Sometimes when a new brand enters the ultra competitive watch market, it’s tough to know how seriously to take them. There are many, many upstart watch brands that come in hot and flame out quickly. We can all point to watches and brands that we’ve liked, seemed like a good idea, and then faded away, never to be heard from again. We can also, I’m sure, point to brands that have surprised us with their durability, and stuck around much longer than many would have initially thought. But that’s part of the game when it comes to independent watchmaking – it’s always a bit of a roll of the dice.
These feelings got, well, complicated when Leica entered the watch market a few short years ago. Leica, of course, is a brand that we take very seriously at Worn & Wound. For some of us, it’s a brand that we truly revere for their contributions to photography and the truly exceptional cameras and lenses they produce. So it was tough to know what to make of their entry into the watch world. I think the fear for many was that their watches would simply be licensed products, Leica literally in name only, and produced by the lowest bidder in a manner that lets down everything else they make.
In retrospect, it was silly to be so concerned. Leica, as a brand, seems to have a keen understanding that their products are associated with manufacturing excellence, and that this is a belief held even by those who have never owned or even handled a Leica camera. Their brand image is as ingrained as that of Rolex, or Mercedes-Benz – they make good stuff, don’t take shortcuts, and, yes, exist as a sort of shorthand for luxury, or accomplishment.
Their new watch, the ZM 12, is a smart continuation of the success they had with the ZM 11, an integrated bracelet sports watch that was Leica’s second full watch collection following the ZM 1. The ZM 1 is an incredibly well made thing but perhaps a bit on the nose with some of the references to photography and Leica cameras. The ZM 11 felt more like a watch, and less a watch made by a camera company, and the ZM 12 is an improvement, in my opinion, on the 11’s proportions and overall wearability. In other words, Leica is on the right track.
We had a chance to preview the new ZM 12 references a few weeks ago and will have a lot more to say in a future hands-on article. But the basics are relatively straightforward. The ZM 12 takes the 11’s 41mm case and scales it down to 39mm, and that small change makes a significant difference in the overall comfort and wearability of the watch. It also looks better in a smaller size in my opinion. This is subjective, but the larger one feels imposing and aggressive whereas the ZM 12 is actually quite discreet, and I just tend to prefer the latter, at least in this style of watch.
The dial motif is held over from the prior collection, a dual layer design that shifts in color dramatically when the watch is viewed from an angle. It’s genuinely fun to see in person and hard to capture in photos because the motion is so important. Four variants are available at launch, three in steel and one in titanium. The steel models have dials in blue/orange, silver/gray, and olive/black, and the titanium version’s dial is a warm chocolate/black.
All watches run on the Leica Calibre LA-3002, a movement made in collaboration with Chronode. It’s an automatic caliber with 60 hours of power reserve and according to Leica has been regulated to within -4/+6 seconds per day. It’s unsurprising given Leica’s reputation, but worth pointing out they have always been completely transparent in who they collaborate with on movement manufacturing since entering the watch industry. There is no “manufacture caliber” wordplay here.
Our immediate impressions of the new ZM 12 were quite positive, and are in line with our feelings on Leica in general: they are just extremely well made and satisfying. The finishing of the bracelets on the ZM 11 and ZM 12, in particular, rival competitors at similar price points and, in fact, price points several multiples higher. The retail price for these watches starts at $6,800, which is not cheap by any means, but nevertheless offers a comparable experience to watches costing far more. Leica
