From Revolution to Revival
LEONIDAS® was founded in 1841, some 120 years later it merged with Heuer creating the largest manufacturer of stopwatches and chronographs in Switzerland, and established Heuer-Leonidas as one of the biggest and most influential watch brands in the world.
During the 80's the company came under increasing pressure to compete with the influx of cheaper quartz models from China. The brand's reluctance to compromise quality over price saw Heuer-Leonidas become Tag-Heuer with Leonidas falling by the wayside.
It was in 2015 that Leonidas first tiptoed back into the watch making arena with the 5024, their first stand alone model since falling victim to the quartz crisis some 50 years earlier.
Upon their return Leonidas vowed never to use a movement powered by a battery. The quartz revolution brought the Swiss watch making industry to its knees; it never fully recovered. Leonidas believe the use of such movements would be a slap in the face to an industry so many fought so hard to protect. The 5024 boasted a 25 jewel fully automatic Swiss made movement, it even came supplied with a watch winder as standard to ensure the perpetual movement kept turning even when off the wrist.
The unorthodox positioning of the logo in the bottom half of the dial referenced the brand's rich historic past which saw Heuer-Leonidas dominate the supply of timing devices to major sporting events. Due to the hand configuration on a stopwatch it's not possible to place the logo in the traditional space. Instead it's positioned above the nbr 30 marker (or 6 on a watch). It's a nice touch to see it taking up the same position some 50 years later.
The use of Swiss made Tropic watch straps was no accident either; they were supplied as original equipment back in the 1960's/70's until they too fell victim to the quartz crisis. As an additional nod to the brand's heritage, Leonidas are proud to offer Tropic watch straps once again (new vintage).
It was the attention to detail of the 5024 and subtle nods to the brand's heritage that saw the piece command wait times of up to 4 weeks and saw Leonidas cementing their credentials once again as heavyweight horologists.
Leonidas have been steadily releasing timepieces ever since, some of which utilize a 17 jewel hand wound movement, the Swiss made workhorse purists widely believe to be the only movement worth using - until of course you forget to wind it and miss your plane.
Follow us @leonidaswatch for sneak previews, product development images, team travel snaps, and all things Leonidas watch. Our Instagram feed is where all information regarding new model release dates and times will be published first. Our timepieces sell out incredibly quickly; follow us to stay informed and to ensure you don't miss out on our next release.
LEONIDAS® Swiss made watches.
LEONIDAS is a registered trademark. Any unauthorized use/infringement of the logo or other commercial property owned by or associated with LEONIDAS will result in swift legal action. Copyright ©LEONIDAS Swiss made watches 2020. All rights reserved.