Much of the heat has gone out of my collecting, there is less ugency and more consideration about what I look for and at.
I am reflecting a little more about certain collecting goals I have held for a while, whether those are still within my comfort zone (sadly, many of them are not), and contemplating a more consolidated collection consisting entirely of watches that occupy a strong niche. You might have seen I have sold a few recently, no doubt more will follow.
This doesn't stop me dabbling with a few lower end examples, but most of the pigeonholes for more costly pieces have their occupants, and in the main, ones that are hard to dislodge.
One of the holes in the collection was a simple, classic, 1940s or 1950s compax or uni-compax Lemania chronograph.
I have an HS9 but I wanted a 2-pusher example that looked exactly like the archetypal 1940s chronograph that you might imagine.
Specifically something powered by the Lemania CH27 (or C12 variant), the father of Omega's fabled 321.
A Lemania press advert from the 1940s that I can no longer find online showed me exactly what I wanted.
It had a pale numeral dial, either a tachy or tele scale (not both, too cluttered), blued leaf hands (lumed) encased in the first iteration of Lemania's waterproof chronograph case from that era, which had a screwed back and conspicuously large round pushers.
I have looked, without finding one for a sensible price, for ages. Years, in fact.
Over that time I saw damaged ones, poorly restored ones, ones with laughably high asking prices and every other variation of what I would consider to be unacceptability.
But none in that goldilocks zone of original features and a sensible price.
I had almost given up on finding one, and had been considering moving the budget into another niche that needed to be filled. Or moving the specification onwards, to something like an Omega 2451, which is effectively exacty the same watch, only with Omega printed on the dial. Understandably, the Omega versions fetch a lot more (though arguably less than they should, given the price of vintage Speedies), and the budget would have needed bolstering.
Then recently, I spotted this one in a "bricks and mortar" auction via the Saleroom site.
It was not a specialist watch sale, just a general one containing a few watch lots, and nothing too special, apart from this. I reasoned that watch collectors and dealers would not probably be at the sale in person.
Unfortunately the auction was whilst I was away, and so I was unable to attend myself, or bid by telephone.
So I had to leave a commission bid. Always a conundrum, you want to bid enough to secure it, but not too much, because almost every auctioneer in the country will take bids off the wall and sell to you at your maximum, regardless of whether the last competing bidder gave up £50 or £500 lower than your maximum.
This, I reasoned, was a good example, so worth putting a decent bid in for.
So I did, and I got the email informing me that I had won, a few days later. At my limit.........
It was definitely a fixer upper, the strap was scruffy, the auction photos showed lots of grubbiness in the recess around the crystal bezel and in other crevices, and one of the pusher caps was missing. The crystal was also quite scratched. But it was also clear that the dial was unmolested and only slightly damaged, and the handset complete and original. These are my two non-negotiables when looking at vintage items of this age.
When it arrived I examined it, screwed the caseback off and inspected the movement, which looked healthy.
I gave it a short wind, and off it went.
Start, stop and reset the chrono. That worked too.
Phew, the relatively high bid was panning out as a lot less of a gamble, given that I couldn't inspect it beforehand.
Off to Duncan it went, full in the knowledge that it would be many weeks before it got to the front of his work list.
However, within a few days he dropped me an email to say that he had given it a once over, to ascertain the scope of requirements. He reported that the rate and amplitude were fine, and that a close inspection had found lubricant in all the places that it should be. He believed a service wasn't actually required. Even better.
I had resolved to make restoration lighter than many would, but perhaps heavier than some.
The missing radium lume on some of the numerals and flaking from the hands had made me resolve to relume both. I know some would not do this, but I wanted uniformity, and I wanted some contrast to be able to enjoy the blued hands against, so James got the job of doing that, and what a job he has made of it, especially, as he pointed out, the gap inside the print of the numerals is about 0.2mm.
Duncan did not manage to find a pusher cap in his pusher graveyard, so a pair of new pushers were fitted, and a couple of weeks back the latest addition to the collection arrived, ready for action.
Here it is, in a few different backgrounds and lighting situations. In normal light the dial has mellowed to a watered whiskey kind of colour.
We haven't done a "Show me your Lemania watches" for a while so this seems like a good opportunity.
Please show me your Lemanias. Not just Lemania-powered, but Lemania made and signed. Over to you gents.
Dave
I didn’t know anything about Lemania until I found this place. I don’t own any and likely never will. But I was browsing them on Chrono 24 this afternoon, wondering which I would buy if I had the funds. The Lemania 5012 SAAF chrono is a favourite. But your new find looks good for many more years to come. Thanks for an enjoyable read.
My word, that's a lovely catch, and I really enjoyed reading the back story and tension building tale of the auction. James has unsurprisingly done a marvellous job and it's great that it didn't need any internals sorting out.
I don't have a Lemania branded timepiece in the collection (several with the movements), but this has added considerably to my lust for one.
Last edited by Mr Curta; 22nd November 2020 at 18:23.
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Thanks for the write up, an enjoyable read, and what an excellent example you have there.
F.T.F.A.
Just one Lemania branded for me Dave with my favourite movement, the lemania 5100.
I believe it was marketed as the Lemania 5100 as well.
Shares the same case with the Legendary Heuer Audi Sport and I believe that Sinn, Dugena and Rodania used the same components to produce their own versions.
It is now on an aftermarket bracelet but I was lucky to get this one with its own bracelet, - hybrid between a flat link and an oyster...
I was lucky to find it almost 6 years ago now while I was stroking in Zürich. I think I overplayed at the time but this one is not going anywhere so be it...
It feels like it is quite rare since I have only seen another 5 examples online, one of them being Chuck’s.
I believe they also produced a pvd version which is even rarer with the tachometer being on the underside of the crystal, much like the Speedmaster Mark II, which is even rarer.
I have not seen one of them but I was close to purchasing a Dugena branded pvd a couple of years ago. Still regret it for not pulling the trigger...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks gents, it is certainly one I shall be sticking with.
I too had one of the "Audi-Sport" cased Lemanias, this one
It had been fitted with a rather mixed handset, including the chrono-second hand usually only found on a SAAF 5012.
Dave
I should also add these two, which are mine
BBC issued Lemania 1873 (next to a BBC issued Lemania stopwatch)
And my Lemania 5100 cased in what one might call a Sinn 142 case (although it was used by many others before it was made exclusive to Sinn)
Thanks to Gary for this photo too, which I have only just re-found buried in my hard drive
Dave
Just the one Lemania left (I have posted this before). Had two others that I sold and regret dearly: a cracking example of a Swedish Tg195 and a round cased, black faced RN FAA.
Last edited by pepere13; 22nd November 2020 at 20:01.
Unfortunately no Lemania watches for me, but I do have a BBC issued 12hr Stopwatch.
Last edited by Mr Tetley; 22nd November 2020 at 21:23.
Just the one for me but one of my favourites and never fails to feel a little special when I wear it.
Nice one Dave - that one turned out really good!
Only one Lemania dialed watch for me:
Gorgeous rare beauties here!
Fabulous all!
Sent from my iPad using TZ-UK mobile app
Great find and a fantastic looking classic chronograph Dave.
I have a soft spot for Lemania. Strangely enough even though I have watches with their movements but not a single one which would be Lemania branded. I'm afraid this is not gonna change due to today's prices.
Therefore let me share my example of the mentioned Omega 2451 from Air Force use back in the fifties.
Sent from my XQ-BQ52 using TZ-UK mobile app
Thanks, this is a bit of an old thread, but that 2451 is delicious - one of the finest (and less appreciated) of the post-war Lemania-driven Omega chronos.
I wish I had found one a while back when they were a little more affordable.
And I just love the way the 2451 black dials seem to gracefully disintegrate.
Wearing mine today.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
