If you're at all interested in vintage chronographs, the name Lemania should ring a bell. We could go on about their history (founded in 1884) or their technical expertise, but to sum it up, Lemania is the shit as far as chronographs go.
Lemania is not as well known for their self-branded watches, but there are a wide variety of fantastic vintage Lemania watches out there ripe for the picking. Some of the most popular vintage Lemanias are the military-issued timepieces (see one, ), and they’re cool as hell. Prior to those, Lemania produced some of the highest quality chronographs of mid 20th century, and we have a great example here.
Black-dialed chronographs from the 1950s are quite rare compared with white and silver dials, so we love this Lemania just for that reason. Perhaps the coolest feature of this watch, though, is something that you can’t see: the movement. All vintage chronograph lovers are very familiar with Omega’s Caliber 321 Speedmaster. It’s universally regarded as one of the best chronograph movements ever made, and collectors go crazy for them. Most collectors know that Lemania was Omega’s supplier for the 321, but not all realized that Lemania used this movement for their own watches too (not to mention sending a bunch off to Patek Philippe for their chronos).
Known in-house as the Caliber Ch27, this Lemania is at the pinnacle of manually-wound chronograph heap. And for a fraction of the price of the 321 Speedmaster Pro, this watch is a no brainer.
