In this captivating post, sham1 shares his anticipation for a truly special acquisition: an L. Leroy Osmior. This piece holds particular significance as it was designed by Denis Flageollet before he co-founded De Bethune, offering a rare glimpse into the formative influences of a modern horological master. sham1's enthusiasm highlights the thrill of discovering a unique, historically rich timepiece that resonates with his personal collecting philosophy.
I have just received word that my L Leroy is on its way to me from Paris and I cannot wait to try it on when it finally arrives in Malaysia. This Osmior (which refers to an ancient metal alloy, primarily composed of gold with a colour similar to platinum) is particularly special as it was designed by Denis Flageollet before he co founded De Bethune in 2002. I am a great fan of Denis as I am of the opinion that he is one of the three living watch geniuses in the industry (the other two being Andreas Strehler and Luca Soprana). We can indeed see some of the inspiration for the case, hands and even some dial designs that led to the design of the De Bethune cases that followed.
I was initially a bit apprehensive when I discovered that the watch had a diameter of 41mm but a lug to lug of 46mm restored my confidence. What really swept me off my feet was the thinness of the watch which will easily make this the thinnest watch in my collection. Some may say that the dial is too simple but those who know me well will know that I am very partial to simple dials on watches. Less is more
Elegance personified.
Notice the cute crown!
Impressively thin!
Sorry all, the manual winding movement is concealed.
With Denis Flageollet in 2023
