A mechanical watch box with an irresistible twist
L’Epee 1839 has been making mechanical devices, from music boxes to table clocks for 186 years, founded by Auguste L’Epee and Pierre-Henri Paur in 1839. Their fine craftsmanship and innovative approach to their table clocks and music boxes have in recent years attracted and collaborated with some of the most revered independent watchmakers today. They are also admired and cherished by collectors and connoisseurs for their ingenuity in creating hand-made table clocks that are so fine that they can be said to be mechanical wonders and works of art (almost sculptural) rolled into one.
At the LVMH Watch Week 2025, L’Epee appeared for the first time at the fair as part of the LVMH family since last year under the watch division. And you can rest assured that what they have created is something special and mechanical, the Watch Box, designed by Winston Chapman.
This watch box is like no other—it is an animated mechanical wonder. At the press of a button, the lid opens, raising the pedestal on which your marvel rests. When the lid is closed, the mechanism automatically rewinds itself kinetically, and you never have to wind it manually. It’s all done with the finesse and flare one would expect from a superbly engineered piece of machinery.
All the components are hand-made and hand-polished to the highest standard, like those found in a fine hand-crafted watch it hosts inside. The mechanism can appear to float in the air from a certain angle as it is housed in a transparent case. There is nothing like it. The whole Watch Box is an engineering feat, as it is inspired by the movement of the mechanical watches it hosts. If you have one masterpiece that is your favourite and you like to admire it all the time or wear it every day then the Watch Box is the perfect device that will please you every time you look at it.
