A Pièce Unique from French watchmaker Florent Lecomte, this L-Pu02 is the first example from the workshop to feature a hand hammered dial. Originally Lecomte's personal watch and prototype, the watch was entirely refinished and adapted to be a unique piece for a client, with a new, semi-openworked dial and personal touches engraved on the movement. The history and transition that this watch has gone through make this an especially remarkable example. 

Florent Lecomte began his career as a teacher at the Lycee Edgar Faure in Morteau in 2006 – he had previously studied and taught industrial product design, and only discovered watchmaking after his transfer to the Morteau school. After two years of training, he specialised in teaching students about mechanical watches with complications. Some of Lecomte's pupils have included the likes of Remy Cools and Théo Auffret, all of whom have struck out on independent careers of their own. Lecomte's own independent career began in 2020, during lockdown. As of today, he has produced three different watch series in limited numbers, making this prototype-turned-unique-piece a rare chance to obtain an early and excellent example from a flourishing independent maker.
 
This L-Pu02 is the second unique piece to emerge from Lecomte's workshop. Originally a prototype, this was Lecomte's personal watch before he decided to refinish and adapt the parts to fulfil a client's request. The watch is cased in steel and at 42mm in diameter. An entirely new dial was created, marking the first time Lecomte attempted a hand-hammered dial. This took about 8 attempts to get the piece entirely to Lecomte's exacting standards, demonstrating great depth and texture across the dial's expanse.
 
Furthermore, the unique piece visually differs from the Series 1 by being part-openworked, giving more attention to the hand-hammering and a glimpse into the movement below. The main dial at 12 o'clock features a chapter ring to mark the minutes, with the wheels and gearing exposed near the centre, and a second screwed on bridge seen below. The hands are heat blued through a traditional "lampe à alcool" technique, where they are heated above a gas lamp or similar. Meanwhile, at 9 o'clock, we see that the sub-seconds act as a small porthole to the watch's inner workings. Components such as the chapter rings and wheels are brushed, while the bridges are black polished by hand, creating a distinctly smooth contrast against the busy dial texture.
 
On the movement side, Lecomte used a reworked ETA 6497 calibre. All visible engraving and finishing are done entirely by hand. A sandblasted texture is visible throughout, while all edges are sharply bevelled, and the wheels feature circular graining. Perlage can be seen on the baseplate, while each of the screws are black polished. The words "Piece unique - finitions main - Morteau" are engraved below the balance wheel, indicating that the watch was hand finished and created in Morteau. Additionally, a small engraving in Arabic can be seen to the left of the movement, a personalised touch from the client, which roughly translates to "treasure box". When applied to the watch, the intention was to suggest that "the watch is a piece of art, and the art is within it."

The watch comes with a detailed catalogue of photographs and videos that Lecomte took through the process of converting it from his personal watch to a pièce unique. This documentation, which will be shared with the new owner, shows processes such as the hand-hammering of the dial; heat-blueing of the hands; hand-engraving on various components; as well as the disassembly, assembly and testing carried out on the watch. The detail of these records presents a rare opportunity – one unavailable even to most who commission of pièce unique – to follow the workings of such an accomplished watchmaker. 

Closer look

Condition

This Florent Lecomte Pièce Unique is in excellent overall condition. The case and lugs have been well preserved, with only light superficial marks consistent with minimal wear over time. The hand-hammered dial, lampe à alcool blued hands, and movement are free from any signs of imperfections.

The watch comes with a detailed catalogue of photographs and videos that Lecomte took through the process of converting it from his personal watch to a pièce unique. This documentation, which will be shared with the new owner, shows processes such as the hand-hammering of the dial; heat-blueing of the hands; hand-engraving on various components; as well as the disassembly, assembly and testing carried out on the watch. The detail of these records presents a rare opportunity – one unavailable even to most who commission of pièce unique – to follow the workings of such an accomplished watchmaker.

Warranty

The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.