The first chapter
of the
Master of Escapements
The story begins with the Central Impulse Chronometer (CIC) : a movement born from a lifetime of experimentation, patience, and relentless pursuit of performance.
True progress in watchmaking begins where compromise ends.
Three centuries of escapement mastery
The Central Impulse Chronometer is not an isolated creation, but the latest chapter in a story that spans more than three centuries.
From Abraham-Louis Breguet to George Daniels and Bernhard Lederer, a single question has guided the greatest watchmakers : how can an escapement let time flow as purely as possible ?
This movement brings their visions together, three centuries of horological history, on your wrist.
Abraham-Louis Breguet
In the early 19th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet imagined the natural escapement : a system designed to reduce friction, improve efficiency, and bring watches closer to true chronometer performance.
Only a handful were ever made, but his idea planted the seed for a new way of thinking about how a movement should breathe.
The story of the Central Impulse Chronometer begins with this vision.
George Daniels
Two centuries after Breguet, George Daniels revived the natural escapement by introducing what he would call the Independent Double Wheel.
By refining its geometry, improving its reliability, and crafting it entirely by hand in his workshop on the Isle of Man, Daniels gave new life to a principle long admired yet rarely mastered.
With his Independent Watch in 1974, Daniels achieved what many believed impossible : a direct impulse escapement based on two independent escape wheels, requiring no lubrication, offering exceptional efficiency, and maintaining remarkable long-term stability.
More than a technical achievement, the Independent Double Wheel was a statement. It demonstrated that, even in an era of industrialized production, a single watchmaker, guided by understanding and conviction, could still redefine the fundamentals of precision.
Bernhard lederer
Bernhard Lederer advances this legacy to a new level.
With the Central Impulse Chronometer, he reinterprets the natural escapement using two independent gear trains and two constant-force mechanisms, seeking not only precision, but stability and harmony over time.
Continuing the lineage of Breguet and Daniels, Bernhard Lederer brings the natural escapement into a new era of performance.
His Central Impulse Chronometer achieves a rare equilibrium between mechanical efficiency and chronometric stability : combining two gear trains, two constant-force mechanisms, and a central impulse system.
The result is a calibre that doesn’t just measure time with precision, it defines it.
A New Impulse for Time
Within its architecture lies a reimagining of the natural escapement : two independent gear trains, two constant force mechanism, and a heartbeat so pure it seems to defy mechanical limits.
Every component, every bridge, every wheel breathes with intention : forming not just a calibre, but a statement.
A declaration that true chronometry is not a concept of the past, but a living art reborn.
Discover the journey and the key milestones that shaped this movement.
The Initial Idea
Every great innovation begins with a question. For Bernhard Lederer, it was simple yet radical : how can the flow of force inside a watch be redesigned to achieve purer, more stable chronometry ? This moment marked the birth of a new escapement architecture, a vision rooted in decades of experience and a desire to challenge long-held assumptions in watchmaking.
Engineering the Vision
Transforming an idea into reality required years of machining, prototyping, and refining. Each wheel, lever, and spring was reconsidered from the ground up. The manufacturing process became an exercise in absolute coherence, shaping components with micron-level accuracy to support an entirely new mechanical language.
Assembly & First Beat
The true test came during assembly. As the movement was brought together, its architecture revealed its potential. The first impulse, the first vibration, the first stable amplitude. These moments confirmed that the system not only worked, but delivered unprecedented efficiency and chronometric stability. A new heartbeat had emerged.
GPHG 2021 — Innovation Prize
The international watchmaking community soon took notice. In 2021, the Central Impulse Chronometer received the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève Innovation Prize, honouring a breakthrough that redefined the escapement’s role in modern horology. It was a turning point: recognition that this movement had opened a new path forward.
2024 — The Triple Certified Observatory
Lederer then pushed his research even further with the unveiling of the Triple Certified Observatory. It delivered unprecedented clarity on stability and real-world precision and became the first watch in the world to earn four official chronometry certifications : the Observatory of Geneva, Glashütte, Besançon, and the COSC.
GPHG 2024 — Chronometry Prize
In 2024, this scientific approach and technical mastery were rewarded once again. The movement received the GPHG Chronometry Prize, celebrating not only its mechanical ingenuity but its ability to deliver exceptional, measurable precision. It confirmed the relevance, reliability, and long-term value of Bernhard Lederer’s work.
2025 — Louis Vuitton Watch Prize Finalist
The journey continues with a new milestone in 2025: being named a finalist for the Louis Vuitton Watch Prize.
This distinction places Lederer among the most innovative creators of contemporary independent watchmaking. It stands as both a recognition of past achievements and a bridge toward the next chapter. A future shaped by innovation, integrity, and the relentless pursuit of chronometric performance.
Our savoir-faire
Nestled in Saint-Blaise, our manufacture is far more than a place of production : it is a space dedicated to research, precision, and transmission. Here, every component is conceived, crafted, decorated, and adjusted in-house, reflecting a rare commitment to absolute independence.
Inside the Movement
Behind each finished watch lies a hidden world of components working in perfect coordination. These pieces tell the story of a movement shaped by intention, innovation, and the pursuit of excellence.
Together, they reveal the very architecture of our calibre : a landscape of precision where every detail has a purpose, driven by an uncompromising pursuit of performance.
Technical specifications
- Movement : LEDERER Central Impulse Chronometer with dual detent escapement, double constant force mechanisms, entirely developed and manufactured in-house
- Certification : COSC
- Frequency : 3 Hz (21,600 vibrations/hour)
- Power reserve : 38 hours
- Number of components : 212
- Number of jewels : 36
The birth of time
Machining
Beneath every exceptional timepiece lies an invisible architecture shaped to micron-level exactness. In our machining atelier, the finest alloys are sculpted into components of uncompromising precision, the very foundation upon which true chronometry is built.
Horlogerie
Here, every component finds its purpose. Our watchmakers bring life to the calibre through a dialogue of balance, force, and motion. A meticulous process where the CIC architecture and its dual gear trains take shape under the hands of dedicated artisans.
Finishing
Finishing is the final signature of our work. From hand-polishing to beveling and frosting, each gesture enhances the beauty of the mechanism and preserves a centuries-old tradition, transforming precision into emotion.
An architecture of hundreds, united by one vision
Each component tells a story of precision assembled to serve a single purpose : perfect timekeeping.
Before it comes alive, the Central Impulse Chronometer exists as a constellation of more than 212 hand-finished components, each shaped, polished, and adjusted to the limits of human tolerance.
What may appear as a collection of parts is, in truth, a meticulously orchestrated ecosystem where every gear, spring, and screw carries the signature of its maker.
This is not mere complexity. It is harmony born from precision, the moment when mechanics transcend engineering to become art.
Our Watches
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna.
Bernhard Lederer
The story of an independent master watchmaker, whose four decades of dedication have continually redefined the meaning of Haute Horlogerie.
Manufacture
Discover where ideas take shape : the birthplace of every LEDERER timepiece, meticulously crafted where tradition and innovation meet.