Landeron Caliber Landeron24 (L24)

The Landeron (LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS) caliber Landeron24 (L24 or just 24) is a clone of the ETA 2824-2 workhorse movement.

You may recognize the name Landeron as a maker of vintage chronograph watch movements. The name is the same, but as of 2018, Landeron movements are produced by Depa Swiss Movements Company (DEPA LUXURY DISTRIBUTION GmbH), with a workshop located about an hour away from Le Landeron, Switzerland.

In Depa’s own words:

“Landeron24 Swiss Made movement same as ETA2824 even small quantity for your projects” –source (1/8/19)

And also this:

“It will be very difficult for many small and medium watch brands to produce Swiss Made mechanical watches because they will not be able to access mechanical movements, even if Sellita will not have enough of the parts supplied by ETA for the SW200 and other calibres, also because many they will turn to them by creating delays for up to 18 months and substantial price increases are not ruled out. We from Depa Swiss Movements can cover a very small part of the market but we are studying the possibility of expanding our production, we will supply our products to everyone. Follow us on Facebook” –source

Depa has two lines of watch movements: Premium and Economy. The Premium family of movements are 100% Swiss made with a Swiss made certificate. The Economy series is said to be Swiss made with “Far East made parts”, which is the watch industry’s way of saying the parts are made in China, assembled in Switzerland, and also include a Swiss made certificate.

On the ETA 2824-2 clones page, a longtime community member said this about the Landeron24:

“I would also add the Landeron 24 (nee DEPA Swiss), which like the Valanron VAL-24, uses Sea-Gull 2130 ebauches and then adds 51% Swiss value.” –source

Further confirmation that the parts in fact come from Seagull is still needed. If so, this is what we here at Caliber Corner have coined as a “Switzerland via China” movement.

Depa has also advertised a caliber 24H with a modified hour hand to display 24 hours instead of 12.

UPDATE 4/8/2024:

The information in the caliber listing above remains unedited and exactly as it was posted prior to this update, with exception to changes in how the company name is officially written (in parenthesis).

On March 20, 2024, Caliber Corner received an email from LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS GmbH with regards to important updates to their company name and other clarifications. In the effort to spread movement awareness and transparency, as well as informing the community about updates to current Landeron-produced movements, Caliber Corner is pleased to share the following information with the community:

“Dear CaliberCorner Team,

In accordance with the legal department of LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS GmbH, I am writing today to address inaccurate information being disseminated on your website regarding our brand and products. We are dedicated to rectifying misunderstandings and correcting misinformation to uphold the integrity of our brand.

Regarding the section discussing the Landeron caliber Landeron24, it is important to note that the statement \”is a clone of the workhorse movement ETA 2824-2.\” is incorrect. The accurate wording should be: \”based on ETA2824\”.

Additionally, I would like to highlight the misrepresented company history. DEPA LUXURY DISTRIBUTION GmbH was established on April 23, 2007, and acquired the rights to produce all Landeron movements in 2015. On September 16, 2022, the company name was changed to LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS and DEPA LUXURY DISTRIBUTION GmbH was dissolved as per the Swiss commercial register. This change was made for strategic reasons and, in accordance with the regulations of the Swiss Watch Association, our movements must henceforth be marketed under the name LANDERON, not DEPA or Depa Swiss.

It is imperative to emphasize that our company now operates under the name LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS, effective September 16, 2022.
It is crucial that this change is accurately reflected in all publications and references.

Please ensure that the correct company name LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS is utilized on your website and in all other media and documents pertaining to our company. This adjustment is essential to adequately portray the continuity and progress of our business.

Furthermore, we unequivocally reject the nonsensical assertion that components of our movements originate from the Far East, particularly from Seagull, and can be associated with the terms \”Switzerland via China\” or other seriously offensive allegations.
Such allegations pose significant harm to our company and could tarnish the reputation of our employees and our business.
To safeguard our employees and company reputation, if no other solution is available, we reserve the right to pursue legal action.

Our movements are manufactured in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, undergo rigorous inspection, and are authorized and recognized as Swiss Made.
We completely disassociate ourselves from Far Eastern producers or other entities.

Additionally, we emphasize that we do not differentiate between “premium” and “economy” lines. Our objective is to provide tailored solutions to meet the unique requirements of our clientele.

Lastly, it is important to recognize that every company thrives due to the individuals behind the scenes who contribute to its success through their dedication and commitment. As responsible stewards, it is our obligation to safeguard the interests of our employees and our company. We are prepared to act in the collective interest and pursue actions that serve the greater good, particularly when erroneous information could jeopardize our company. As entrepreneurs, we are fully committed to defending our companies and employees and upholding their integrity.

We trust that this information will assist you in rectifying and revising the article. For future inquiries regarding our company, we recommend direct communication with the company owner rather than relying on unverified forum or blog posts.
As stated in your \”Forum Usage and Posting Rules\”: \”Respect all users, organizations and businesses.\”

We kindly request prompt correction of these inaccuracies on your website and submission of the revised article for our review to mitigate misunderstandings and ensure the accuracy of the provided information.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Please feel free to contact us with any further inquiries.

Best regards,

[NAME REDACTED]
CEO
LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS GmbH”

The original caliber listing, posted for research and review, was published on July 1, 2022, but as the email points out, the company changes were not in effect until September 16, 2022. At the time this post was published, it was common understanding in the watch community that Landeron was operated by Depa – as such, Depa was quoted. What is unclear from the email is whether LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS GmbH is under new ownership or just a new name?

The source of two of the quotes in the original caliber listing were from a Depa Swiss Facebook page which has since been deleted. The current Landeron Swiss Movements Facebook page can be found here, with the email address still listed as: depamovements at hotmail dot ch.

Unfortunately, the company did not reach out with updated images, a factory invitation, current tech sheets or any other useful/relevant information specific to the Landeron24 that would benefit the watch community and help folks learn more about their products.

Even more unfortunate is that their official website does not offer information about the Landeron24 movement. In fact, not one mention of the “Landeron24” or “L24” could be found on their site as of this update. What you will find, however, are motivational quotes from Vincent Van Gogh, Mark Twain and even Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho.

The official landeron-swiss-movements.com website also has a company heritage page, which starts the story in 1883… but does not appear to mention the “DEPA SWISS” years that the current ownership seems desperate to distance itself from.

Update #2, 4/9/2024:

Caliber Corner has stumbled upon what seems to be a different version of the “L24”, possibly called the “L24 Manufacture” – again, no reference of either of these movements on the official LANDERON SWISS MOVEMENTS website.

This video was posted by the brand BWG Bavarian Watch, with the description:

“The rare Landeron L24 manufacture automatic movement as built in the BWG Bavarian Watch Isaria Sport watch with BWG branding.”

The same watch brand posted the video on their Facebook page, resulting in a thread of comments that goes like this:

Commenter:
Seriously?
Il is a Chinese seagull 2130 tuned in Switzerland (to reach 51% of its value.

Brand:
movements started with seagull movements that’s right, but the L24 manufacture is a different movement made in Switzerland. It‘s not the standard L24 and looks way different.

Commenter:
Sorry for the confusion, as Landeron is a subsidiary of Depa, I thought it was the Chinese clone.
BTW, reusing the name Landeron is not very honest…

Brand:
It’s the name of the company that produces the movement. It’s not our decision:)

The thread of comments above makes it clear that:

1) A brand using Landeron movements also suggests that movements were, at least at one point in time, “started with Seagull movements”.

2) A random member of the watch community was also under the impression that the movements were Seagull calibers “tuned in Switzerland”.

The “L24 Manufacture” does have a different appearance from the “standard L24” being discussed on this page (from the very few images available, it looks as if the main difference is aesthetic, with the auto-winding bridge extending over the balance wheel). Caliber Corner will look further into this and if so, will create a separate page for the L24 Manufacture. (Although, if the L24M is so different, it would have been advisable to simply give it a new caliber number and start fresh with building a renewed market perception.)

Video: Produktion La Chaux-De-Fonds (uploaded 9/27/23)

Additional Resources:

• Landeron official site
• ETA Clones