Lebois & Co sounds like a brand that has been around for a long time, and that is both right and wrong. Since its foundation in 1934, the brand had a fairly successful history, but in the early seventies, like many other watch companies, it transitioned to a new level. As we have detailed in previous articles, a few years ago, Lebois & Co was revived by Dutch entrepreneur and watch enthusiast Tom van Wijlick. Interestingly, Tom and his team are entirely focused on creating a renewed legacy with the help of the watch community. He has done this before, and he is doing it again through his CoLAB program.
The Return of Lebois & Co
The Lebois & Co company was initially founded by Raymond Dodane, a representative of the third generation of the Dodane watchmaking family. The brand experienced several ups and downs until its disappearance in 1972. In 1940, the Italian aircraft company Caproni bought Lebois & Co chronographs as gifts for Swedish pilots who traveled to Italy to collect and ferry back their new Caproni planes. After World War II, the brand was transferred to Italian importers, and production was handed over to the Dodane watch manufactory. By 1972, after nearly 40 years of producing watches under the Lebois & Co name, the brand ceased its activities and became obsolete.
Exactly 80 years after the brand first began its watchmaking endeavors, Tom van Wijlick and his wife stumbled upon a vintage watch that struck them - a Lebois & Co watch. This led to extensive research into the brand and its watches, and eventually, the duo managed to gain the Dodane family's consent to revive Lebois & Co. That same year, a plan was developed to involve the watch community in the project through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.
The campaign was successful and led to the release of the Lebois & Co Avantgarde Date model. These are quite beautiful, modern steel watches with a silver-white dial. Later, a second and third configuration appeared, again funded through Kickstarter. The collection now consists of blue, white, and black (with a transparent case back) Avantgarde Date models.
The second model presented by the renewed Lebois & Co is the Venturist. This model represents the more sporty, adventurous side of Lebois & Co and features a very clean, reliable design. And, surprisingly, especially for such a young and small microbrand, it has the Observatoire Chronométrique+ certificate issued by TIMELAB. This means that all watches, not just the movements, undergo a strict 21-day testing before reaching the customer. The certification focuses on anti-magnetism, chronometric accuracy, water resistance, and power reserve. The protocols followed by TIMELAB are stricter than the COSC certification, just so you know.
Time to Bring Back Airain
Continuing the line of community-based watch creation, this model was also created (and funded) with the help of the community, but not in the way you might think. During the development of the Venturist, Tom and his team launched a program aimed at raising funds and involving people as shareholders. This means lowering the price of the Venturist, having a say in future projects, and additional benefits for investors. The level of involvement depends on each shareholder's personal preferences.
Besides working on Lebois & Co, Tom van Wijlick is reviving another brand. Once again, it is a brand launched in 1934 by the Dodane family: Montres Airain. Airain was one of the selected suppliers of Type 20 pilot watches issued by the French Ministry of Defense and used in the 1950s and 1960s. In his quest to bring back Airain, Tom managed to convince the then-owner to sell him the brand, reuniting Airain and Lebois & Co.
Let the People Speak...
To resume the production of the Airain brand, Tom created a step-by-step program where the community could participate in the design and creation of the Type 20 reissue. This CoLAB program is a collaborative initiative inviting people to cast their votes at multiple stages to achieve the final design. In fact, we are seeing this practice more and more often, as evidenced by the recently introduced Seiko “Pogue” and Alpina watches.
The new Airain Type 20 Chronograph model is a direct result of this program and looks very cool! Being an accurate recreation of the original pilot's watch, it has the right size and style to commemorate these important watches. Two versions were introduced with a black dial and a limited version with a brown dial. The four-stage project is already complete, and the prototype is finally ready. The watches can be pre-ordered, with delivery expected by the end of the year.
The Upcoming Lebois Chronograph
Given that the concept of a watchmaking community works brilliantly, as you receive proper feedback from consumers and attract potential clients early on, Tom has cleverly utilized it for the next collection of the Lebois & Co Heritage. Intending to release a vintage-style chronograph under the Lebois & Co brand, the second CoLAB program started a bit earlier this year.
The first stage of the program included selecting an appropriate style from a set of vintage Lebois & Co chronographs, as well as the type of movement (cam-actuated chronograph versus column wheel chronograph). The second stage, currently underway, involves choosing the final case and dial design, with the latter based on the first stage voting results. The next stage will allow people to select various strap options, which is planned to launch sometime in August. After that, prototypes will be made, which are expected to be presented by November this year. Pre-orders are expected in December, as is the start of production. The first watches will likely be delivered in the first quarter of next year.
But what does that give us at the moment? As you can see here, Tom and his team have provided numerous options for inspiration for the new Lebois & Co Heritage Chronograph. Nine different vintage specimens included a whole range of dials to choose from: black, cream, silver, or salmon-colored dials with various scales and typography. More than 1800 people participated in the vote, and the most popular was the salmon-colored dial, followed by the cream dial with multicolored scales, the white sector dial, and the black dial with cream lettering. As for the movement, the column wheel chronograph claimed first place by a wide margin: 592 votes against 33.
As already mentioned, at this stage, work on the Lebois & CO Heritage Chronograph is focused on the final design of the case and dial. Working with freelance watch designer Mathieu Allegret (also responsible for previous Lebois & Co and Airain Type 20 watches) has led to the creation of three case styles, with differences mainly concerning the lugs. Four dial options are offered, each with a choice of different finishes or contrasting sub-dials and/or printing. As a surprise, a pulsometer dial option is also proposed. Voting on all these stages is taking place right now, so if you are interested in participating in the development of the final watch design, if you haven't already, be sure to check out the program on the Lebois & Co website.
At the moment, we have nothing more to share except that Tom regularly shares updates through a series of virtual Coffee Catch-ups, which is quite appropriate in our digital, home-bound age during the global COVID pandemic. What we can say in conclusion is that we welcome such creative projects that involve the community in an attempt to recreate a historically interesting pair of brands. Using people's opinions to create the next collection is not only a smart business move but also makes this hobby (or passion for most) even more engaging! Who wouldn't want to say they helped create an entirely new watch?
More detailed information on the Lebois & Co and Airain websites.