álvaro siza turns leça swimming pool he designed in 1966 into a lebond mechanical watch

Álvaro Siza takes his design cues from Leça pool

At 89 years old, renowned architect Álvaro Siza has unveiled his latest work in the timepiece realm. Dubbed ‘Lebond Siza‘, the diamond- and cubic-shaped mechanical automatic watch follows the visual elements of the architect’s Leça swimming pool, which he designed in 1966 when he was 28 years old. The past comes back, and Siza’s fond memory while scheming the visual patterns of his pool springs to the surface for his Lebond watch.

Similarities come into view. His Leça swimming pool snakes around the rocky hills and the shore by the sea, encased in concrete-like architecture. The edges stream seamlessly to follow a square design when, on one edge, the line slopes down before it ascends again, making the whole swimming pool look like a giant letter ‘M’ in a box. That letter may not be visible in Álvaro Siza’s Lebond watch, but the nuance of the sleek concrete lines in the pool emerges on the frame of the timepiece.

Rather than forming a seamless diamond, the four soft tips eliminate sharp points, trading them for a cornered look. In this way, when the wearer flashes the mechanical automatic watch in a certain position, it embodies a boxy silhouette that may toy with the onlookers’ imagination of the true form of the timepiece.

images courtesy of Lebond Watches | photos © Fernando Guerra | @fernandogguerra

Lebond Siza in titanium grade 5

Álvaro Siza says that space and time move architecture. He stays true to his ethos while playing with his statement’s essence as he adopts the trio in a single Lebond watch. Beyond the watch case shape that was based on the square pool, the watch hands were adapted from the minimal restroom signs that Siza used on numerous projects.

Siza picked a titanium grade 5 for his Lebond watch drawn from its lightness and micro-sanded matte finish. Fluorine rubber makes up the watch straps which also come with a deployant buckle for added durability and comfort. Flipping the watch, the rear exposes the movement of Lebond Siza with the signature ‘A.Siza’ floating on the sapphire crystal and on view.

Álvaro Siza says that a lot of beautiful round watches already exist, and he wants to add his personal touch to his recent creation. He does so as he steers from the usual round design and opts for a diamond- and box-shaped accessory. ‘It is an elegant and sophisticated watch. It will be my Sunday watch,’ he adds. With Lebond Siza’s blend of the architect’s eye for minimalism and elegance and the watch’s sleek style and functionality, Siza’s words ring true.

the diamond-shaped mechanical automatic watch follows the visual elements of the architect’s Leça swimming pool