Lip ladies' watch in gold-plated steel

LIP, A FRENCH STORY.

In 1867, Emanuel Lipmann founded a small watchmaking workshop in Besançon. A true precursor, Lip wrote the pages of the history of watchmaking techniques through 151 years of innovations and unique creations, with sophisticated elegance and design, accessible to the greatest number. In 147 years, Lip's watchmaking expertise has been built up in a unique way by making, contrary to common sense, the watch for everyone, the watch of the greatest: De Gaulle, Churchill, Herzog, Tabarly...

The hours of glory. 1867-1973 This is the exemplary story of several generations of men and women who worked, often with boundless passion, in the same company. Together, they helped build a watchmaking monument that has enabled more than ten million million French people to wear a Lip watch.

The dark hours. 1974-1990 Financial and social difficulties reflected Lip's ambitions and pioneering role, but the brand's enduring popularity and French affection for it were all the stronger for it. In the minds of the French people, Lip still represents much more than a dynamic brand or an innovative company producing and selling quality watches. (As proof of this, Lip is one of the most popular brands spontaneously mentioned by the French).

The future of LIP takes shape in Besançon Today, the Lip brand, convinced and aware of its strength, is using its past history to build its present. Based in Besançon, France, Lip is once again making a name for itself by moving back and forth between its past and its present.

For 150 years, the LIP watchmaking company has presented collections that are always in line with its founding principles: tradition and renewal. Through these atypical, timeless models, LIP pays tribute to the men and women and events that have marked its history, bearing witness to its incredible heritage.

Dial + hands installation

The first stage in watchmaking, it is also the most difficult. The dials are inserted into the movements using in-house, custom-made fixtures made with high-precision 3D printers. Each dial is held securely to the movement via dial feet, which are locked by 2 screws installed by our watchmakers. These screws are so small that the slot is invisible to the naked eye.

The hands are fitted by the same watchmaker as the dial, and require meticulous precision. The hands, most of which are faceted and diamond-cut, are installed on the movement's pivots using special rubber-tipped pliers to avoid any marks or deformation. They are then clamped using jibs with pre-set stresses, enabling the right force and depth to be applied. These high-tech tools ensure perfect consistency in this crucial stage of watchmaking. But above all, it's the precision of the LIP watchmakers' hands that guarantees the perfect setting of the hands on your LIP watch.

Nesting

The first step is to attach the engagement ring to the movement. This part forms the link between the movement and the case middle, and acts as a shock absorber in the event of impact. Two flanges, secured with two screws, are needed to hold the movement securely in its circle. The new circle + movement + dial + hands assembly is then retracted into the caseband and secured to it with two more clamps and two screws. This construction with a circle and two sets of two clamps + two screws guarantees optimum absorption of everyday shocks.

The crown-rod is then inserted into the water-resistance tube, then into the movement, after being coated with silicone to guarantee perfect water-resistance. Manufactured in our workshops with the help of a state-of-the-art machine, the crown-stem enables the watch to be set and wound. It is also a third point of inking for the movement on the case middle.

The case back is then installed by means of a worm screw, enabling the watch to be hermetically sealed. During all stages of production, almost obsessive attention is paid to eliminating dust, marks and scratches. Magnifying glasses with 5x magnification are continually used to ensure perfect control of every stage.

Quality control

At LIP, we guarantee systematic control of 100% of our production on :

• Water-resistance: watch heads are pressurized, then under-pressurized, in water-resistance testing machines, according to a specific protocol for each water-resistance level: 3 ATM, 5 ATM, and 20 ATM (diving watches).
• Rate control: All our automatic watches are run through the oscillograph to control rate deviations in 4 different positions. Strict compliance with LIP running standards is a prerequisite for moving on to the next stage.
• Lanterning: In order to check the perfect spacing of the various hands, all LIP watches remain lanterned (turned) for 24 hours on the caseback and 24 hours on the crystal. Automatic models are wound between each series of 24 hours. A perfect uniformity of time display is imposed on all models.
• Visual inspection: the last stage of the inspection process, each watch is inspected under a 5x magnification magnifying lamp before leaving the workshops. No trace or dust - however microscopic - escapes this high-tech inspection tool.