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ounded in Paris in 1785 under Charles Leroy, himself the son of watchmaker, L. Leroy has written some of the finest chapters in the history of French watchmaking and chronometry, developing a wealth of technical and inventive treasures for over two centuries. This human, artistic and industrial adventure is marked by illustrious names including Marie Antoinette, Proust, Matisse, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Roosevelt, Chopin, Nobel, Bugatti, the aviation pioneers Charles Lindbergh and Santos-Dumont, to mention but a few owners of a watch signed by L.Leroy. Right from the time of its creation, the company was officially appointed as Watchmaker to the King. The quality of Leroy watches was rapidly recognized by the powers in place in the capital and its reputation literally took off in the 19th century, both in France and around the world. As official purveyor to the imperial family as of 1805, Charles Leroy offered high-quality traditional or decimal, “tact” or chiming watches, as well as so-called “officer” clocks, without forgetting other extraordinary timepieces such as the stunning travel “alarm clock” in the shape of a snuffbox in brass and silver commissioned by the Queen Marie-Antoniette as a gift to her presumed lover, Count Axel de Fersen, Marshal of the Kingdom of Sweden and Ambassador. In 1835 L. Leroy was appointed Watchmaker to the Naval Ministry and it was expanding on all front. In 1863 the Maison earned the official title of Watchmakers to the Queen Victoria, a distinction bestowed in person by Her Majesty. The title of Watchmaker to the French Naval Ministry was an honour confirming the recipient’s supreme mastery in the art of time measurement. L. Leroy left an indelible imprint on the history of precision and the excellence of its production is confirmed by the 384 gold medals won in chronometry competitions, a total that remains an absolute record to date. The exceptional heritage of L.Leroy boasts horological pieces of art such as the Leroy 01.