New from this small independent with watches inspired by great architects. This latest release from Lebond is the Attraction, a tribute to Antoni Gaudi, inspired by Hotel Gaudi.

Press release information with our commentary in italics.

New: Lebond Attraction – hommage to Antoni Gaudi

The Lebond Attraction – hommage to Antoni Gaudi (both versions) retails at EUR 2400 excluding taxes. The exhibition case is an additional EUR 1,600 excluding taxes.

Commentary

We have been quietly following the work of Asier Mateo of Lebond Watches for a while. We covered the Suoto Moura piece on release. And had the pleasure of meeting Asier after WWG23. As usual, the new Attraction is inspired by an architect. This time, the very famous Antoni Gaudi. This is another of his famous “unbuilt” projects. The skyscraper for Hotel Attraction is intended for New York, but Gaudi abandoned the project, but not after completing the sketches, and defining the concept.

What Asier has done is rather interesting. Taking the inspiration from the drawings and sketches that Gaudi has done for Hotel Attraction, he envisioned a watch which takes its design elements from the top view of the hotel.

The plan view looks like a central disc, which spins and carries the seconds hand hovering over the hour and minute hands.

Two versions of the dial are offered – one in brushed silver and the other with brushed anthracite.

To visualise the plans, Asier commissioned a 42cm wood model representing the drawing and is used to reproduce the exact proportions and geometry of the hotel. The sculpture is the work of a master turner in Barcelona and made from solid sapele wood and varnished by hand. This sculpture becomes an exhibition case for the watch, and is available for sale separately from the watch.

The movement is a standard ETA 2892, visible from the open case back, and on it imprinted with the drawing of the top view of the hotel.

Release details

EBOND’S HOMMAGE TO ANTONI GAUDI

After its series of watches created in collaboration with some of the world’s most renowned architects, including Álvaro Siza and Eduardo Souto de Moura, Lebond is now unveiling a new edition: the Lebond Attraction. This time, the brand departs slightly from its carefully curated editorial line for a meaningful reason: to pay tribute to architect Antoni Gaudí on the centenary of his passing.

While Lebond watches are Swiss made, the brand’s home is Barcelona, a city profoundly shaped by Gaudí’s extraordinary legacy. In 2026, Barcelona will hold the title of UNESCO-UIA World Capital of Architecture, making this tribute even more appropriate.

INSPIRED BY THE HOTEL ATTRACTION

The new Lebond Attraction is inspired by the Hotel Attraction, a stunning unbuilt project that Antoni Gaudí designed at the age of 56, and which remains relatively unknown even among his admirers.

It all began one morning in May 1908, when Gaudí, while supervising the Sagrada Família, was approached by two American businessmen who asked him to design a skyscraper for New York. He accepted, but after falling ill with Maltese fever and managing several demanding projects, he ultimately abandoned the plan.

Gaudí’s sketches revealed a massive hotel with restaurants, museums, and even a theater. The upper section was dedicated to the “Homage Hall to America”, celebrating the achievements of the rapidly developing United States. The star atop the building was intended as a viewing platform.

With a planned height of 360 meters (twice that of the Sagrada Família) the tower would have been the tallest building of its era. Its futuristic, organic silhouette represented a bold, visionary concept far ahead of its time, inspiring many contemporary architects.

FROM A SKYSCRAPER TO A WATCH

The Lebond Attraction features an organically shaped case and lugs, rounded like a pebble in a stream—a nod to Gaudí’s enduring passion for nature and fluid forms. The timepiece is crafted from sandblasted Grade 5 Titanium, Lebond’s signature material, keeping the watch head weight remarkably light at just 33 grams.

Another homage to Gaudí’s architectural philosophy is the play of light on the dial and discs, which represent the top view of the Hotel Attraction. Their brushed texture creates a dynamic presence on the wrist, reflecting light and shadow in subtle shifts from dark to light. The top disc, which displays the seconds, is the watch’s enigma, its understated motion revealing, in the quietest way, that the timepiece is alive.

Gaudí’s designs merge beauty with functionality, a principle echoed in the elegant yet practical onion crown. What appears delicate at first touch feels solid and precise between the fingers, offering just the right grip and resistance to wind and set the watch effortlessly.

The caseback features a sapphire crystal insert printed with a top-view of the Hotel Attraction, beneath which beats the heart of the Lebond Attraction: the renowned ETA 2892-A2 automatic caliber.

FROM A SKYSCRAPER TO A CASE

How would Gaudí’s imagined skyscraper have looked in real life? Envisioning it becomes easier with the hand-crafted wooden exhibition case Lebond created to showcase collectors’ preferred timepiece in the most sophisticated way.

Standing 42 cm tall and weighing 3 kgs, the case reproduces the exact proportions and geometry of the upper section of the Hotel Attraction, emphasizing the catenary curves that are so essential to Gaudí’s work.

Each sculptural piece requires twenty hours of artisanal craftsmanship by a master turner in Barcelona. Made from solid sapele wood, it is finished with a matte varnish for enhanced durability. Every one of the 12 vertical and 24 horizontal lines is shaped with meticulous skill.

ANTONI GAUDI (1852-1926)

Antoni Gaudí was born in 1852 in Reus (Spain) and is one of the most iconic figures in the history of architecture. Celebrated for his visionary creativity, Gaudí masterfully combined organic forms, vibrant colors, and intricate craftsmanship to create a style that remains unique. His work continues to inspire generations of architects and artists around the world.

“Originality consists in returning to the origin.” 

“To do things well, you need: first, love; second, technique”.

“Architecture is the most expressive of all arts.”

Antoni Gaudí

Lebond Attraction – hommage to Antoni Gaudi Specifications

Case: Titanium grade 5, micro-sanded matte finish with anti-fingerprint coating. Individually numbered. Case thickness 10,4mm. Case diameter 38mm. Lug to lug length 46mm. 50m water resistance.

Caliber: ETA 2892-A2, Swiss mechanical movement with automatic winding. 28.800 vibrations per hour / 21 jewels / 50 hours power reserve. 

Dial and discs: Brushed silver (Original Edition) / Brushed anthracite (Dark Edition).

Hands: Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova with blue lume.

Crystal: Front domed sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective coating. Back sapphire crystal with inner anti-reflective, featuring a printed Hotel Attraction plan.

Strap: 18 mm Top Nappa leather strap in light brown (Original Edition) / black (Dark Edition).

Deployant clasp: Titanium grade 5 clasp, micro-sanded matte finish with anti-fingerprint coating. 316L stainless steel blades, micro-sanded matte finish with anti-fingerprint coating.