The team
Expertise
At LIP, watchmaking expertise is embodied in a global approach. It is expressed through the talent of the men and women who design, develop and manufacture its watches. It takes shape thanks to the talent of designers who magnify volumes by using the most beautiful materials. It is also the sum of experience acquired over several decades of history.
This expertise creates a symbiosis between tradition and modernity, combining the finest materials with quartz calibers or self-winding mechanical movements chosen for their precision and reliability. In the end, each Lip watch, with its rich history and the care taken by the craftsmen in creating it, is the most faithful expression of yourself.
The Steel
In order to guarantee optimum quality for the steel cases and bracelets of its watches, LIP has chosen surgical-grade stainless steel designated by the reference 316L. Expensive and complex to machine, this noble metal is biocompatible, non-magnetic and highly resistant to corrosion.
The sapphire Crystal
Invented by French chemist Auguste Verneuil in 1902, sapphire glass obtained by crystallising aluminium oxide at very high temperatures is second only to diamond in terms of hardness (it is ranked 9 on the Mohs scale of 10). Highly resistant and virtually scratch-proof, it is used for all the lenses in our top-of-the-range watches.
The Leather
For the leather straps fitted to our watches, we use the services of a specialist company based in Besançon. Cut and shaped on site, the leathers are called ‘full grain’ because they come from the noblest part, and the lining is made from vegetable-tanned split leather to be totally hypoallergenic.
The Movements
The movements we use have been rigorously selected from the world's most renowned manufacturers, whether Swiss or Japanese. Each mechanical movement we use is reworked to guarantee exemplary aesthetics and operation, and then we make all the adjustments to the balance-spring assembly on Swiss-brand Oneof chrono-comparators to guarantee the best possible precision.
The Dials
Made in the traditional way to LIP's own specifications, the dials have feet that watchmakers assemble to the movements using microscopic screws. These delicate, dexterous operations are carried out using installation tools produced in-house using precision 3D printers.
The Hands
Once the dial has been associated with the movement, the operator simply needs to fit the hands. This operation, carried out in two stages, requires dexterity and delicacy as each of them is fitted in turn using a tweezer fitted with rubber nozzles to avoid marking the lacquer on the dials. The simply pre-positioned hand is then driven onto its axis using a dedicated high-tech tool, guaranteeing perfect consistency in the pressure exerted during this crucial stage in the manufacture of a watch. It is then up to the watchmaker to measure out the depth of insertion to ensure perfect spacing between the hands of LIP watches.
The casing
Before the movement is placed in the case of the watch to which it will bring to life, it is generally mounted in a casing circle using two bridles fixed with screws. This part forms the link between the case and the caliber, and acts as a shock absorber. The caliber is then screwed securely into the case, where it receives the crown and its stem inserted through the sealing tube.
These components, which not only set the time but also wind the mechanical movements, are held together by a state-of-the-art machine to form a coherent part. The case back is then installed and tightly closed using a special bracket. At each stage, silicone grease is added to ensure a perfect waterproofing.
Quality Control
To ensure that owners can wear their LIP watch in complete safety, we certify that one hundred percent of the time-measuring instruments bearing our signature are tested to guarantee their water-resistance, accuracy and manufacturing quality.
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Water Resistance
The watch heads are pressurised and then depressurised in special machines capable of detecting the slightest leak in timepieces, placed there according to a specific protocol for each level of tightness to be achieved.
At LIP, the watches can withstand a pressure equal to that corresponding to a depth of at least 30 m. They can also meet different resistance specifications and be water-resistant to 50, 100 or even 200 m in the case of diver’s watches.
Precision
All mechanical watches with manual or automatic winding are individually checked in our workshops on Swiss-brand calibrated precision control machines.
These analyses are carried out in four different positions to obtain an average corresponding to a genuine wearer. Strict compliance with the LIP running standards is necessary for the inspected watch to move on to the next stage, which is lanterning. This is a test designed to check that the hands are perfectly spaced and that the watches assembled in our workshops are working properly for 48 hours.
For the first 24 hours, the pieces are placed on the back case, and for the next 24 hours on the glass. The mechanical models are rewound at the start of each 24-hour series. In all cases, each piece tested must display the time without any noticeable deviation during these 48 hours.
Control
During each of the manufacturing and assembly operations, every measure is taken to avoid the presence of dust, microscopic scratches or even tiny traces of fingers or lubricants. To guarantee an exemplary finishing, visual checks are systematically conducted using 5x magnifying glasses at every stage in the manufacture of our watches and before they leave our workshops for the boutiques of official LIP retailers.