LVMH Watch Week: L'Epée 1839 Watch Box

LVMH Watch Week: L’Epée 1839’s New Watch Box is Engineered to Impress

The brand’s new automated watch case was designed to complement any mechanical timepiece it houses.

By Laurie Kahle
Contributor

While watch cases range from basic to beautiful, few embody the engineering ethos that drives the passions of ardent mechanical watch collectors.

However, taking inspiration from the intricate mechanical movements that power high-end wristwatches, the prominent Swiss clockmaking house L’Epée 1839 has just released a mechanically engineered storage case that echoes the intricate inner workings of a treasured timepiece.

But seeing as this is the brand’s first LVMH Watch Week since it was acquired by the luxury conglomerate last summer, let’s pause for a moment to discuss who L’Epée is and what they do.

On Background

Based in Delémont in the Swiss Jura, L’Epée 1839 has specialized in producing clocks and other mechanical creations for 185 years. In recent years, it has gained prominence for its unconventional designs and avant-garde collaborations with brands such as MB&F, a partnership that has lasted more than a decade.

The company has become known not only for its technical prowess but also for extended power reserves, fine finishes, and a twist of humor in designs that delight with the element of surprise.
 

L’Epée 1839 focuses its collections on three themes. The Creative Art category highlights artistic pieces, including those produced in collaboration with outside designers, that surprise, inspire, and even shock. A perfect example of a clock from this collection is the MB&F x L’Epée Albatross, released this past September.

The brand’s Contemporary Timepieces line ups the technical ante with modern, minimalist designs incorporating a range of complications such as retrograde seconds, power reserve indicators, moon phases, tourbillons, chiming mechanisms, and perpetual calendars.
 

The more traditional Carriage Clocks, also known as “officers’ clocks,” are historical pieces issued from the brand’s heritage that often feature a full range of complications.

Like any fine watch manufacture, L’Epée 1839 gathers teams of designers, engineers, mechanics, and watchmakers under one roof to produce its mechanical wonders entirely in-house, from development to assembly.

Now, that we all know what L’Epée does let’s return to the new Watch Box.
 

Clear and Present

Rather than sit statically on the shelf, the Watch Box doubles as a kinetic sculpture. With the press of a button, the case comes to life as the mechanical lift system activates to open the case while simultaneously elevating the wristwatch inside with dramatic flair. Closing the case cover automatically rewinds the internal mechanism, energizing it for the next reveal so there is no need for manual winding.

Made with acrylic glass, microfiber resin, and stainless steel, the Watch Box’s transparent case not only showcases the watch inside but also reveals the gears and levers of its own mechanical heart.
 

Like all L’Epée 1839 creations, the Watch Box is handcrafted in-house and designed to accentuate the firm’s specialized expertise in producing large, complex components that are difficult to hand-finish.
 

Final Thoughts

Though it does not display time, the case is designed to create an evocative experience for the watch lover while enhancing the emotional connection with a favored timepiece.

To learn more about the Watch Box, including pricing and availability, visit the L’Epée 1839 website.

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