Legare

While there have been rumblings about a possible horological comeback from the house of Wundermann, what was fully confirmed yesterday was a new brand from Guillaume Tetu and Wei Koh, Legare.

In fairness, the brand was founded in 2024, but they have now announced their first two versions of the brands first model, Chapter I.

Courtesy of Legare

The first's nom de montre is "Elegant". Not sure if I'd give full marks to the imagineers who came up with that one (although it is at least better than the second - more on that shortly).

The Elegant, per Legare:

Elegant: Untreated German Silver

The Elegant version features a mirror-polished case, with contrasting brushed and sand-blasted finishes on all edges and bevels. The movement is crafted from untreated German Silver. Over time, this material will start to patina to show a very beautiful gold hue. The idea of a watch transforming over time, the more it interacts with its wearer.

The Elegant version features extra-thick, high-contrast Côtes de Genève decoration across the mainplate and the three bridges. All angles are mirror polished and extra thick, as are the countersinks for all screws. The two escape wheel bridges display handmade inner angles perfectly framed by the sapphire seconds subdia

Hands: Stamped steel base, flame-blued, mirror-polished.

Strap: Hand-stitched gray Alcantara, 20mm × 16mm, quick release pin bar at lugs and buckle.

The second verison - known as "Darth" (see what I mean...) 

Courtesy of Lagare

The Darth, per Legare:

Darth: True Sandblasting

The Darth features a stealthily brushed case with mirror-polished angles and bevels. The movement is German Silver and has been true sand-blasted, producing a much more luminous sparkle than laser engraved patterns. It is then coated in black ruthenium, which creates a stunning gray hue with hints of blue.

The Darth case is entirely mirror polished first before the surfaces are brushed. While it is very stealthy, every single edge or bevel is mirror polished, which creates an incredible visual impact. You will never find two of the same surface treatments meeting each other at an edge.

Hands: Stamped steel base, flame-blued, mirror-polished.

Strap: Hand-stitched blue Cordova fabric, 20mm × 16mm, quick release pin bar at lugs and buckle.

In terms of both versions, the case is of titanium

(grade 5) and measures 37.5mm × 9.95mm. Gotta' say, sort of dig the somewhat eccentric refusal to conform to a "typical" (i.e. round number) measurement.

As regards the movement, it is refered to as the Calibre LC1–AGP–01.  

Courtesy of Legare

Per Legare:

Calibre LC1–AGP–01 features two balance wheels beating at 21,600vph with their rates averaged through a planetary differential. The differential divides power equally between the two oscillators while averaging their rates.

Both our hairsprings feature Breguet Overcoils or Phillips Terminal Curves to aid in concentric breathing. The balance wheels feature hairsprings pinned in 180° opposing directions to help overcome positional errors due to non-concentric breathing.

Both balance wheels are powered using side-angled lever escapements normally used exclusively in tourbillons and also in past Observatory Trial watches. They are used here to create a more compact architecture allowing us to create a 13-Lignes movement (29.33mm) capable of fitting in a 37.5mm in diameter watch.

This is the only timepiece in watchmaking history to use double side-angled lever escapements in this way.

The differential is located at the fourth wheel, much closer to the escapement, allowing it to average the rates of the two balances more directly than in most other differential-equipped watches.

Calibre LC1–AGP–01 is developed in partnership with TEC Group Swiss, based in Switzerland.

Each Calibre LC1–AGP–01 is assembled and adjusted by hand. The two balance wheels are regulated to run at slightly different rates, allowing the differential to average them.

Every movement is individually tested before leaving Switzerland.

Okay, so let's talk turkey - just how much will a Lagare set you back?

Unless I missed it, there does not appear to be pricing on the website - and as my great grandfather was fond of reminding us -

"If you have to ask, you can't afford it!" Well, we can't all be successful ranchers turned even more successful oil well owners (not to worry, my grandfather managed to squander the entire family fortune, so I will not be competing for you to get one of these limited editions).

There will be 25 pieces total of each version, priced at a rarified price just south of 82,000 CHF - or 1.5 starter homes in rural Ohio.

In Search of a Place and Time that Likely Never Existed

 “Here's the story they don't want to tell: eight companies make 95 percent of the whiskey in America...And all those different brand names are just that. Brands. Perhaps no word sums up the death of truth in America better than the word brand.”

― Wright Thompson, Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last

Regular readers will note that I have, over the years, tried in vain to reconnect with my father (who shuffled off his mortal coil some 16 years ago). These same regular readers will also note that I have held onto the idea of Mido as, I had hoped to be a communication device, a way to connect to him. And in truth this has probably been a fool's errand. Which, I suppose, makes me a fool on a fool's errand. With that said, I did something that - in truth? I will probably do again, and again in some variation. I tried to lay hands to a watch that would be like the Mido (if not identical, at least ring true in feeling) to the same Mido watch that he received the day before I made my grand appearance. That day was July 10. The watch pictured above is a "Franken" watch in the most craven of terms. It was, in fact, until recently not a watch at all. It was purchased some three years ago on Ebay (sorry, but their fawning and showering of money on "A Blog to Watch" does not even remotely guarantee you're getting what you paid for). In this happy instance? It arrived as advertised - a case, dial, crown and set of hands from a former watch maker. "Just add movement"! 

But alas, Betty Crocker was not a watch maker, and this attempt to reconnect to the old man was as fraught with misteps, misunderstandings, and frustration as my teens. 

I am by no stretch the most gifted watch writer out there. Ben Clymer, when he actually takes the time to write someting? Is beyond eloquent. Wei Koh - if he could pause on the name checking / dropping and stop looking for the $10,000 word?  A wonderful story teller. If and when The Rake can solve their distribution challenges? I'm all in.

But there is something that I maybe know a bit about. And that's longing. I have sat at the table, sharing stories about what led me here. Robert-Jan Broer coined a phrase (albeit trying to explain my blunt speech at a "recruitment event" held by Ebner to get ahold of large amounts of watch journalism content at bargain basement prices. A friendly note to Ebner about 10 years overdue - next time serve actual food, not stale bread with dubious smelling sandwich spread and tap water. This was during BaselWorld some years back. And I had looked around the room, looking for the person that didn't belong, and realized it was me. And I asked the question - "Why do we write about watches? Is it money? Presents from brands? Comped travel to fun destinations? Is that really why we got started in this?"

My point was - and continues to be - it had evolved into a business that traded on ego and appearance.

And in fact? Only Robert Jan and I gave actual answers!

He asked me -
"Do you mean, what was the trigger?"
In essence? What had gotten all of us interested in watches in the first place.

Now in fairness, I don't remember his answer as I was getting the "stink eye" from another now well-known and well established Dutch watch media mogul. But my answer was - "Mido".

So we're going to dive into my latest dive down the Mido rabbit hole over the coming week - so stay tuned.

The Transfer Window Opens

At Revolution Magazine.

Now this would not be so curious if there had not already been two editors shown the door (US and Switzerland) quite recently.

It is not to say that the newly minted Editor in Chief, Adam Craniotes is a bad choice, but certainly a different one.  I for one wish him the best of success moving forward.