PRESENTING THE TRADITION
The Atelier d'Horlogerie Julius Legend was founded in Geneva with our wish to complete the projects undertaken in the pre-existant J.L. Atelier, founded in 1951. The intention was to create instruments harmoniously connected with technique and aesthetic function.
The head office was transferred to Florence in april 1997. This was to allow the Atelier to wholly satisfy the requests for personalizing of watches, through a closer collaboration with the Florentine master craftsmen.
Based on this philosophy, our attention is focused on the development and the realization of the projects combining refined and aesthetic technical construction with the important requirements of daily use, even to the extreme.
This idea was further confirmed by the demands of sportmen and military officers alike, such that when wearing a prestigious watch such as ours, it gave them a new meaning of achievement and esprit de corps.
In the search for perfection, studies and tests have been carried out for creating dials that are easy on the eye, are comfortable when worn, emphasizing case design, as well as the consideration of historical and architectural studies which are the origins of the creation and harmony of design in our various models.
The wealth of ideas and experiences are testified by the large design collection of European based artists, where the inspiration and elegance of the models demonstrate the validity of the intentions and motivations of J.L. Atelier. These considerations obliged us to look for master craftsmen with rich experience character, who could realise the beauty and planned design whilst enhancing and interpreting it with sensitivity. The search look for master craftsmen with and the accurate checks guaranteed us the best precision.
Each model is built in limited series, numbered and at customer's request, engraved.
The complexity of the problems faced, together with the great commitment of these passionate years of work, make us confident that we can meet the legitimate desire of those who want to have a rare and exclusive watch that satisfies their aesthetic taste.
The staff of the Atelier d'Horlogerie Julius Legend
THE EMBLEM
The Atelier d'Horlogerie Julius Legend wished to adopt the original logo of the J.L. Atelier in order to continue the tradition. The lion's head has ancient origins; infact it is the elaborate work of a roman bas-relief of the 3rd century A.D.. The sculpture within the marble was a sign of victory that acknowledged the boldness of the roman leader. The lion represents the wild animal sacred to Mars, the god of war, the symbol of virility, sovereignity and richness. Meanings taken from old Egypt, where it was associated with the sun, fire and time, always represented in pairs with one facing east and the other facing west as representation of the past and the future. In the Middle Ages, the lion was considered a magic animal because of its power to banish evil and was also recognized as a sign of strength and fortune. In the Renaissance period even the symbol of the passing of time was added to the meaning, representing the day devouring the night, and summer driving the winter away. Today this image adorns the beautiful fountains of the old town of Geneva and during the entire 18th century it was used as an element of important buildings and squares in the whole world.
The Bezel is in 18K solid gold and enamels with one-directional release for the mathematical, memo and countdown functions. Rack and spring in steel inox AISI 304 or carbon steel. The bezel is obtained from one block of metal, through mechanical removal. A lion's head in 18K gold is placed at twelve o'clock position. In navy bronze or steel.
The screw crown is well protected by the uprights of the case. The form and the dimension have been studied to hold it easily. In the screwed position, the crown makes the case perfectly water, humidity and dust proof. It makes that side of the watch very resistant thanks to a small gasket steel tube which guarantees resistant use with time. The same technique has been used for the push buttons on the chronograph.
The dial is engraved and polished by experienced craftsmen. This exclusive work exalts the beauty of the design and makes each piece different from the other. The index and the spheres made in big dimensions are in contrast with the polished colors.
To offer a good legibility of the indications by night or day, the index and hands are treated with tritium. The watch glasses are sapphire, scratch resistant and the diameter of the dial is larger than the standard. Intense studies have been made on the utilization of time and the way of reading under several light conditions to see the forms and dimensions. The design of the cases, the bezels and the dials utilizes the indications of this research and makes the reading of the data instinctive.
The classic model is moved by a caliber 2892 A2 of ETA, a Swiss mechanical movement.
The chronograph utilizes the movement Julius Legend 31, derived from the caliber 7750 of Valjoux, mechanical chronograph self-winding mechanism.
In both the finish is prestigious, the decorations are hand-made and the rotor engraved. The high number of alternations, adjustments, and accurate controls performed ensure the best operating precision. The fixing system in the case is differentiated, having for the classic model a metallic ring of interposition between casing and movement, with a cushioning spring placed between the ring and the bottom; While for the chronograph, heavier and more voluminous, a straight-through chassis movement was preferred.
Wrist bracelets in 18K gold or in steel, built and assembled with meticulous care by highly specialized technicians. The complexity of the construction is due to the flexibility and extreme sturdiness.
Leather watchbands are made entirely by hand with the best naturally tanned leathers. The shapes and sizes have been calibrated to highlight comfort and durability. Vast array of colours and leathers, with the possibility to choose amongst models made in limited series with materials of intermittent availability.
To complete the collection, the buckle tongue EST has been created to offer durability and comfort. It has been grooved for easy sliding of the band, its thickness is reduced to a minimum at the point of closure. The buckles are available in 18K gold, silver 925, steel and navy bronze. The choice of navy bronze is justified by its greater tolerance in comparison to others metals and also because it can guarantee the stroke proof requested by the military profession and activity.
All the watches are tested for quality and functional use twenty-seven times before being commercialized.
All Julius Legend watches are made in limited series. For this reason each watch comes with a Limited Series Certificate, including the model, the progressive number, the serial number and the number of models made.
THE TECHNICAL CHOICES
Cased in 18K solid gold, obtained for coinage and removal from a single block of metal. The precision of the work and the thickness of the walls and case back give it an exceptional solidity. The navy bronze and steel versions are born of a complex manufacturing full removal of the metal bar, chosen in order to maintain the material whole. Water resistance is up to 100 meters.