L’Épée 1839 Transforms a Soccer Ball Into an 8-Day Kinetic Clock Sculpture
Unveiled at Geneva Watch Days 2026, the LVMH-owned manufacture renders the classic 1970 Telstar match ball into an 882-component mechanical masterpiece.
Summary
L’Épée 1839 unveils “The Football” kinetic table clock at Geneva Watch Days 2026.
Features a 1:1 scale truncated icosahedron design constructed from 882 individual hand-finished components.
Houses an 8-day in-house mechanical movement across four finishes limited to 99 pieces each.
Unveiled at Geneva Watch Days 2026, “The Football” by L’Épée 1839 marks the Swiss Manufacture’s latest kinetic sculpture. Joining the LVMH group, the brand expands its sports-inspired lineup into the world of soccer. The timepiece draws inspiration from the geometry of the truncated icosahedron – specifically the 1962 Telstar satellite and the 1970 Telstar match ball produced by adidas – featuring an architectural layout made of 12 pentagons and 20 hexagons built to a 1:1 scale of an official soccer ball.
Comprising 882 individual components, the kinetic sculpture is divided into two interlocking modules that house an 8-day in-house mechanical movement. The openworked skeletal framework reveals its internal gear train and escapement at the base, creating a dynamic visual contrast between traditional haute horlogerie and athletic industrial design. Time is read through rotating discs visible through the geometric cutouts, while the movement is wound via a custom key positioned at the top of the sculpture.
L’Épée 1839 offers “The Football” in four distinct surface finishes: full gold-plated, full palladium-plated and two two-tone variants featuring either black or gold numerals. Each finish is strictly limited to 99 pieces, capping total production across the collection at 396 units. Designed for high-end table clock collectors, every individual component undergoes hand-finishing with alternating polished and satin-brushed textures. For more information, head over to L’Épée 1839’s official website.
