Leonidas, the 1950s

LEONIDAS Watch, 1950s
Gold-plated steel (20-micron gold plating) with a stainless steel case back. White circular dial with hour markers in the form of lines and Arabic numerals. Dauphine-style hands with luminous filling. Brown leather strap with a gold-plated buckle clasp. Customized Unitas 176 manual-winding movement for the Leonidas brand. It works, but needs servicing. Shows some damage on the back of the case and a few stains on the dial.
Measurements: 30 mm (dial diameter); 46 x 40 mm (case).

Leonidas is one of the most respected and fascinating historic brands in 20th-century Swiss watchmaking. Although it no longer operates as an independent brand, its legacy remains very much alive among collectors, especially due to its direct connection to the origins of Tag Heuer.

Provenance: Family estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló.
An art and heritage collection whose origins lie in the legacy of the Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a key figure in 19th-century Catalan realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935).

Passed down and enriched over successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original estates of both artists, along with new acquisitions made by their descendants. They maintained a special dedication to the preservation and restoration of the family legacy, acquiring works by the painters themselves as they came onto the market and progressively expanding the collection with paintings, sculptures, archaeological pieces, and other objects of artistic and historical interest.
In the descriptions of the watches, the phrase “it works” means that the watch is functioning. Since collector’s watches typically have delicate and complex mechanisms, the buyer is responsible for any general servicing, inspection, battery replacement, adjustment, or repair that may be necessary. We do not guarantee the perfect functioning of any watch. All photographs of our watches are original and were taken by our photographers; in other words, we do not use stock photography, which is why the photographs are considered part of the catalog entry.