Up for offering is a quietly remarkable piece of mid-century French watchmaking - a 1960s LIP Souveraine, preserved in what can only be described as time-capsule condition. Elegant, restrained, and deeply evocative, this is the kind of piece that whispers rather than shouts - and does so with perfect enunciation.


The dial is a beautiful, mellow creamy eggshell, soft and consistent, with just the right touch of warmth that only six decades of careful aging can produce.



Silver-applied numerals and delicate lume plots anchor the composition, while the sand-toned lumed hands echo the palette in a way that feels almost painterly.


There’s an intimacy to the patina here - subtle and soulful, not contrived or overdone.

The case measures 32mm excluding the crown, with clean, unmolested lines and original proportions fully intact. On the wrist, it wears with a quiet confidence, evoking a certain postwar continental elegance that feels increasingly rare these days.

The crown is unsigned, as expected, and inside the caseback is etched the LIP logo:



The dustcover reads:
“Ne me touchez pas - portez-moi chez votre horloger”
(“Don’t touch me - take me to your watchmaker”) - a charming little touch and something I've only seen LIP do. In the same vein as the LIP "Service Apres-Vente" watch (please Google it if you've read this far and are slightly intrigued!)



Inside ticks what is most likely the LIP R25, a handsome in-house hand-wound movement, running well and keeping solid time.



Paired with a truly fantastic vintage NOS 16mm bracelet, which deserves a mention of its own: high-polish, with an ornate diamond-cut pattern alternating between smooth and textured finishes - one of the more unique and well-suited pairings I’ve come across. It wears like jewelry without feeling delicate - the whole ensemble has an unmissable presence.

All original. No polishing, no replacement parts. A rare example of French horological refinement in a condition that borders on the exceptional.

Price: $350 USD (reduced) + shipping

Plenty of references if needed.

Thank you Omega Forum for the space