“ We do not want to be a one product brand which has only a very sharp cut product line. To us, thinking of the long term, it is important to have a wide range of products, covering the different tastes within the watch market. We don’t want to stand on one leg only, we want to provide a collection of watches for the retailer,"Thomas Ickler the Managing Director of Ickler GmbH and the Limes watch brand explains.

‘Made in Germany’
Established since 1924 as a watch case manufacturer in Pforzheim, Germany, Ickler GmbH, now headed by the grandson of Karl, the founder, decided in 1990 to extend its scope and move into private label watch production. The subsequent and logical step was to launch its own brand with the objective being to offer the consumer a high-quality watch of a classic design at a price that made it exceptional value for money. The concept culminated in the creation of the brand Limes (pronounced Leem-ess) and the company’s first showing at the Basel 2000 Fair.
“We consider Limes as a German watch,” Ickler points out. “Of course we use Swiss movements from ETA, which are modified prior to delivery. But as far as the other components are concerned, we produce our own wide range of watchcases which enabled us to start up with a collection of some sixty models. The dials, bracelets, leather straps and crystals are all produced here in Germany.”
Although Limes is defined as a ‘Made in Germany’ brand, the company’s plans are to go far beyond the national boundary – a phase already achieved after two very successful Basel fairs.
The Limes Collection consists basically of robust sports watches - even the ladies' watches are equipped with men's watch movements, thus giving them an impressive appearance. There are several different collections – Principio, Pharo, Opera, Chyros, Integral, 2Hundert, Outback, Nightflight and the latest, the Principio Chronograph 2.

Mechanical marvels
All the watches are fitted with mechan-
ical movements and the company is not prepared to produce quartz watches. As the company explains on its website, ‘In this age of disposable lighters, disposable cameras and disposable quartz watches, the mechanical watch provides lasting permanence...timepieces from the first master craftsmen such as Abraham Louis Breguet and John Harrison are keeping accurate time more than two centuries after their creation... quartz watch movements which are simply discarded when they reach the end of their often short lifespan.
Mechanical watches are also engineering marvels. They are the world’s most energy efficient, widely available ‘machines’. Ponder this: The energy produced by the combustion of one cc of gasoline (1/3000 of a gallon) would move the average American automobile less than 3 car lengths. This same energy would power a modern jewelled mechanical watch non-stop for 562 years!’
The new Principio Chrono
The new stainless steel Principio Chronograph 2 which made its first appearance at this year’s Basel Show, is given a new look with a striking dial and subtle enhancements to the case and bracelet. Bold Arabic numerals make it stand out against the numerous chronographs on the market today and the sub-dials have red numerals, providing a dash of colour and a better readability.
The movement is a modified and decorated automatic ETA Valjoux 7750, adjusted to five positions, with timer functions, tachometer scale, 28,800 vib./hour, 25 jewels, Nivarox hairspring, Glucydur balance, Côtes de Genève decoration and luminous blued stainless steel hands.
The case measures 40 x 13.5 mm. with sapphire crystals front and back and the luminous dials are available in black, blue and silver. The watch is water-resistant to 50 metres, and comes with either a top grain leather strap or a stainless steel bracelet.
"We began planning our watch collections three years ago, although we had been toying with the idea for some time,” Thomas Ickler concludes. “The intensive preparations like conception, the positioning of the new brand, design and production of the first watches only began two years ago and I believe we have made a lot of progress in a short time. But I have to admit, it’s more fun making a complete product than merely being a case manufacturer.”