Leijona watches were first imported to Finland by the wholesaler J.W. Lindroos in Tampere in the early 1900s. At that time, Leijona watches were most likely manufactured by the Swiss Manufacture d´horlogerie Lion SA, which had been using the two-tailed lion logo since 1892. The lion logo first appeared in pocket watches manufactured by Albert Kenel in the 1880s.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Lindroos was the only Finnish watch wholesaler, apart from a few foreign watch agencies operating in Finland. The first advertisement for Leijona watches is known from 1907, and the Leijona watch brand appears in Lindroos' catalogue in 1909.
Perkko's first location was Pikku Roobertinkatu 8, (Photo: Kello ja Kultamiehille 1958 magazine)
Part of Perkko's sales exhibition, Aleksanterinkatu 13 (Photo: Kello ja Kultamiehille 1958 magazine)
Oy Perkko, founded in 1918, bought Lindroos entire wholesale business in 1919, and thus the Leijona brand name was transferred to the current owner of the brand, Oy Perkko, with the purchase. The Leijona watch brand has been a registered trademark according to the Finnish Trade Register since 1943, but registrations in the trademark register of various lion symbols for the Perkko name can be found as early as the early 1920s. Perkko has used the Leijona logo in various variations on its watches, either with or without the Leijona text. Alternatively, the Leijona text alone was used on the dials, either in cursive or in capital letters.
Various registered Lion logos from the trademark list. In the middle is the “Käärme Leijona” used in the earliest pocket watches
Two Leijona pocket watches on the price list of the 1930s Kello ja Kultaliike Otava
Why did Leijona become the most well known watch brand in finland?
From the very beginning, Oy Perkko handled the wholesale business in an exemplary and comprehensive manner throughout Finland. They listened to and implemented customers' wishes quickly and served even the most remote and smallest watchmakers and watch shops with a wide selection. Perkko built good relationships with Swiss factories, so guality goods were always available.
Perkko operated comprehensively throughout Finland, providing good service and a diverse selection right from the start.
They provided the necessary tools, spare parts and many other watches and goods. Mainly relying on the spare parts trade, Perkko built an extensive and loyal reseller network over the years. This was vital for the success of the wholesale business and through it also for the spread and popularity of the Leijona watch brand.
Perkko's watch advertisement in a 1930 almanac.
Perkko also represented many high-quality watch brands, such as Omega and Tissot. The Leijona watch brand was a reasonably priced but durable alternative, a watch brand for the whole nation. Although the Leijona brand mainly sold pocket and wristwatches, wall, table and alarm clocks were also occasionally sold under the Leijona brand.
Perkko's advertisement in the Suomen Kelloseppä magazine, 1939.
The national Lion coat of arms is a symbol of Finland and our independence, so the symbolic name Laijona (Lion) is a strong part of our national identity and has contributed positively to the success of the Leijona watch brand. The appearance of the Leijona watch logo has changed over the years, but the basic idea: a two-tailed lion holding a shield with the letter L has remained.
The Finnish national coat of arms and the Leijona watch logo from 1978.
Mechanical vintage Leijona wristwatches from different decades.
Leijona watches were initially sold as pocket watches, until wristwatches began to become more common in the late 1920s. Even before World War II, Leijona watches had become a durable and affordable watch brand for the entire nation, and were advertised in newspapers as the watch most used by Finns.
Leijona pocket watches from different eras
The brand's first wristwatches were small women's models, men still mainly used pocket watches. But by the end of the 1930s, Leijona already had tank-style wristwatches in its product portfolio that could fit men's wrists as well.
Leijona women's watches from the 1920s and 1930s
Leijona advertisement from Kelloseppä magazine from 1939
Picture of a Leijona Tank watch similar to the one in the advertisement
The war had its own impact on the entire watch industry in the 1940s, and during the war most men still wore pocket watches, but World War II also brought wristwatches to men's wrists.
Sales of Leijona watches continued to grow slowly after World War II in the 1950s. During the reconstruction period, regulations also restricted the import of watches, which led to smuggling and counterfeiting in some places. The cases of Leijona watches of the 1950s were often plated and the dials had detailed decoration. Bullseye dials also became popular in the 1950s.
Bullseye watch dials from the 50s (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
The cases of 1950s watches were classic and the dials were often decorative.
Rare Leijona chronograph from the early 1950s (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
Finally, in the 1960s, trade normalized and Leijona's range of models expanded, with significantly more watches being imported to Finland than before. All watches were still Swiss-made.
Leijona Super Extra -winding watch 60s Cal. AS1130 (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
In the late 1960s, watches were much more minimalist in style than before, and a central seconds hand began to become more common. There were many different variations of dials, but most had a light background color and used numbers as indexes. The cases of the watches were mainly round and the lugs had a minimalist design. Most of the Leijona watches were manually wound.
Almost identical, with center seconds and split seconds.
One of the most common Leijona watch was a light-colored dial with Arabic numerals.
The watches of the 70s were colorful and boldly designed. There are many different Leijona watches from the era, both manual and automatic. According to the catalogs, there were dozens of models available for both women and men, and the range was largely renewed annually. At the end of the 70s, with the advent of quartz watches, the Leijona collection also gradually changed from analog Swiss watches to battery-operated Japanese watches.
Basic watches from the early 70s on top of a 1973 Leijona sales brochure
Bold 70s design
Rare genuine luxury Leijona watch with Tissot 782-1 movement (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
The TV dial reflects the 70s very well.
Colorful dials were fashionable (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
70s Leijona Chronograph (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
Leijona automatic 70s (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
The Leijona of the Era “diving watches” (Photo: Juhana Päivä)
With the quartz crisis, the share of mechanical watches decreased and by the 1980s, Perkko's range was mostly quartz crystal watches. The range expanded and changed annually to meet consumer demand and to compete with mainly Japanese brands such as Citizen, Casio, Seiko and Orient. Leijona watches have persistently maintained their position as a reasonable product known to Finnish consumers to this day. The normal Leijona watch range still offers basic watches for the average consumer: Leijona Watches
Collecting Leijona watches is popular among Finnish watch collectors, and every watch enthusiast usually has at least one vintage Leijona watch in their collection.
In recent years, the owner has begun to raise the profile and Swiss roots of the Leijona watch brand through Leijona Heritage collection, which was created in collaboration with Kari Voutilainen: Leijona Heritage
A collector's insane collection of Leijona chronos and diver's watches (Photo: Juhana Päivä)