The New Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds Collection

A historical name of the watch industry (founded in 1934), Lebois & Co was revived in 2015 by Tom van Wijlick, a Dutch entrepreneur who’s also responsible for the comeback of Airain and its Type 20 and 21 pilot’s watches. Although still hesitant at the beginning, the brand truly found its stride with the 2022 release of the Heritage Chronograph collection. Nicely designed, with vintage looks and modern specs, the range got great attention and caught us by surprise. Having established the basis for his brand, van Wijlick now presents the next, and clearly natural step in the development of Lebois & Co Meet the new Heritage Small Seconds collection. 

As said, Lebois & Co is far from a new brand. Originally founded in 1934 by Raymond Dodane, a member of the Dodane family, the brand unfortunately suffered, like many others, from the quartz crisis and ceased operations in 1972. Having brought it back to life in 2014/2015, Tom van Wijlick embarked on a mission to give this brand the credit it deserves, not only by creating new models but also by attempting to collect as many vintage watches as possible. The idea is simple: using this old portfolio to create new models with legacy.

With this in mind, following the Heritage Chronograph collection, it’s now time for Lebois & Co to introduce a simpler, dressier option. Drawing inspiration from vintage models created in the 1940s and 1950s, the brand now releases a collection of elegant and compact time-only and small seconds watches. Combined for now as a Founder’s Launch range, it comprises three models, all based on the same architecture with different dial layouts. These Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds all share the same restrained 38.7mm stainless steel case, with a decent thinness of 10.5mm, including the double-domed sapphire crystal. The cases are classic, with elegant curves and combine polished accents with brushed surfaces.

The first of the three models is named “Baton” and is based on a vintage watch acquired directly from a respected collector. It features a sunray-brushed blue dial with a combination of baton markers and Arabic numerals (all applied), for a crisp look. The second version is named “Script” and relies on elegant applied Breguet-style numerals over a matte white dial, without graduations on the minute track. Lastly, the “Numeral” model offers a slightly more utilitarian style, featuring a matte black dial, printed Arabic numerals, and a graduated railroad minute track. All three models have a recessed, snailed small seconds at 6 o’clock and time is indicated by leaf-shaped hands.

Under the see-through caseback is a modern automatic movement, the calibre LC-350. It is based on a Sellita SW360-1 (the small seconds version of the SW300, itself an alternative to the ETA 2892). Running at a 4Hz frequency and boasting a comfortable 56-hour power reserve, this movement is chronometer-certified by the COSC (as you’ve guessed from the word “Chronomètre” on the dial).

For the launch of the Heritage Small Seconds collection, Lebois & Co delivers these watches with a leather strap as well as a Fixoflex stretch bracelet, and a branded sweater. Each model is limited to 100 pieces for this Founder’s Launch range, available for pre-order until 28 November 2025, with deliveries expected in Spring 2026. The Lebois & Co Heritage Small Seconds watches are each priced at EUR 2,200. For more details, please visit www.lebois.com.