Bernhard Lederer
Bernhard Lederer’s life is a tribute to curiosity, independence, and the relentless pursuit of mechanical truth. Born in Germany in 1958, he discovered watchmaking not as a trade, but as a calling, one that would lead him to challenge conventions and explore the very limits of timekeeping perfection.
For over four decades, Bernhard has combined deep technical mastery with a philosophical approach to watchmaking. His creations express a lifelong fascination with the science of time. This timeline offers a window into his world: a world where mechanical innovation, artistic sensitivity, and human passion converge to redefine what true Haute Horlogerie means.
Bernhard Lederer has been a distinguished member of the prestigious Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) since 1985, making him one of its earliest and most respected founding figures in the history of independent watchmaking.
Meet the master
True progress in watchmaking begins where compromise ends.
Where It All Began
In his early twenties, Bernhard Lederer was already captivated by the inner life of mechanisms, fascinated by the way gears, springs, and escapements could breathe life into time itself.
He began his career working in museums across Germany, where he meticulously restored pocket watches and clocks, uncovering the secrets of past masters. Surrounded by tools, books, and the quiet rhythm of ticking timepieces, he learned not only how to repair watches, but how to understand them.
From those first moments at the bench began a lifelong journey guided by patience, curiosity, and a profound respect for the craft.
Bernhard Lederer
Diploma Masterpiece
Diploma Masterpiece : A table clock featuring a gravity escapement and a complete perpetual calendar. A masterpiece with a millenium calender for the coming 3’200 years and a moon phase and position require correction only once every 800 years.
GRAVITY ESCAPEMENT
A new interpretation of Charles Bond’s gravity escapement (Boston), one of the most ingenious concepts in chronometry. Bernhard Lederer’s version performs flawlessly, even after years of continuous use, unlike the original.
TROJKA
A self-supporting sculpture with avant-garde design, featuring a weekly power reserve. Two large wheels display the hours and minutes, while the rest of the mechanism remains hidden within the columns.
500TH ANNIVERSARY OF BRAZIL
After all traditional tower clock manufacturers had refused to make an offer due to the extreme natural conditions, Lederer took up the challenge and developed a tower clock concept that could withstand all adversities such as storms and heat. 27 monumental clocks had been successfully errected.
TIME DIMENSION
A series of watches with Zeiss orbital discs was awarded German Watch of the Year. Praised for its innovative design, it inspired the renowned “Galaxy” collection by BLU, cementing Bernhard Lederer’s reputation for horological creativity.
MAJESTIC TOURBILLON
The first escapement entirely developed and manufactured in-house. A technical rarity : three tourbillons, two flying and one semi-flying, combined in a design where extreme precision is paramount.
50 YEARS OF GAGARIN SPACE TRIP
An unprecedented one-minute tourbillon, moving like a satellite around the dial in 108 minutes, the exact duration the cosmonaut spent in space.
100,000 GAUSS PARAMAGNETIC
A movement with the lowest magnetic interaction rate, maintaining its precision even within a magnetic field of 100,000 Gauss. Developed for the German Navy’s special bomb disposal units.
CENTRAL IMPULSE CHRONOMETER
GPHG 2021 - Innovation Prize
Equipped with a double direct impulse escapement and two constant force mechanisms, it was awarded for its technical breakthrough and masterful reinterpretation of George Daniels’ principles.
TRIPLE CERTIFIED CHRONOMETER
GPHG 2024 - Chronometry Prize
The Triple Certified Observatory Chronometer, certified by three different europeen observatories, Glashütte in Germany, Besançon in France and Geneva in Switzerland, marks a historic return to certified precision and crowns a rare scientific approach in contemporary watchmaking.
LEDERER joins the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH)
Becoming the first member of the AHCI (Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants) to be welcomed into the Foundation, a milestone that bridges independent and institutional Haute Horlogerie.
Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives
LEDERER selected as a semi-finalist among the world’s leading independent watchmakers, recognizing its outstanding contribution to innovation and craftsmanship in contemporary horology.
TIMEPIECES
Each creation reflects the essence of LEDERER : mechanical ingenuity, timeless design,
and a deep respect for traditional watchmaking.
More than instruments of time, our timepieces are expressions of precision, elegance,
and innovation, crafted to be experienced, not just worn.
manufacture
Discover where ideas take shape : the birthplace of every LEDERER timepiece, meticulously crafted where tradition and innovation meet.
chapter 1 : cic
Discover Bernhard Lederer’s first chapter in redefining precision : a masterpiece born from decades of research and dedication.