IN CONVERSATION WITH HENRIK EKDAHL
interview by NATALIE GAL
photography by DANIEL SARS
On a stormy autumn day we stepped into the Leica Store in Amsterdam, an ode to the brand’s legacy of design. It was there we met Henrik Ekdahl, Managing Director of Ernst Leitz Werkstätten, the manufacturer behind Leica watches.
Only a few names hold as much weight in the history of photography as Leica. Over the decades, it has become synonymous with elegance and craftsmanship. Mr. Ekdahl welcomed us with a curated selection of watches, cameras and photographs carefully arranged on the table. It doesn’t take long before one thing becomes clear: Leica is not just about products. It’s about heritage, vision, and the art of seeing.
THE ORIGINS AND HISTORY OF LEICA
“Ernest Leitz went from Wetzlar, north of Frankfurt, to Neufchâtel in Switzerland – he trained in watchmaking there for a few years,” Ekdahl began. Tracing the origins of the brand, he explained how Leitz later applied this expertise when founding his company, bringing his precision and craftsmanship back to Wetzlar, where he began producing microscopes and other optical instruments.
Ekdahl continued the story: “There was an engineer named Oskar Barnack who started working for Leica. He was passionate about photography but could not manage the large, heavy cameras of the time because of his illness. So he thought, ‘There must be a smarter way to take photos.’ He took the 35mm film used in the movie industry and built a camera around it.”
The times changed, the First World War broke out, and production halted. However, Leitz’s son Ernst Leitz II, eventually took over and further developed the company. He had distinctive plans ready. “In 1925, this gentleman made the bold decision to introduce the first 35mm camera to the public. And just two years ago, one of those early prototypes sold at an auction for 14.2 million euros. That really shows the love for our brand,” Ekdahl said with a knowing smile – a story told many times, yet one that never lost its meaning for him.
In the 1930s, the name Leica was introduced, a clever fusion of the original “Leitz Camera” phrase. It was short, memorable, and it just felt like the perfect fit! So perfect, in fact, that nearly a century later, we all still recognize instantly which brand it stands for.
“That was the beginning,” Ekdahl said, gesturing toward the table in front of him: a display of Leica’s evolution: cutting-edge digital cameras, precision binoculars, state-of-the-art home cinema projectors, and now, elegant timepieces.
LEICA WATCHES: AN ODE TO CRAFTSMANSHIP
While we were on the topic, the conversation naturally turned to the watches. “When the analog era began to fade and the digital took over, many major companies went bankrupt. They simply could not handle the development costs,” Ekdahl recalled, describing a turbulent period, not just for Leica, but for an entire industry. “Leica was in serious trouble but luckily Dr. Andreas Kaufman came along and saved the company. In 2004, he acquired it, and is still deeply involved to this day. Today, we have 2,400 employees, a turnover of 600 million euros, and we remain completely independent – we don’t belong to any group,” he added.
“Dr. Kaufmann loves watches, “ Ekdahl continued,“once the company was stable, he said: ‘Now it’s time for the Leica on the wrist.’”
From there, teams of designers, technicians and master craftsmen came together to create the Leica ZM1 and ZM2 timepieces. As I held one of the watches, I was immediately struck by its delicacy, a piece so refined and detailed it was mesmerizing. Ekdahl explained what we were truly looking at:
“If you look at the movement on the back, it’s beautiful. You have to wind it by hand, which I find really special. You see the entire mechanism, it's alive. With a hand-wound watch, you have to feed it every 60 hours. It’s a living creature on your wrist.”
The design itself is spectacular: technical, petite, elegant, clearly inspired by photography. You can lose yourself in the details: the interplay of materials, the colour palette, and the precision of each and every element. The conversation quickly turned into a debate about which model was our favourite, a nearly impossible choice.
Ekdahl shared why the Leica watches hold such personal meaning for him: “I’ve always loved watches. I got my first one when I was seven and I still have it. I remember seeing the neighbour kids with a watch and thinking ‘I want one too.’” That’s what’s really behind the idea of luxury, as we move through life, trying to find the perfect match for our style. “A watch doesn’t have to be expensive, but you should love it. If you care about it, it says something about your character, your taste and personality.”
He leaned back slightly, smiling again as he added: “Our watches are made in Germany and Switzerland. We aim to go beyond the ‘Made in Germany’ label, we want them to carry the mark: ‘Made by Leica’. In some countries ‘Made in Germany’ is even more desirable than ‘Swiss-made’, so we’re extremely proud of our production.”
LEICA AND THE NETHERLANDS
The spirit of the Netherlands, and of Amsterdam itself, inevitably surrounded us as we talked, seated in the dazzling store, looking out at the Stedelijk Museum with the palace of Rijksmuseum on the horizon. Leica is present in so many countries and cultures, Los Angeles, New York City, London, Tokyo, and the list goes on. Of the 150 shops worldwide, 50 now sell the watches, including the one near the grand Museumplein.
“I have not been in the Netherlands before working for Leica, only on a private basis. I’ve been all over the world and I finally made it to the Netherlands as well,” says Ekdahl as he looks through the shop, “The Netherlands is not very far from Scandinavia, yet also close to Germany. It’s a country I know to be full of watch lovers, not just camera enthusiasts. I can hardly imagine a better point of sale than this beautiful store.”
