L’Epée 1839 has spent nearly two centuries doing something most of modern horology only brushes against: treating time as an object first and a measurement second.
Founded back in 1839 and highly praised for its carriage clocks, the Swiss brand gradually evolved into a specialist in large-scale mechanical forms, often doing things well outside the comfort zone of traditional watchmaking.
Over the years, that approach led to collaborations with MB&F, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton, among others, each project reinforcing the idea that L’Epée works best when mechanics, design, and physical presence share equal weight.
The new La Regatta Métiers d’Art arrives as a refinement of one of the brand’s most elegant concepts. It also marks an important moment following L’Epée’s acquisition by LVMH, a transition that often brings change. Here, the emphasis remains firmly on craft and proportion. The object feels considered, deliberate, and closely aligned with the values that built the brand’s reputation in the first place.
La Regatta is a vertical table clock, standing 518mm tall on a compact square base. Its profile draws inspiration from a racing skiff, and the reference comes through clearly in the long, narrow silhouette. The design feels athletic and composed, more architectural than decorative. Placed in a room, it reads immediately as a sculptural element, yet the time display stays central and legible.
The vertical architecture allows the movement to stretch along the full height of the case. The gear train runs straight through the body, drawing the eye upward. Barrel and escapement anchor opposite ends, creating a quiet symmetry that feels almost instinctive once you notice it. There’s a sense that the movement belongs exactly where it sits, rather than being adapted to the form.
Inside is L’Epée’s in-house, manually wound calibre, running at 18,000 vibrations per hour with an eight-day power reserve. The construction is pretty straightforward, with palladium-plated brass, polished steel, and Incabloc protection. You wind it once, usually at the start of the week, and then forget about it for a while. That rhythm feels appropriate given the size and presence of the clock.
The Métiers d’Art version changes the conversation at the surface. For the enamelled hull, L’Epée worked with David Kakabadze Enamel in Georgia, a workshop that has spent years mastering Grand Feu techniques. Each hull goes through multiple firings, and the outcome depends as much on judgment as process. Colors settle in their own way. Edges soften or sharpen slightly. No two results land in quite the same place, which is very much the point.
Three interpretations define the collection. La Regatta Umi draws from Japanese wave imagery, with flowing enamel patterns that feel energetic and slightly unpredictable. Blue Horizon takes a calmer approach, using deep blue flinqué enamel over a guilloché base. The surface shifts subtly as light moves across it, rewarding slower observation. And finally, Prism explores transparency through plique-à-jour enamel, that creates geometric structures which seem to recall stained glass suspended in space. It’s the most contemporary of the three, and also the most technically demanding.
Each version relies on a distinct enameling technique, from cloisonné with gold wires to paillons with silver leaf. These choices shape the character of each clock in a meaningful way. The enamel does the expressive work, while the surrounding structure stays restrained. Palladium-plated brass, stainless steel, and aluminum form the case, finished with a mix of polishing, satin brushing, and sandblasting. The balance feels deliberate and confident.
La Regatta Métiers d’Art occupies an interesting place in the collecting landscape. It’s niche, even by high-end clock standards. It assumes a certain familiarity with mechanical objects and an appreciation for scale. This is the kind of piece that makes sense once you’ve already spent time around serious horology, once smaller statements start to feel insufficient.
Each clock is produced as a one-of-one, with further customization available through commission. Pricing follows that model. The value here lives in process, proportion, and permanence rather than specification lists.
In the broader arc of L’Epée 1839’s work, La Regatta Métiers d’Art feels like a natural step forward. For collectors drawn to objects with presence and patience baked in, this one lands exactly where it should.
