LIP "Parechoc"

LIP 
Parechoc  
Roestvrij staal 
1950's   
Mechanische handopwind  
18 Jewels   
Uurwerk Lip kal. R25 
Made in France 
Ø ca. 32 mm

The second watch this year is far from boring.

Emmanuel Lipmann was the founder of the French watch brand LIP in Besançon in 1867.

Since the early 1970’s you could say the French watch brand LIP has become a people’s brand, thanks to the unforgettable event that took place. When the LIP factory was on the brink of bankruptcy the employees fought tooth and nail to keep it afloat. Their slogan was: "We manufacture, we sell, we get paid". On September 29, 1973, one hundred thousand people attended a march in Besançon in support of the workers. It paid off until the closure in 1977.

These events happened at a much later date, but they are too profound not to mention.

LIP is an exciting brand, and mainly known for its outrageous, extravagant, and quirky designs.

Nothing is plain and average about this stunning 1950’s LIP.

Take a look at the magnificent large curvy horn-shaped lugs, the two-toned dial with fun features such as the little T-shaped minutes and the little O’s on each hour.

And the movement with it’s fascinating ‘Parechoc’, beautifully engineered. This might seem an insignificant detail but it can seriously help the movement sustain small shocks, not that you would consider wearing to a tennis match mind you. The LIP R25 caliber movement was designed by Jean-Georges Laviolette.

Typical for LIP is that the dust covers are always screwed on.

And LIP is the only watch brand that carries this phrase:

►Don't touch me, take me to your watchmaker◄

In my humble opinion this should be engraved on all mechanical watches

To keep it in line with the fun factor we added a candy-cane color watchband.

LIP watches have been worn by several legends of the 20th Century, such as General de Gaulle, Bill Clinton and Sir Winston Churchill.