Santa Claus Is Alive And Well! The Lip T18 Original

It seems that Santa might be working part-time in Besançon.

Courtesy of Lip

Just in time for that special friend, family member, or of course yourself ; )

Readers might remember that on my last visit to Besançon back in March, I had the opportunity to check out the new Lip T18 -

I did not hesitate, and I put my marker down for one. Lucky me, as that version flew off the shelves in record time and I was the lucky owner of 180 / 180. For those of you who weren't fortunate enough to get one, it seems that Santa Claus might have sensed your disappointment on missing out the first go-round and spoke with team Lip -

Courtesy of Lip

You have two more bites at the apple! Two new versions of the T18 Original. The first version features a two tone (technically 3 with the gold tone indices) dial, and a tan ostrich strap.

Courtesy of Lip

The second version differs in that the indices are silver toned, and the watch is fitted with a darker ostrich strap.

The movement is of particular interest as it is a faithful reproduction of the original -

Courtesy of Lip

It is a unique piece of kit, with the majority of components sourced within hailing distance (France and Switzerland) and assembled in Besançon.

These two new versions of the T18 Original are available now, but if the last release is anything to go by, they are going to be gone in the blink of an eye, so if it's in your wheelhouse, don't dawdle!

The price is very fair for a watch like this - €1,990.00 tax included

Here are the pertinents -

Case - rectangular, polished & brushed stainless steel
Dimensions : 23.5mm x 41.5mm
Lug Width : 20 mm
Water Resistance : 3 atm
Weight : 58 grammes

Movement - Mechanical

Reference movement : t18 mecanique
Frequency: 21600 vibrations/hour.
Jewels: 21.
Accuracy: -12/+12 sec/Day.
Power reserve (Mainspring after fully wound up): 40 hours.
Finishing: Côtes de Genève, pearling, spiral pattern.

Viva La Lip!

So where we last left off, I had decided to revisit one of my favorite places - Besançon, France. And what drew me at this particular time? It was a new watch that Lip had come out with. But I was drawn not just as a journalist, but as a potential customer...

I wrote about it when it just came out, but to re-heat the pertinents, this is the Lip T18 Original.

It is based on an original take on the current Churchill series. What makes it so special? Well its movement is based on an original hand wound caliber -

Courtesy of Lip

This is special because at no small effort and expense, Lip committed to making something true to the original, with the help of local and regional partners. They could have done a cheap-and-cheerful homage, but Pierre-Alain Berard and his team in Besançon set their sights a little higher!

Per Lip - 

"The components of its movement are machined in Switzerland by the La Joux-Perret factory and assembled in Besançon by the Humbert-Droz company. The casing and inspection are carried out in the LIP workshops in Besançon."

This photo was taken by yours truly at Lip HQ, back in March. And based on what I saw, and was able to try on? I was very, very impressed.

So impressed that I broke my cardinal rule:

"Never get high on your own supply!"

If you were to visit the Lip website to look this little wrist bound bijoux up, you'd be out of luck. It sold out REALLY FAST!

But it would seem that fateful day back in March, my luck was in! I was able to put my marker down, and was able to secure the final piece of the series (all the others were spoken for) - lucky #180 / 180!

And a few weeks ago, it found its way to the North Shore, where I have been enjoying wearing it immensely!

There is quite a bit more to come about my visit, Besançon, and the people at Lip who are truly bringing back traditional watch making to it's ancestral home in France.

Stay tuned!

The Lip T18 Original - All the Details!

So back on Friday we had a little amuse-bouche from Besançon -

Courtesy of Lip

And now it's time for the plat principal (that's main dish, to you)!

As previously mentioned, this is a reintroduction of the Lip T18. It is a very exciting step for Lip, as it brings forth the idea of a watch not only designed and assembled in Besançon, but one with a movement conceived and assembled there as well. 

Courtesy of Lip

Per Lip - 

"The components of its movement are machined in Switzerland by the La Joux-Perret factory and assembled in Besançon by the Humbert-Droz company. The casing and inspection are carried out in the LIP workshops in Besançon."

Courtesy of Lip

This is a very, very limited release of 180 pieces. So if it's in your wheelhouse, I suggest you move with a purpose before they are all gone!

Courtesy of Lip

Here are the pertinents -

Watch reference
676000

Movement
Exclusive mechanical movement from the Lip brand, entirely finished and assembled in Besançon with 118 parts from the Jura watchmaking arc, it has dimensions and specifications identical to the very first T18 from 1933. Barrel shape - Size 18 x 28.5 mm - Thickness 4.05 mm - frequency: 3 Hertz or 21,600 vibrations per hour – 21 ruby - 40 hour power reserve – precision –12 seconds to +12 seconds/24h

Case
10 micron gold plated steel (1st layer of 5 microns 18 carat gold, 2nd layer of 5 micron 24 carat gold). 

24 mm wide x 34.5 mm long. 

10 mm thick 

41.5 mm from lug to lug

20 mm lug width

Case back -
Display back fixed by 4 screws

Water Resistance -
30 meters

Dial
A reproduction of the T18 model offered to Winston Churchill in 1948. Gunmetal colored hands, with an off-center second hand at 6 o'clock, gunmetal colored applied indexes, with Arabic numerals

Crystal
Domed sapphire with anti-reflective treatment, thickness of 2.35 mm

Strap
Black, genuine alligator leather, 20 mm lug width, produced by the Sibra company in Besançon

Buckle
Gold-plated steel deployant

Warranty 

2 years

Made in France - Besançon

€2,490.00

Tax included