Wakmann Two-Register Chronograph

There is perhaps no more versatile complication than the chronograph. 

From race cars to rocket ships, boats to battlefields, you are likely to find a chronograph being employed to measure a plethora of tasks and times. From the Greek khrónos (“time”) and gráphō (“to write”), a chronograph is a watch that has the ability to record time, generally via the addition of small sub-counters that register minutes and hours. 

Though many storied brands produced notable chronographs during the complications heyday from the 1930s through the 1970s, numerous other firms fell by the wayside during the Quartz Crisis, folding completely and disappearing or being rolled up into conglomerates that pillaged their stores of parts. 

The particular chronograph we have here almost couldn’t be more representative of a chronograph made in the 1970s. Produced by Wakmann, an affiliate brad of Breitling, this sporty piece comes in at 40mm in diameter with a stainless steel case, an acrylic crystal, barrel pushers, and a bidirectional rotating timing bezel. Inside, it features a very handsome and sporty, navy blue dial with applid indices, white subsidiary register rings, an outer white tachymeter scale, and a matching handset with orange chronograph hands.

Powered by a manual winding Valjoux movement, it comes fitted to a black NATO-style fabric strap with matching orgnace and grey stripes and steel hardware.

Versatile, simple, and perfectly funky in its design, this makes for an excellent entry point into not only vintage chronographs, but vintage full-stop!

During the throes of the Second World War, in 1943, Icko Wakmann created a luxury watch distribution company in neutral Portugal. Upon his arrival to the United States in 1946, this enterprising businessman set up shop in New York City, and at a fortuitous time, too: A new import tariff on Swiss goods had recently been enacted in order to help American manufacturing catch up from its conversion to wartime production. Wakmann would import Swiss brands in the form of parts, assemble them himself, and co-brand and sell them under the Wakmann name — thus sidestepping the tariff.

Beginning a partnership with Breitling in 1947, Wakmann commenced distribution of his assembled Swiss watches Stateside and did quite well for himself. Co-branded aviation clocks for the U.S. military and civilian sectors flew off the shelves in the post-War boom; handheld timing instruments for industry and sport filled pages and pages of hand-drawn catalogs; chronographs of all shapes, sizes and complications were made for professionals of all stripes.

The brand’s triple-calendar chronographs of the 1950s and ‘60s — powered by venerated Valjoux hand-wound movements and signed solely with the Wakmann name — are gorgeous examples of midcentury industrial design and remain sought-after today. Their more affordable watches in chromed cases, produced under partnership with Charles Gigandet, provided an entry point into fine Swiss watchmaking for a younger segment of the population. Unique pieces such as the colorful “Big Boy” chronograph — first powered by Valjoux and later by Lemania movements — are proof of Wakmann’s eye for color and design.

In the 1970s, before the coming of the Quartz Crisis, Wakmann produced a wildly complicated regatta timer dubbed the Regate. Powered by the automatic Lemania caliber 1341, it featured a chronograph, regatta timer, and full calendar bezel controlled by an additional crown at 11 o’clock. And though the company was unfortunately consumed by the Quartz Crisis, its legacy lives on through its incredible range of chronographs, and via Breitling — indeed, without Wakmann, it’s doubtful the brand would have succeeded in the U.S. market at all.

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Analog:Shift stands behind the authenticity of our products in perpetuity.

Condition

Since our pieces are vintage or pre-owned, please expect wear & patina from usage and age. Please read each item description and examine all product images.

Warranty

We back each Analog:Shift vintage timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty from the date of purchase.

International Buyers

Please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.

All of our watches include complementary insured shipping within the 50 states.

Most of our products are on hand and will ship directly from our headquarters in New York City. In some cases, watches will be shipped directly from one of our authorized partners.

We generally ship our products via FedEx, fully insured, within 5 business days of purchase. An adult signature is required for receipt of all packages for insurance purposes. Expedited shipping is available at an additional cost. We are also happy to hand deliver your purchase in Manhattan or you may pick it up at our showroom.

Returns must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. A restocking fee may apply. Watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.

We welcome international buyers, please contact us prior to purchase for additional details on shipping and payment options.