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WATCH REVIEW - Lilienthal Berlin L1

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#1 · (Edited)
Name of Reviewer: Mark (AKA andrema)

Watch Reviewed: Lilienthal Berlin L1

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Lilienthal Berlin




Company Contact Information:


Website: https://www.lilienthal-berlin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Lilienthal-Berlin-1333447620020839/
Contact: https://www.lilienthal-berlin.com/custom/index/sCustom/34

About:

CREATED IN BERLIN

AWARD-WINNING DESIGN

The character of our watches is minimalistic yet profound. Many of the details depict the urban attitude of life in Berlin. The subtle features on the dial, the architecture of the case and the colors of the straps reflect the city in which they were designed. Some details draw direct inspiration, like the shape of the crown which mimics the Weltzeituhr, while others focus on specific sentiments of the city, like the seconds hand in ‘Serenity Blue’ inspired by the "blue hour". Our design is even officially excellent, with the L1 winning both the iF Design Award and the Green Product Award!


KNOWING WHERE IT'S FROM

QUALITY "MADE IN GERMANY"

Our watches are produced in Germany. This is very important to us because it means we can guarantee top quality, but also because we have established a close relationship with our suppliers and manufacturers. Components such as our straps, the dials for the L1 and even the packaging are manufactured in Germany. Also, the assembly of the watch and quality control are carried out here. And because we know what happens at every step, we can be 100% sure that every watch meets our high standards - in every way a reliable timepiece.

A PLACE OF INSPIRATION

THE STYLE OF THE CITY

Our watches are like Berlin. Because the city is constantly changing, it has its own perception of time, offering everything the heart could desire. This is where club meets high culture, haute cuisine meets Currywurst, vegan matcha latte meets warm beer in the park. However you like it! Regardless how wildly the different styles mix, in the end, everything fits perfectly together! And its precisely this attitude we want to express. It's OK to live life at your own pace, to lose yourself and rediscover yourself again and again, to take the time if you need it. No matter the time, no matter the place.



ONE STEP AHEAD

WITH A GOOD FEELING

We don't just want our watches to impress through its quality and design, we also want them to give the wearer a clear conscience. This is why we produce them in Germany using, wherever possible, environmentally friendly materials, like our plant-tanned leather straps. We even choose the green alternative when it comes to our packaging and shipping methods. We also support cultural and charitable projects in Berlin, particularly those who take care of children in need. Because we do all this without making any compromises in design, we were presented with the Green Product Award 2017.


THE RIGHT PLACE, THE RIGHT TIME

OUR STORY

After an exciting night in the clubs, we sat in the morning sun, looking out at the former Tempelhof airport runway, feeling almost overwhelmed by this euphoric moment. We were at the right place, at the right time. Anything seemed possible. And it was there that we had the idea to make watches that would embody the urban lifestyle. It should not only look great, but also be produced with quality "Made in Germany". And all that for a fair price. Now, these watches actually exist! A happy ending? No way! Our story is only just beginning!





Stock image:






Watch Specifications:

· Case Material: 316L Stainless Steel
· Case Diameter (mm): 42.5
· Case Length Total (mm): 49.0
· Case Thickness (mm): 7.5
· Crystal Material: Sapphire-hardened Mineral
· Dial Color: White
· Push-Pull Crown
· Crown Diameter (mm): 5.5
· Strap Material: Leather
· Lug Width (mm): 20.0
· Movement: Swiss Ronda 1069 Slimtech Caliber
· Water Resistance: 5 ATM / 50 Meters




Price: $229

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Lilienthal Berlin is an award winning German watch company, whose focus is watches with a minimalistic, modern flair. For this watch review, I will be reviewing one of the brand's award winning L1 models.


Lilienthal Berlin L1 - Silver/White



Case:




My initial impressions of Lilienthal Berlin's watches are that they seem to be very much inspired by Bauhaus movement of the 1930s, which is a good thing in my book. For those who aren't familiar with this style of design, the Bauhaus was a sort of Utopian school of art, craft and architecture, which was open from 1919 to 1933, that has had a major and lasting effect on modern design. The movement was founded by architect Walter Gropius in Weimar, Germany. The designs inspired by this design approach emphasizes a minimal design, with a focus on no extraneous embellishments or decoration. This is often shown in timepieces with minimalist design which makes them elegant enough to be dress watches, yet simple enough for daily wear. The Bauhaus style is apparent in the L1's styling, which features a minimalistic design, with a large dial opening and clean case lines.



http://s864.photobucket.com/user/an...a/Lilinthal Berlin L1/499d7bfe-ffc5-4238-ab22-3ec05f358935_zpssnwe7rkp.jpg.html




The L1's case is constructed of 316L stainless steel, which has a bead blasted, matte finish applied to its entire surface. The finishing on the case is well done, with sharp edges and smooth transitions between surfaces throughout.

In the photo below, you can see a close-up of the finishing as well as the coordinating "Serenity Blue" stitching on the strap.






The watch’s crystal sits slightly above the surface of the bezel and has a blue tinted antireflective coating applied to its underside.





The 316L stainless steel screwed-in caseback has a fairly simple design. The field is brushed in a circular pattern, with the Lilienthal Berlin Logo engraved in it center and around the outside of the caseback the technical information is nicely engraved into the finish.






One of my favorite design features of the L1 is the crown design and how it integrates into the watch's crown guard. The crown's silhouette was designed to be reminiscent of The Weltzeituhr (World Clock) at Alexanderplatz in Berlin, which is a well-known mechanical world clock, with 24 sides that represent the main time zones of the Earth.







Here is a link to some good information on the Weltzeituhr. It is pretty interesting and worth a read:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Clock_(Alexanderplatz)



Dial and Hands:



The dial is matte white with black painted markers, hash marks and company logo painted at the 12 o'clock position on the dial. In line with the Berlin design queues of the watch, the font selected for the dial is appropriately the same used in Berlin typography.


The dial itself has an interesting layout, with the minutes laid out along the outside of the dial and the hour indices along the inside of the dial. Although this may be an awkward means for displaying the time for some, to me it makes it a lot easier to read the time at a glance.




The L1’s hour and minute hand are baton style and matte stainless steel finish similar to the case finish. Each hand has skeletonized design, which accentuates the minimalistic and modern theme of the dial aesthetic.








In the photo below, you get a closer look at the second hand as well as the details of the subdial details.



http://s864.photobucket.com/user/an...a/Lilinthal Berlin L1/515bfd70-c269-4251-893c-829bb4a9e2a8_zps5mky54no.jpg.html


The watch has a small seconds hand located at the 6 o’clock position on the dial. The hand has a nice "Serenity Blue" painted finish, which gives the dial a sporty look.



Strap:




The review watch came equipped with a grey leather strap. The strap is constructed out of a soft leather and has coordinating grey stitching, with blue stitching at the lugs.


The strap does not taper and is 20mm from the watch lugs down to its ends. The lack of taper provides a more casual look for the watch as well as a more modern approach.



The close-up photo below provides a nice look stitching at the lug ends, which helps to tie the strap with the blue second hand.



The strap comes equipped with a quick release springbar. The photo below provides a nice view of the release lever near the top lug of the watch.








Movement:

Ronda Slimtech 1069

The L1 comes equipped with a Ronda Slimtech quartz movement. This is a widely used and dependable movement that is used across the industry.







For more information on the movement, visit this link: https://www.ronda.ch/en/movements/quartz-essentials/ronda-slimtech-1000/caliber/1069/



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Wrist Shots:

For reference purposes, my wrist is 7.25 inches.


The watch measures 42.5mm in diameter and 49.0mm in length. With these dimensions, the watch is the perfect size for MANY and is certainly a popular size in the WIS community. It wears very comfortably on the wrist and will fit nicely on most wrist sizes.

As you can see, when pushed in, the L1's 5.5mm crown slides nicely into the side of the case. This provides the watch with a nice balance when viewed on the wrist.



Overall, I have to say, this watch is outstanding on the wrist. It has great balance, fantastic proportions and its overall appearance in person is excellent.

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Overall impression and final thoughts:

Overall, I feel that the Lilienthal Berlin L1 is a very nice “grab and go” watch, especially considering it is coming from a relatively new brand. I was pleased with the watch’s overall appearance and impressed with the company’s well thought watch design. For just over $200, you are getting a nice, unique looking watch with a reliable movement, which almost disappears when it is on your wrist.

When I say this watch is comfortable to wear, it is an understatement! The flat, caseback and relatively short lug to lug size allow the watch to hug the wrist and sit very close to the wrist. This is sure to be a favorite for those who are looking for a versatile watch for work, home and to wear out on the town.


The only thing that I noticed that gave me a little trouble was the push-pull crown. It was a little snug and I had to get my nail in there to pull it out to set the time. That really is it! At the end of the day, I am pleased with the watch and feel that Lilienthal Berlin did a fine job.

Well, that concludes my review …Thanks for reading and I look forward to your comments ~ Mark