recreating a watchmaking icon
lip t18 original
Today, a legendary French watch makes its return, featuring a hand-wound mechanical movement calibrated to its original specifications. Unique in design and a bold rival to Swiss competitors of its era, this timepiece carries the name of its caliber and stands as the most- produced shaped watch in the history of horology by an international brand renowned worldwide. As you may have guessed, this is the iconic T18 by LIP—designed, assembled, and meticulously tested in Besançon, the city of its origin.
It was essential to meet the expectations of discerning enthusiasts seeking a timepiece with a design inspired by the Art Deco era, driven by a benchmark movement.
For them, and for others, the LIP brand is bringing back the legendary T18, now equipped with a contemporary hand-wound mechanical caliber.
To meet the expectations of purists, the dimensions and construction largely replicate those of the movement developed by André Donat in 1931 at the request of Fred Lip, who had just returned from a study trip to the United States.
A visionary leader of the most renowned French watchmaking brand—now often ranked among the world’s top five by enthusiasts in France—he also possessed an innate talent for communication. If he were here today, he might have introduced the new generation of in-house mechanical T18s with the following advertisement: "Do you know which rectangular-shaped watch is the most produced in the world and the most famous in France, Russia, and the United States? No, dear collectors, it’s not the Rolex Prince or the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, but the LIP T18, which was manufactured in more than 400,000 units between 1933 and 1949."
These remarkable qualities earned it the distinction of being the very first shaped wristwatch to feature a tourbillon. Created by Edouard Belin in 1947, it marked a turning point in the history of contemporary watchmaking. For this reason, the T18 caliber deserves to reclaim its place in the spotlight, especially as the LIP T18 is undoubtedly one of the most sought- after French watches by collectors worldwide.
To cater to these enthusiasts, the new management has chosen to revive the most iconic of all T18 models: the gold-plated edition gifted to Winston Churchill in 1948. For this special occasion, the case has been slightly enlarged to align with contemporary wear preferences and is crafted from stainless steel, coated with two robust layers of solid gold, each 5 microns thick—the first in 18-carat gold and the second in 24-carat gold.
Crafted in a limited edition of 180 numbered pieces, this timepiece showcases a dial inspired by the original period model, featuring hand-applied relief numerals and a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Its exquisite sapphire crystal is anti-reflective, rectangular, and subtly curved. The watch is paired with a luxurious alligator leather strap, meticulously handcrafted in the Sibra workshops in Besançon.
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This masterpiece of precision, a true icon from the 1930s and 1940s, is once again powered by the finest movement available: the brand-new T18 hand-wound mechanical movement from LIP. Its components, which match the original specifications thanks to extensive reverse-engineering work conducted by the École Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques (SUPMICROTECH) on a first-generation T18, are machined in Switzerland by the renowned La Joux-Perret factory. The finishing and decoration are entirely done in the Doubs region at Roland Bailly SAS. The movement is then assembled in Besançon by Humbert-Droz, before being cased and tested at the LIP workshops in Besançon.
Visible through the transparent caseback, it showcases its large balance wheel, now oscillating at 3 hertz for improved precision, along with its fine traditional finishes, such as the "côtes de Genève"; circular graining, and colimaçonnage on the ratchet wheel.
Caliber developed from plans for the original T18 LIP caliber
· designed by André Donat in 1931 at the request of Frédéric Lip.
French-designed movement based on the original caliber and offered with the same dimensions as the original one, namely:
· Measuring 28.5 mm in length, 18 mm in width, and 4.05 mm in thickness, this caliber has been meticulously reverse-engineered from a first-generation model by the Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Mécanique et des Microtechniques in Besançon (SUPMICROTECH).
Manufacture responsible for components:
· La Joux-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.
Finishing and bevelling of the movement :
· Roland Bailly SAS
Calibre T18 assembly :
· Humbert-Droz in Besançon
Assembly and inspection of the T18 caliber:
· Ateliers LIP de Besançon
Following this success, LIP launched two new T18 models, both featuring the same hand-wound mechanical movement, decorated by Bailly and assembled by Humbert-Droz in Besançon. The cases are made from polished and brushed 316L stainless steel, paired with handcrafted ostrich leather straps and folding clasps, produced in the Sibra workshops in Besançon. Each model is equipped with a slightly curved, anti-reflective sapphire crystal and features a dial inspired by the original Churchill model, with hand-applied raised numerals and a small second hand at 6 o’clock. Numbered from 1 to 150, these two new creations,true tributes to Art Deco, have already become coveted collector’s pieces.
Numbered from 1 to 150, these two new creations, true tributes to Art Deco, have already become prized collector’s items.
“At a price like this, it's a deal you can't afford to miss!"
Fred Lip might have said.
T18 Original
- Limited Editions : 150 pieces
- Made in France - in Besançon
- Warranty 2 years
- Livraison en 48h offerte
- Paiement en 1, 2 ou 3 fois sans frais
T18 Original
- Made in France - in Besançon
- Warranty 2 years
- Livraison en 48h offerte
- Paiement en 1, 2 ou 3 fois sans frais