L’Epée 1839
L'Epée 1839 is a Swiss manufacture of high-end mechanical clocks founded in 1839, producing in-house creative-art, contemporary, and carriage clock pieces for ultra-high-net-worth collectors and horology enthusiasts globally; now operating as a brand within LVMH following its 2025 acquisition.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1839
- HeadquartersDelémont, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What L’Epée 1839 does
L'Epée 1839 is a Swiss manufacture of high-end mechanical clocks, founded in 1839 by Auguste L'Epée and operating today as a brand of SWIZA SA from Delémont in the Swiss Jura. The company is positioned as the only manufacture in Switzerland specializing exclusively in high-end clock production, with all timepieces designed, engineered, and assembled in-house and bearing the protected 'Swiss Made' label. Its catalogue spans four lines: Creative Art (avant-garde kinetic clocks shaped as airplanes, cars, spacecraft, and other objects, including TIME FLIES, Starfleet Machine, Belly Tank Racer, and Destination Moon), Contemporary (tower and duel-themed pieces with complications such as tourbillons and perpetual calendars), Carriage Clocks (classic Anglaise and Ovale families with various striking and moonphase complications), and Accessories (luxury display cases). Core technology centers on in-house movement development, featuring retrograde seconds, power reserve indicators, perpetual calendars, tourbillons, striking mechanisms, and up to 8-day power reserves, with multi-level horizontal movement architectures engineered per creation.
The business model is built on low-volume, high-margin direct hardware sales through a global authorized retailer network and a direct E-Boutique at lepee1839.ch, supplemented by bespoke inquiry-based sales for limited editions. Pricing ranges from several thousand CHF for entry carriage clocks to roughly 30,955 CHF for limited creative-art pieces and $12,000 for the Mechanical Watch Box, with strategic LVMH-linked collaborations targeting the Rs 2-6 crore (~$240K-$720K) auction-grade segment. The customer base is concentrated among luxury watch collectors, horology enthusiasts, and ultra-high-net-worth buyers seeking investment-grade complications. Distribution is supported by an active multi-channel marketing presence (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, TikTok) and press coverage in luxury and watch-industry media. In late 2025, L'Epée 1839 was acquired by LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) as part of the conglomerate's strategic expansion into ultra-exclusive independent-style high-complication watchmaking, and the brand continues to operate under SWIZA SA within the LVMH portfolio.
L’Epée 1839 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- L’Epée 1839
- Legal name
- L'Epée 1839 (A brand of SWIZA SA)
- Website
- https://lepee1839.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1839
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- L'Epée 1839 is a Swiss manufacture of high-end mechanical clocks founded in 1839, producing in-house creative-art, contemporary, and carriage clock pieces for ultra-high-net-worth collectors and horology enthusiasts globally; now operating as a brand within LVMH following its 2025 acquisition.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
L’Epée 1839 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Luxury Mechanical Clocks
- SIC
- Watches, Clocks, Clockwork Operated Devices/Parts (3873)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Clocks & Desk/Travel Timepieces (CRAKADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Complications & Haute Horlogerie (CRAKADAG), Watch Manufacturing (Movements, Cases, Dials, Assembly) (CRAKADAJ)
Keywords
Where L’Epée 1839 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Delémont
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
L’Epée 1839 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Luxury Clock Sales: L'Epée 1839 generates revenue through the sale of high-end mechanical clocks and carriage clocks. Products range from classic carriage clocks to avant-garde artistic creations, with prices typically in the thousands to tens of thousands of Swiss francs. The company also sells accessories such as watch boxes and luxury display cases.
- Limited Edition Artistic Creations: Special edition and limited production pieces in collaboration with artists and partners, sold at premium prices (e.g., TIME FLIES at 30,955 CHF, Mechanical Watch Box at US$12,000).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | TIME FLIES - Limited Edition 8-day clock |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Mechanical Watch Box - Luxury Display Case |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
L’Epée 1839 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
L’Epée 1839 is a Swiss manufacture that designs, engineers, and produces high-end mechanical clocks entirely in-house at its Delémont facility. Its catalog spans Creative Art (avant-garde clocks such as Time Flies, Starfleet Machine, Belly Tank Racer, Albatross, and The Gekko), Contemporary Timepieces (La Tour and Le Duel series with tourbillons and perpetual calendars), Carriage Clocks (Anglaise and Ovale families), and luxury Accessories such as the Mechanical Watch Box. All pieces bear the Swiss Made label and feature complex in-house complications.
Product overview
L'Épée 1839 is Switzerland's leading clock manufacture specializing in high-end mechanical clocks. Founded in 1839, the company produces an extensive collection spanning four main lines: Creative Art (avant-garde novelty clocks shaped like objects such as airplanes, cars, and hot air balloons including Time Flies, Starfleet Machine, Belly Tank Racer, and Destination Moon); Contemporary Timepieces (sophisticated tower clocks like La Tour and Le Duel series); Carriage Clocks (classic and skeletonized versions including Anglaise and Ovale families); and Accessories (luxury watch display cases). All timepieces are designed, engineered, and manufactured entirely in-house at their Delémont, Switzerland facility, featuring complications including retrograde seconds, power reserve indicators, perpetual calendars, tourbillons, and striking mechanisms. The company was acquired by LVMH (Louis Vuitton) in late 2025.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TIME FLIES An 8-day clock in the form of a stylized 1930s airplane, with openworked hours and minutes on large stainless steel disks with black PVD coating. Limited edition sold to ultra-high-net-worth horology collectors via the E-Boutique and authorized retailers.
- Starfleet Machine Avant-garde Creative Art clock with a space-themed design that transforms a double retrograde seconds mechanism into a laser-cannon visual feature, targeted at luxury collectors seeking novelty mechanical art.
- Belly Tank Racer Creative Art table clock shaped like a 1940s-style belly tank racing car, sold as a luxury novelty mechanical piece.
- The Gekko Creative Art table clock featuring a gecko-inspired design, sold to collectors as kinetic mechanical art.
- Albatross Creative Art table clock co-created with MB&F, with sculptural form inspired by the albatross seabird, sold as a luxury collector’s piece.
- La Tour Contemporary tower clock with sophisticated in-house mechanical complications, sold as a premium luxury timepiece for horology enthusiasts.
- La Tour-Billon Contemporary tower clock integrating an in-house tourbillon complication, sold to collectors of high-complication timepieces.
- Le Duel Contemporary duel-themed table clock with in-house mechanical movement, sold as a distinctive luxury timepiece.
- Le Duel Perpétuel Contemporary duel-themed table clock with perpetual calendar complication, sold to collectors of sophisticated Swiss timepieces.
- Le Duel Perpétuel Tourbillon Contemporary duel-themed table clock combining perpetual calendar and tourbillon complications, targeted at ultra-wealthy collectors of high-horology pieces.
- Anglaise Carriage Clock Classic carriage clock family with traditional English-inspired design, available in multiple complication variants (standard, strike, strike & repeat, skeleton, and strike/repeat/moonphase), sold as timeless luxury table clocks.
- Ovale Carriage Clock Oval-shaped carriage clock family offered in numerous complications, including strike, strike & repeat, moonphase, tourbillon carousel, and tourbillon four-quarters variants, sold as premium classical luxury table clocks.
- Mechanical Watch Box Luxury mechanical watch display case with a self-powered kinetic design and internal winding mechanism, priced at US$12,000, designed for displaying and protecting high-end watch collections.
Quantifiable outcome
- Only Swiss clock manufacture specializing in high-end clocks
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use L’Epée 1839
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
L’Epée 1839 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
L’Epée 1839 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Rexhep RexhepicoreIndependent master watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi collaborated with Louis Vuitton on the LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. This collaboration, connected to the L'Epée 1839 acquisition by LVMH, targets the ultra-exclusive independent-style high-complication watch market with auction prices ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 6 crore.
- ECAL (École cantonale d'art de Lausanne)minorPartnership between L'Epée 1839 and ECAL for the TIME FLIES creation, designed by Juliette Lefèvre. The collaboration embodies the adventurer's airplane of childhood dreams in a minimalist, evocative form.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
L’Epée 1839 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Jaeger-LeCoultre: Richemont-owned Swiss haute horlogerie maison producing high-end mechanical clocks (Atmos, Reverso) and watches. Directly comparable to L'Epée 1839 as a luxury Swiss clock and watch manufacture with in-house movement production and a focus on complications.
- MB&F: Independent Swiss avant-garde horology brand producing sculptural, kinetic creative-art timepieces. Direct peer to L'Epée 1839 given their co-creation (Albatross) and parallel positioning in the avant-garde kinetic clock/horological art category.
- Breguet: Swatch Group-owned Swiss luxury watch and clock maker with deep heritage (1775), producing high-complication timepieces including carriage-style clocks. Comparable to L'Epée 1839 in heritage positioning, in-house movement manufacture, and premium mechanical clock offerings.
- Hermès Horlogerie: Luxury maison producing high-end mechanical timepieces including table clocks and watch accessories (e.g., Le Temps Suspendu). Comparable to L'Epée 1839 in luxury clock/accessories offerings and collector positioning.
Emerging players
- L'Atelier du Temps: Swiss bespoke clockmaker specializing in high-end mechanical table clocks and skeletonized pieces. Direct niche competitor to L'Epée 1839 in the high-end Swiss clock category with similar artisanal positioning.
- H. Moser & Cie. Independent Swiss haute horlogerie brand focusing on high-complication mechanical watches with limited production. Comparable to L'Epée 1839 as an independent-style Swiss complication maker with niche positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Vacheron Constantin: Richemont-owned Swiss haute horlogerie manufacturer with deep heritage and high-complication expertise. Comparable to L'Epée 1839 in craftsmanship, heritage, and ultra-premium positioning, though broader in scope (mainly watches).
- Audemars Piguet: Independent Swiss haute horlogerie manufacturer known for high complications and luxury positioning. Comparable to L'Epée 1839 in independent heritage and complication craftsmanship, but focused on wristwatches.
- Cartier Watchmaking: Richemont-owned luxury maison producing high-end mechanical clocks and watches with strong brand prestige. Comparable to L'Epée 1839 as a luxury maison producing clocks with strong retail/collector networks.
- Patek Philippe: Top-tier Swiss haute horlogerie manufacturer with strong complication expertise. Overlaps with L'Epée 1839 on mechanical complexity and luxury positioning, though Patek focuses primarily on watches rather than table clocks.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
L’Epée 1839 social profiles
Digital presenceL’Epée 1839 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
L’Epée 1839 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
L’Epée 1839 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
L’Epée 1839 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about L’Epée 1839
What does L’Epée 1839 do?
L’Epée 1839 is a Swiss manufacture that designs, engineers, and produces high-end mechanical clocks entirely in-house at its Delémont facility. Its catalog spans Creative Art (avant-garde clocks such as Time Flies, Starfleet Machine, Belly Tank Racer, Albatross, and The Gekko), Contemporary Timepieces (La Tour and Le Duel series with tourbillons and perpetual calendars), Carriage Clocks (Anglaise and Ovale families), and luxury Accessories such as the Mechanical Watch Box. All pieces bear the Swiss Made label and feature complex in-house complications.
Is L’Epée 1839 a public or private company?
L’Epée 1839 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was L’Epée 1839 founded?
L’Epée 1839 was founded in 1839. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is L’Epée 1839 based?
L’Epée 1839 is headquartered in Delémont, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does L’Epée 1839 make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Luxury Clock Sales are the primary driver. The others are limited Edition Artistic Creations.
Who are L’Epée 1839's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Jaeger-LeCoultre, MB&F, Breguet and Hermès Horlogerie. Emerging players are L'Atelier du Temps and H. Moser & Cie.. Broad incumbents are Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, Cartier Watchmaking and Patek Philippe.
Does L’Epée 1839 have an API?
No public API is recorded for L’Epée 1839.
What industry is L’Epée 1839 in?
L’Epée 1839's product category is Luxury Mechanical Clocks. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAKADAI, Clocks & Desk/Travel Timepieces, with a secondary code of CRAKADAG, Complications & Haute Horlogerie. Its SIC code is 3873.