When architecture enters the realm of horology, something quietly radical happens. Lebond Watches — already known for its collaborative approach with renowned architects — now adds a second chapter to its design-led journey. Following the debut watch designed by Álvaro Siza, the brand invites another Portuguese master, Eduardo Souto de Moura, to imagine time through his minimalist lens.
Winner of the 2011 Pritzker Prize, Souto de Moura’s work is characterized by abstract serenity. His buildings suggest restraint without austerity, drawing from both ancient stone and modernist geometry. It’s this same architectural clarity he brings to the Lebond collaboration — where he doesn’t so much design a watch as reimagine the angle from which we experience time.
The 12 is the reference, and we rotate 30 degrees for optimal visibility on the wrist.
Eduardo Souto de Moura
These images give visual shape to Souto de Moura’s conceptual vision — a familiar silhouette, reoriented through an architectural lens. From sketches to rendered prototypes, the evolution of this piece mirrors the early stages of an architectural project: form-finding, refining, and eventually, construction in titanium.
What results is a driver-style watch, where the dial, movement, and crown are all rotated 30 degrees clockwise. This shift is not decorative — it’s functional, altering how the watch is read when worn on the wrist. Yet the effect is metaphysical too: it disrupts familiarity. The markers, stick hands, and single Arabic numeral at 12 feel deliberate and composed, drawing the eye while still guiding it with effortless precision.
To achieve Souto de Moura’s vision of absolute lightness, the watch is constructed from Grade 5 titanium — a material often used in aerospace engineering, chosen here for its strength-to-weight ratio. The case measures 38.5mm in diameter and only 7.6mm thick, with the strap tucked underneath. The result: an object that feels almost immaterial on the wrist, weighing only 46 grams, but with an unmistakable presence.
Inside beats the ETA 2892-A2 — a Swiss-made automatic movement operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a 50-hour power reserve. It’s visible through the caseback, framed by Souto de Moura’s signature and sapphire crystal. Blued screws, Geneva stripes, and circular graining finish the caliber with Swiss polish, elevating its architecture from inner mechanics to wearable art.
Even the finishing touches are thoughtful. A custom deployant clasp in titanium ensures the fit is as refined as the form. The case’s micro-sandblasted texture resists fingerprints, ensuring the matte purity remains unblemished over time. Two editions are offered — a beige-dial “Original Edition” with a navy Top Nappa strap, and the stealthier “Dark Edition” in grey with a black strap — both equally elemental.
This is how an architect interprets the act of wearing time: not through decorative flourishes, but through tension, proportion, and grace. The watch asks you to tilt your perspective — literally — and in doing so, it transforms an everyday glance into an architectural gesture.
I arrived at the office feeling bored. But when I saw the latest pictures of the watch, I became excited.
Eduardo Souto de Moura
Discover more at lebondwatches.com
