L.Leroy History

The Era of royal watchmakers
1785 : (Basile)-Charles Le Roy is declared "Master Watchmaker" and opens an official workshop and boutique within the Palais-Royal, in Paris.

The Age of Splendour
Very much in vogue after the Revolution, Le Roy becomes one of the leading companies in Paris for the production of clocks and carriage clocks, chiefly intended for officers in the Napoleonic campaigns.

1805 : Le Roy is named "Watchmaker to Her Imperial and Royal Highness, Madame the Mother of the Emperor". Close to Napoleon and his family, (Basile)-Charles produces very high quality watches, traditional or decimal, chiming or "à tact".

1828 : Charles-Louis joins his father in a flourishing company that becomes "Le Roy & Fils". Watchmaker to the Dukes of Chartres and Bourbon, then to the King and the Duke of Orleans and to the Ministry of the Navy from 1835, Le Roy & Fils develops on every level.

1854: Le Roy & Sons sets up in London and becomes one of the regular suppliers for the British monarchy.

1863 : Customized and "For the Queen" creations follow one after another and secure for Le Roy & Sons an unprecedented opportunity to become Watchmaker to the Queen, officially appointed by the monarch.

1859 : Birth of a genius watchmaker who will be at the crossroads of all knowledge : Louis Leroy

1888 : Thanks to his reliance on the expert advice, Louis rapidly emerges as the real leader. He becomes a partner in the business and takes it over completely one year later, changing the name to "L.Leroy & Cie".

The Period of Excellence
1892 : The 'Ateliers L.Leroy» open in the historical heart of the city of Besançon, which recently acquired an important new installation : the National Observatory and its Chronometry Certification Service.

1900 : The "Leroy 01", a true global icon and winner of the Grand Prix at the Paris Universal Exhibition, remains the absolute standard for highly complicated watchmaking until 1989. Firmly established as the standard for French luxury watchmaking, the brand turns its attention to developing scientific, military, industrial and sports timing, making decisive advances in each of these areas.

1910 : Leroy installs the first system for transmitting time signals by radio telegraphy at the top of the Eiffel Tower, which broadcasts the national reference time signal over a distance of 6000 km in every direction. 1950 : More than 1200 certified chronometers are signed by Leroy and some of them achieve results that have never been equalled in the international competitions. Leroy becomes consequently the official supplier to the majority of automobile clubs, flying clubs, as well as great events such as the legendary Tour de France.

1957 : The invention of the "Chronostat" revolutionises the world of marine chronometry and enables the company to conserve its dominant position in scientific and military high precision.

1990 : All the development and production activities are transferred to Switzerland, leader of fine traditional watchmaking whose worldwide reputation for excellence perfectly matches the ambitions of L.Leroy S.A.

The Renaissance
2004 : Acquired by Miguel Rogriguez, the founder and owner of the watchmaking group Festina-Lotus S.A in the Swiss Jura, the L.Leroy brand is immediately positioned as the pinnacle of the group's range.

2008 : La Manufacture Horlogère de la Vallée de Joux, MHVJ S.A, produces all the components of a movement (including escapements and balances) and is now one of the essential asset of L.Leroy as a sister company. It can equip the majority of new models with exclusive "Manufacture" calibres.

2010 : In harmony with its history, L.Leroy decides to resettle in Besançon, "Heart and Soul" of the French watchmaking. Creation of "Les Ateliers L.Leroy SAS", production and distribution centre of the brand worldwide.

The L.Leroy philosophy
Our philosophy focuses on a vision for the future that is based on a deep respect for its past. Driven by a fundamental devotion to excellence developed from two centuries of experience, the company strives to create timeless designs that contain the essence of all knowledge acquired in producing superb avant-garde pieces.