and its movement is composed of 975 parts. Moreover, as a mark of respect for the protagonists in this amazing adventure, this creation is generally described as being born of a “Swiss mother” and a “French father”, since it was developed and produced in Le Sentier, the Vallée de Joux, before being precisely adjusted in Besançon.
Its recent Tourbillon Automatic Regulator offers an ultra-contemporary interpretation of this legendary system by incorporating a double balance-spring and a full-diamond escapement – thus making the mechanism much lighter and harder than the others. Its chronometric stability (isochronism) enables it to achieve extremely high long-term performances far superior to those of classic systems.
Today L.Leroy belongs to the narrow circle of Haute Horlogerie brands capable of presenting timepieces driven by movements entirely developed, produced and adjusted in its own Le Sentier workshops in the Vallée de Joux. The company philosophy is based on respect for its extraordinary past, which constantly nurtures its vision of the future. The current creations from the House, introduced through its OSMIOR and MARINE lines, are founded on this prestigious technical and aesthetic history, while expressing the values of timeless elegance, absolute quality and avant-garde workmanship. The name OSMIOR refers to an ancient metal alloy primarily made of gold with a color comparable to platinum. Meanwhile, the name MARINE evokes the company’s longstanding past as Watchmaker to the Naval Ministry.
