It seems that Leica has launched an aggressive online campaign to promote its watches. Several new articles, interviews, podcasts, and videos appeared online pretty much at the same time without any actual new products:
Time and Tide Watches: Why does Leica make watches? Here is the recap:
Leica entered the watch world in 2015 as a relatively new venture for the iconic German camera brand, leveraging its design philosophy rather than full in-house manufacturing. In an interview with Time+Tide, Managing Director of Leica Watches and Accessories Henrik Ekdahl explains that watches serve as a pillar to expand the brand into luxury, attract new customers, and upsell to existing Leica enthusiasts, while competing internally with photography and accessories. Models like the ZM1/ZM2 draw direct cues from Leica cameras, while the ZM11/ZM12 take conceptual inspiration from photography; current watches appeal strongly to Leica loyalists but remain premium-priced. Plans include a more affordable €5,000–€6,500 entry-level line using movements like Sellita or ETA, greater in-house production (leveraging Leica’s expertise in glass, metals, and leather), and material experiments (e.g., titanium cases) to build credibility without diluting the brand’s high-end ethos. Ultimately, watches aim to complement rather than overshadow Leica’s core camera business.
Hodinkee: The Business of Watches Podcast with Henrik Ekdahl (Managing Director, Leica Watches & Accessories). Here is the recap:
The conversation covers the 2022 launch of the current ZM collection (including models like the ZM 11 and ZM 12, with movements from partners like Chronode and Lehmann Präzision), current low-volume production (under 5,000 pieces annually, sold exclusively via Leica stores and online), design philosophy blending Leica’s iconic aesthetics (e.g., red dot influences), and ambitions for thoughtful growth with new models that leverage in-house manufacturing expertise while staying true to the brand’s storytelling, community focus, and long-term luxury approach rather than chasing mass scale.
Watchpro: In conversation: Leica managing director frames up the brand’s next chapter. Here is the recap:
Managing director Henrik Ekdahl stresses building on deep community loyalty—comparable to Ferrari—through careful steps like the in-house ZM 1/2 and recent ZM 11/12 models, while planning a more accessible range using standard Swiss movements, Leica’s expertise in design/cases, and optical elements to broaden appeal without cheapening the brand. He frames the venture as a responsible evolution rather than burdensome pressure, noting mechanical overlaps between cameras and watches, and highlights Leica’s unique collectible photography roots (with million-euro camera auctions) as a differentiator in the crowded watch market. Expansion targets select jewelers and retailers who share photographic passion, beyond camera-focused stores, with Ekdahl personally valuing watches as daily expressions of individuality over status symbols.
Revolution Watch: interview with the Managing Director of Leica Watches, Henrik Ekdahl. Here is the recap:
Founder Ernst Leitz I trained as a watchmaker in Switzerland, influencing Leica’s DNA and creating natural ties between photography (which captures time) and mechanical timepieces (which measure it), as seen in camera components resembling clock parts. Leica entered watchmaking in 2022 with the technically ambitious, hand-wound ZM 1 and ZM 2 models featuring manufacture calibers to uphold its reputation for excellence, rather than starting entry-level, while acknowledging its “startup” status in the field alongside its core camera identity. The more accessible automatic ZM 11 (41mm) and ZM 12 (39mm) lines offer distinctive layered dials inspired by light, shadow, and photography, with subtle nods like power reserve indicators and push crowns echoing camera mechanisms. Leica aims to grow as a small-scale, high-end German-rooted brand through authentic collaborations (e.g., with photographers), gradual value creation, mixed Swiss-German production focused on “Made by Leica” standards, and careful portfolio expansion—seeking credibility, brand reinforcement, and a meaningful complementary role in the Leica universe over the next decade, without diluting its photographic heritage.
→ Leica watches: a conversation with Henrik Ekdahl.
→ Timeless: through the lens of John Goldberger.
→ Timeless by John Goldberger at Leica Store Geneva.
→ Jason Roman with the Leica ZM 2.
→ Kristian Dowling of Leica Watches on watch photography, authenticity, and brand storytelling.