WBOTD 8/4/12: Lepine

Not sure if the brand is still in existence, but love the bell diver look.

Established for centuries in the Jura mountains, the Jean-Pierre Lépine family entreprise today specializes in the production and distribution of precision writing instruments and watches.

As an artisan, Jean-Pierre Lépine invents and manufactures these writing tools and timepieces without any limits placed on his imagination. His company is structured to enable himself to plunge into his projects, building on the continuous desire to create different, markedly unique compositions, with the sole aim of astonishing, and therefore provoking dreams.

In the 18th Century, Jean-Antoine Lépine, Watchmaker to the king, manufactured prestigious timepieces at the foot of the Jura mountains, and was later to pass on into posterity.

Beginning in 1988, in this same Jura mountains only kilometers from the center of Geneva, Jean-Pierre Lépine, already well known among pen collectors for his limited edition writing instruments, fashions timepieces that fit his image.

In 2005, he made a splash by presenting the Belharra, a watch full of character. Sprung from the dephts of the oceans, Belharra was inspired by Graphyscaf (a limited edition writing instrument of 195 pieces) which flowed up from the deep recesses of the inventor's imagination.

Well proportioned, astonishing, even striking, Belharra has the distinction of being articulated across four ball joints, which permit a perfect adaptation of this watch to every wrist. Available with a range of selected finishes and complications, this watch is a veritable innovation that makes all the difference.

Simply amazing...and if they have gone out of business, it's a genuine tragedy.

Kind of looks like an old diver's helmet.

Diggin that bottom watch, with what looks to be a power reserve indicator. Very unique and distinguished case. The floating independent lugs(not sure if that is the technical name) are intriguing. Great watches.