What do the original Omega Speedmaster, the Patek Philippe Reference 3970, and the Tutima Military Chronograph have in common?
Lemania founder Alfred Jules Frederic Lugrin (1858-1920) - (Image by WatchDossier)
All feature movements from Lemania — a marque whose name is legendary among horological aficionados, but is almost completely unknown outside the watch industry. Originally known simply as “A. Lugrin,” the brand was founded by ex-Jaeger-LeCoultre watchmaker Alfred Lugrin in 1884, a man whose early chronographs and other complicated calibres received numerous awards in the early 20th century. When Lugrin’s son-in-law Marius Meyland joined the business around 1930, it became “Lemania” — a play on Lac Léman, the French name for Lake Geneva. The onset of the Great Depression the year previous made itself felt even in Switzerland, however, and by 1932, Lemania joined forces with Omega and Tissot to form the Société Suisse pour l’Industrie Horlogére (SSIH) in a desperate bid to stay alive.
The hand-wound Calibre 321 in all its glory
It worked: Lemania would go on to supply its sister companies with all of its chronographs for four decades, including the ébauches for the legendary Calibre 321 — the movement used in the original Omega Speedmaster between 1957 and 1968. But the story doesn’t end there: In addition to outfitting Omega, Lemania also developed the ébauches for Patek Philippe’s legendary Ref. 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph and Ref. 5004 perpetual calendar with split-seconds chronographs. And if this weren’t enough, its Calibre 5100 central-minutes-counter movement outfitted the Tutima Military Chronograph and numerous models from Sinn, Omega, and others. This is to say nothing, by the way, of the countless chronographs and other watches produced under its own name and for others, including for the British Ministry of Defense.
By the 1970s, the Swiss watch industry was in the throes of the Quartz Crisis, with sales of inexpensive Japanese-made quartz calibers decimating Switzerland’s mechanical watchmaking market. When Lebanese-born businessesman Nicholas Hayek was asked to restructure SSIH and ASUAG (a larger watchmaking conglomerate) in the early 1980s, Lemania left the group and became Nouvelle Lemania in 1981. By 1992, Breguet had purchased Nouvelle Lemania, and in 1999, the Swatch Group — the entity created by Nicholas Hayek — purchased Breguet. Today, Lemania is effectively no more, though its beloved movements continue to garner attention from collectors, while its own-branded watches provide an excellent opportunity for collectors to break into the world of vintage chronographs at more approachable price points.
Excellent Lemania-Based Watches
Heuer Carrera ‘Lemania’ Ref. 510.523 ($5,500)
Heuer Carrera 'Lemania' Ref.510.523 - IN THE SHOP
This startlingly cool 1980s Carrera is a far cry from the round, manually-wound originals of the 1960s — yet its 38mm cushion shape, stark black dial, and wealth of functionality make it a superbly useful tool. Powered by the Lemania Calibre 5100 automatic chronograph movement, it boasts a central-minutes counter, a running seconds display, a 12-hour recorder, a 24-hour indicator, a date window, and a tachymeter scale. What else could one possibly need?
Lemania Chronograph ($5,750)
Lemania Chronograph - IN THE SHOP
This handsome, 34mm yellow gold chronograph left Lemani’s workshops in the 1950s, a time when the manufacture had already merged with Omega and Tissot. Powering its classic triple-register chronograph display is the Calibre CH27 — a manually-wound movement better known to Omega fans as the Calibre 321. Beyond its historically significant movement, this piece also boasts a gorgeous dial with a unique set of beautiful ‘beaded’ gold indices.
Tissot Navigator Yachting Chronograph 'Lemania' ($4,250)
Tissot Navigator Yachting Chronograph 'Lemania' - IN THE SHOP
While Tissot might be not garner the respect of fellow Swatch Group marques Breguet and Blancpain, the Swiss brand’s vintage wares present a compelling value proposition for the discerning collector. This oversized 43mm steel chronograph from the 1970s is powered by Lemania’s automatic Calibre 1341, a predecessor of the famed Calibre 5100. As an added bonus, this piece includes a yachting register alongside its tachymeter scale — plus a cool multi-link bracelet.
Omega French Market Chronograph 'Calibre 321' ($8,500)
Omega French Market Chronograph 'Calibre 321' - IN THE SHOP
There’s more to vintage Omega than the Speedmaster, and this sumptuous yellow-gold chronograph from the 1950s is a case in point: Measuring 35mm in diameter, it features elegant downturned lugs and a patinated silver dial with an outer tachymeter scale and a triple-register chronograph display. Its power plant is of course the Lemania Cal. CH27, the manually-wound movement that Omega would adopt into the Calibre 321 and fit within the Speedmaster.
Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref. 5070P ($194,950)
Patek Philippe Chronograph Ref.5070P - IN THE SHOP
Released at Baselworld in 1998, the Reference 5970 saw Patek Philippe reference its vintage chronograph output from the 1940s and ‘50s in a spectacular new oversized 42mm reference. This platinum execution from the 2000s features a handsome blue sunray dial and a smaller movement based upon the Lemania 2310 ébauche. The extra dial real estate is utilized to spectacular effect with a base-1,000 tachymeter scale and a dual-register chronograph layout.
