L. Leroy Osmior Tourbillon Régulateur Squelette - Limited 7 pieces

Origin

France has produced a plethora of decorated and significant watchmakers over the past few hundred years. Breguet and Cartier occupy the two top spots in the sustained worldwide recognition department, but L.Leroy was one of the top prestigious watchmakers of its time. Founded just shy of ten years after Breguet, Basile Charles le Roy established Le Roy et Fils in the heart of Paris in 1785. Aged just 20, he was a master watchmaker and opened his workshop in Palais-Royal. But history tells us that this was a turmoil time in Paris, with tensions around the French Revolution beginning to surface. Fortunately, Basile Charles had established connections to the French monarchy, producing timepieces for the King. This illustrious chapter of the brand's history would include clients such as Marie Antoinette, Marcel Proust, Henri Matisse, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Alfred Nobel, and Ettore Bugatti. Nevertheless, despite a two-century-strong legacy creating haute ornate pieces of mechanical art, the L.Leroy name was included in an acquisition by Miguel Rodriguez in 2004, founder of the Festina Group which brought the brand into the modern era while maintaining its rich legacy for true mechanical mastery. 

The Osmior collection has existed since the early days of brand acquisition, including many complications and models from chronographs, time-only pieces, quantième perpétuels, and tourbillons. But L.Leroy shines in its ability to combine numerous complications into one piece, just like the Osmior Régulateur Tourbillon. First introduced in 2011 with either a solid guilloché dial in pink and white gold or skeletonised in pink before a white gold skeleton reference 12 months later, the Osmior Régulateur Tourbillon Squelette was limited to just seven pieces in each metal. This automatic piece is COSC Chronometer certified, something seldom found on tourbillons, with the piece artfully blending traditional principles with a proprietary, singular execution. The skeletonised references carry elements of art deco flair, with stylistic nods to the Eiffel Tower in Paris with elevated tourbillon efficiency.

The Watch

L.Leroy may not be a name known by the masses today, but to those alert to their mastery, it's technically proficient, and artistry is unmistakably exceptional. With a 238-year heritage on its sleeve, contemporary L.Leroy blends its legacy of shaping tradition with a proprietary, modern language into creations such as this Tourbillon Régulateur Squelette Art Déco. A piece that delivers magnetism in a lane of its own, the 41mm case is rendered in 18k white gold and is complete in a polished finish. The impactful lugs are straight from the top with a generous, elegant bevel that couples with its rounded bezel. Yet from the side, those lugs are gently downturned with rounded ends, effectively boosting wearability.

The dial of this Tourbillon Régulateur is truly a sight to behold, with an openwork decoration recalling the lines and spirit of the Art Deco movement. The piece strikes an excellent balance of semi-skeletonisation, with the sub-register at six being the best representative. Reading one through twelve with stylised Arabic numerals, the register tracks the hours, but while the chapter ring housing the numerals is solid, the centre of the register is skeletonised. Carrying a repeating motif, this pattern, while not identical, is a theme that continues throughout the central dial. Tracking the minutes via a centralised blued hand, this pattern and its inspiration are apparent, with the openwork structure emulating the wrought iron trusses of the Eiffel Tower. 

Sitting at the periphery of this Parisian-inspired decoration is a chapter ring rendered in silver tone, complete with diamond-shaped minute markers and Arabic numerals for each five-minute mark. One step closer to the dial's centre is the watch's typography, including the brand's 'L.LEROY' signature and 'TOURBILLON CHRONOMETRE CERTIFIE'.

The beautifully finished tourbillon is positioned at twelve on the dial side of the watch. It is complete with a 30-second fan scale, blued tip, and a gearing and tourbillon cage in keeping with the Eiffel Tour-inspired styling. L.Leroy specifically developed a cutting-edge take on the tourbillon for the Osmior Tourbillon, utilising an escapement crafted entirely from pure diamond. This minimises the weight while enhancing the mechanism's hardness, enabling the watch to achieve superior performance while maintaining chronometric stability longer than traditional systems.

While further information on the tourbillon is detailed below, it's worth noting that this hand-decorated automatic tourbillon movement is COSC-certified, adding impressive technicality to an already remarkable watch.

The Movement

Powering the Osmior Tourbillon Squelette is the Leroy calibre L512 Manufacture Leroy. Produced by L.Leroy's sister company NHVJ, this automatic calibre boasts 52 hours of autonomy and beats at a surprisingly high rate for a tourbillon, 28,800 vph. Complete with the chronometer certification, this edition of the calibre is skeletonised to match the front of the piece, with the rotor and entire bridge form being cut and finished by hand. It is said that the hand sawing, filing, and chamfering of each of the intricate elements of the bridge took two months alone to complete. Including manufacturing, assembly, and adjustments, the watch took approximately six months of work.

The movement's final appearance is just as intriguing and elevated as the front, with Christophe Shaffo completing the skeletonisation.

How It Wears

The long lug-to-lug distance, combined with the 41mm width, makes this Osmior Tourbillon Squelette a striking piece on the wrist regarding real estate, but the depth and nuance of its dial take it to the next level. Refinement, exclusivity, uniqueness, and rarity- this L.Leroy has it all in abundance.

Condition

This Osmior Tourbillon Squelette, dates from 2017 and is offered as a complete set, including its original wooden box, papers, COSC certification, OEM blue alligator strap, and white gold pin buckle. The watch was serviced in 2022 and is accompanied by service papers. The piece is presented on a Mr Watchley Grained Navy Blue strap.

If you desire to take a closer look at this precious timepiece, don't hesitate to contact us and make an appointment. We are based in Ghent, Belgium

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