For sale we have a standout mid 1970s LIP Mach 2000 watch, designed by Roger Tallon. It has a black tone anodised aluminium case with the dial a black tone. The dial is surrounded by the chapter ring with the white minute dashes and orange tone hour markers. The date nestles within the cut out at 6 O’clock. It has the baton style hands with the orange hour hand and white minute hand. The red ball crown is offset at 2 O’clock and sits within a cut out in the case. It has the rubber ball design that is a prominent piece of the overall design. The screw case back is signed as Stainless Steel. Inside is has the German made Durowe Duromat calibre INT 7525/2. It is an automatic movement, with quickset date and hacking seconds. It is keeping time to within +15 seconds a day. The watch is presented on its original LIP rubber strap.
Examples as good as this, of the original Mach 2000’s, are very scarce. If you have been looking for one, don’t let this pass you by.
The dial is sleek with the matte black base tone with the simple ‘LIP’ and ‘Automatic’ signing in white. The chapter ring sits within the acrylic crystal and drops down to meet the dial. It has the dash minute/hour markers with the white markers and bright orange hour markers. The design is neatly tied into the hour and minute hands, with the bright orange hour hands and white minute hand in the baton style. The second hand is a smooth design with the circular centre and lack of counterbalance. The date window has the silver tone with black signing, sitting within a cut out of the chapter ring at 6 O’clock. To the base of the dial it is proudly signed ‘Made In France’.
The case proportions make the watch a joy to wear. It has presence with the 31.75mm width and 40.25mm length. With a lug-to-lug measurement of 20mm it allows for a good-sized strap. The watch sits well on the wrist as it has a restrained depth of 10.75mm to the crystal and 6.5mm on without the crystal and case back.
It is formed of aluminium with an anodised coating in a black tone. The case is designed with the cut out for the rubber ball crown with is a bright red tone. The case back is Stainless Steel and screws in place. The inside is signed with the LIP name and is marked with the reference 615460.
Inside is a Durowe calibre INT 7525/2. It has a jewel count of 25, is automatic and has a quickset date function and hacking seconds. It has a frequency of 21,600 BPH and has Duroswing shock protection. The watch was serviced by the previous owner. It is in good condition, keeping time to within -15 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 250 and a beat error of 0.9 m/s.
LIP and Roger Tallon:
A watch is often viewed through the lens of a utilitarian device, focused on function and accuracy. The real joy of the LIP watches designed by Roger Tallon comes from the incorporation of playfulness into watch manufacturing.
In 1972 he set up the agency Design Programmes which operated as brother-in-arms with the LIP watchmakers. In 1972 he was approached by LIP to design a new series of sports watches. He proposed the Mach 2000 collection, a striking array of forward thinking designs, many with asymmetrical cases.
Roger Tallon:
Roger Tallon was a French Industrial designer.
He studied as an engineer between 1944-1950 and was then employed by Caterpillar France and DuPont. In 1953 he joined Technes, the technical and aesthetic studies office, which was founded in 1949 by the father of industrial aesthetics, Jacques Vienot and Jean Parthenay. After a series of rapid promotions, he become the technical and artistic director, finally being sole director after Vienots death in 1959.
In 1957 he enrolled at the School of Applied Arts, in Paris and put in place the first design course in the country.
As a consultant for the US company General Electric, Tallon designed refrigerators and washing machines, setting up the design department of the company. In 1966 the Teleavia P111 portable television was put on the market, against the Boards advice. It subsequently broke the mould of TV design and was a huge commercial success, developing a cult following.
He had a remarkably varied half-century as a design, trying his hand at everything from staircases, chairs, watches, televisions and the French TGV Atlantique bullet train. He also created a concept aircraft cabin for Air France.
Please see the images as these compliment and aid the description provided below.
A further condition report is below.
Dial:
The dial is original and is in good condition. It has some very small marks and scratches to the finish, associated with ageing.
Hands:
The baton style hour and minute hand are original. They are Orange and white painted and are in good condition, as is the second hand.
Glass:
The original acrylic crystal is in good condition with some age related marks to the surface.
Crown:
The crown is original and functions as it should. The rubber coating is very good for the age with the colour remaining bright and no loss of material.
Case:
The case is anodised Aluminium and is in good condition with the black tone even. It has some light losses inside where the case back meets the thread and to the rear where the spring bars have been removed in the past.
Caseback:
The screw back is Stainless Steel and is in good condition. It has the brushed finish with some light marking. The engraving and serial number are clear.
Strap:
The watch is on its original Rubber LIP band which is in good condition.
Movement:
The movement is a Durowe INT 7525/2. It has a jewel count of 25 and is automatic. It has a frequency of 21,600 BPH and has Duroswing shock protection.
The watch was serviced by the previous owner. It is in good condition, keeping time to within -15 seconds a day, with an amplitude of 250 and a beat error of 0.9 m/s.
Case Dimensions:
Case width: 31.75mm
Case width with crown: 34.25mm
Case length: 40.25mm
Case length lug to lug: 40.25mm
Case Depth: 10.9mm
Lug width: 20mm