L’Epée 1839 - The Gekko
In the warm hush of a Mediterranean evening, or clinging silently to the walls of a Southeast Asian temple, the gecko has long been more than a creature—it is a guardian. A symbol of quiet resilience, effortless adaptability, and the profound art of survival. For centuries, across cultures and continents, this unassuming lizard has watched over households, bringing with it the promise of renewal and the quiet confidence of one who knows how to endure.
Now, L'Epée 1839—Switzerland's only manufacture devoted exclusively to the art of high-end clockmaking—translates that ancient symbolism into mechanical life. The result is The Gekko, a sculptural timepiece that does not merely tell time, but inhabits your space like a living presence, clinging to the boundary between nature and horological engineering.
A Creature of Adaptation
Where the Belly Tank Racer channels velocity, The Gekko commands stillness—yet both are unmistakably kinetic sculptures. Designed by Marie Siebenborn, whose passion for métiers d'art and horological heritage informs every curve, The Gekko is a celebration of organic form rendered in metal and motion.
Measuring 290mm in length and weighing a purposeful 1.4kg, the creature is neither oversized toy nor delicate miniature, but a poised mechanical entity that commands attention without demanding it. Finished by hand with techniques including anglage, mirror polishing, satin finishing, and sand-blasting, the surfaces play with light across every curve and facet. Reflections and shadows animate the form much as sunlight glides across living skin, revealing a sculptural character that shifts as you move through the room.
Defying Gravity, Defying Convention
Like its biological muse, The Gekko refuses to be bound by orientation. Thanks to an ingenious attachment system, the piece can be mounted on a wall in 10 different vertical positions—climbing upward, stretching sideways, or poised in descent—each offering a new perspective on the sculpture. Alternatively, it rests with equal elegance in a single horizontal position as a table clock, bringing quiet mechanical life to a desk, console, or bedside.
This adaptability is more than aesthetic. In a stroke of genuine horological ingenuity, the openworked skeleton dial—set upon the creature's back and displaying hours and minutes with classical hands—features a rotating ring that can be repositioned with a dedicated tool. No matter how The Gekko is mounted, the hour markers align to ensure perfect legibility. The timepiece adapts not only to its environment, but to the vision of its owner.
The Anatomy of Time
At the head of the creature, the escapement sits positioned like the gecko's mind, setting the rhythm of time with quiet vigilance. The openworked movement—an in-house calibre beating at 18,000 vibrations per hour with an 8-day power reserve—reveals the intricate inner architecture of the mechanism. Gears remain fully visible through the airy dial structure, whose delicate metal framework evokes the organic texture of the lizard's skin. Light flows freely through the skeletonized architecture, giving the dial both depth and an almost weightless lightness.
Beneath the creature, protected within the sculpture, lies a movement of serious technical credentials: 220 components, 11 jewels, and an Incabloc shock-protection system. The finishing—polished and sand-blasted plates alongside polished gears—meets the exacting standards of a manufacture that has spent over 180 years refining the marriage of form and function.
The Ritual of Renewal
Perhaps the most enchanting interaction with The Gekko is also its most poetic. In nature, the gecko's tail serves as both energy reserve and survival mechanism—capable of detaching in moments of danger before eventually regenerating. L'Epée 1839 has transformed this biological wonder into a horological ritual: the clock is wound by shifting the tail from side to side.
This is not merely a winding mechanism; it is an act of connection. As you move the tail, you store the energy that sets the movement in motion, gradually releasing it over eight days as the sculpture observes your space with unblinking vigilance. Time is set beneath the clock using a dedicated key, but it is the tail that breathes life into the creature. The owner does not simply wind a clock—they revive a guardian.
Technical Specifications
Display
Hours and minutes indicated on a round openworked skeleton dial with two hands.
Main Structure
Dimensions: 290 mm long x 180 mm wide x 66 mm high
Weight: 1.4 kg
Movement
Calibre: L'Épée 1839 in-house
Frequency: 18,000 vibrations per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power Reserve: 8 days
Jewels: 11
Components: 220
Shock Protection: Incabloc
Finishing: Polished and sand-blasted plates, polished gears
Operation
Winding: Manual, by shifting The Gekko's tail from side to side
Time Setting: Via dedicated winding key on the back of the clock
Dial Adjustment: Rotating dial adjustable using a dedicated tool
Positioning
11 possible display positions: 10 vertical orientations when wall-mounted, and 1 horizontal position when placed on a flat surface.
Materials & Finishing
Materials: Stainless steel, brass, lacquered elements
Legs and Tail: Satin-finished and polished
Surface Treatment: Special lacquering technique
Limited Edition: 99 pieces
Available Finishes: Full Gold-Plated, Black & Silver, Champagne
Price: HKD $205,000