Leica announces ZM11 watch inspired by play of light and shadow

Although entirely separate products, mechanical watches and analog cameras undeniably have a spiritual connection – at their core, both are functional, precision instruments with complex mechanical inner workings. Between shutter releases and chronograph push-buttons, focus rings and crowns, indented dials and rotating bezels, the parallels are endless. So it’s no surprise that Leica, a company that cherishes its legacy of analog manual-focus cameras, is expanding its watch collection with the launch of the new ZM 11. Its previous watches, the ZM 1 and ZM 2 from last year, were no gimmicky branding exercise, and the new ZM 11 is an equally serious timepiece.

While last year’s models were overtly camera-inspired in looks and functionality, the ZM 11 has a subtler design that captures the interplay of light and shadows. Its dual-layered dial changes its appearance based on the viewing angle, in an attempt to mimic “the subtle charm of sunlight passing through blinds”. A tasteful blend of diamond-cut facets, brushed and sandblasted finishes, and a minute marker ring uncannily resembling Leica’s lens markings adorn the dial. The lens-like domed sapphire crystal completes the look.