It’s been over a year since Leica broke the internet with its very first wristwatch, which the legendary camera firm spent nearly half a decade developing. Originally called the L1 and L2, the timepieces were quickly renamed the ZM1 and ZM2, which stands for “Zeitmesser” — German for “something that tells time.” The beautiful references, designed by Professor Achim Heine, Leica’s camera designer, were given plenty of cues that echoed an actual camera, such as the first-of-its-kind push-crown that looked like a shutter release in order to set the time, a domed sapphire crystal redolent of a camera lens, and a small aperture that would go from white to red to let you know if the movement was off. Now, the German brand follows up its masterpiece with the ZM11 (there was no 3 through 10).
Opting for a more “traditional” approach, Leica has given the ZM11 a screw-down crown and an accessible aesthetic. There are three variants to choose from here — one of which has a 316L stainless steel case, while the other two get grade 5 titanium cases. All of them are 41mm in diameter and have 100m of water resistance. While the ZM1 and ZM2 were powered by Leica’s in-house manual-wound movements, the ZM11 debuts the brand’s automatic caliber LA3001, with 60 hours of power reserve.
Overall, these timepieces are much more dress-oriented than their decidedly sporty predecessors. Featuring steel or titanium bracelets and simple time-and-date dials, the ZM11 also boasts a unique dial design. Inside the steel model is a dark blue dial, while the titanium versions have either black or black-and-red (limited to 250 pieces) on the dial. But listing the colors won’t do them justice; each dial gives off a different look depending on your viewing angle.
The ZM11 watches range in price from $6,775 to $8,150 and will be available from Leica beginning at the end of next month.
