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Lemania 6BB/924 RAF Military Issued Single Pusher Chronograph, Black Dial, 1963 — view 1 of 6
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Lemania 6BB/924 RAF Military Issued Single Pusher Chronograph, Black Dial, 1963

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Lemania (maker)
Date
1963
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 38 mm
Stock no.
vws2401
Credit line
Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws2401)
Catalogue title (original)
Lemania 6BB/924 RAF Military Issued Single Pusher Chronograph - Black Dial - 1963 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws2401), this is a wristwatch by Lemania, made in Switzerland, dated 1963. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 38 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist

A Very Well Preserved Lemania RAF 6BB/924 Military Issued Single Pusher Chronograph with a Beautiful Black Dial, Issued in 1963 Lemania (named for Lake Geneva - Le Lac Leman in French) is probably the most illustrious of the watch manufacturers that have now ceased to exist. Founded in 1883 by self-taught watchmaker Alfred Lugrin, the company has earned a place in the heart of many a vintage watch enthusiast, specialising from the very beginning in making high-quality chronographs, repeaters, and stopwatches. This Lemania chronograph is the quintessence of the pilot watch. Produced during a little more than 20 years, from the 50s to the early 70s, in low quantities, it features a mono-pusher mechanism based on the Lemania 2220 movement. Its black dial and large tritium hands make it very readable and the thick asymmetrical case adds a touch of coolness to the overall aesthetic. Lemania was a supplier to various militaries and official agencies, their watches (or sometimes movements only) were provided to Czechoslovakia, France, Sweden, Rhodesia, and Australia amongst others, and they were one of the various companies complying with the rigorous post-WWII British requirements for issue. With such a rich military bloodline, Lemania's military chronographs were sure to be exceptional pieces. What’s On Offer This Lemania is in superb vintage condition, the dial is simply beautiful, especially given it is 60 years old this year! The black of the dial is rich and provides the perfect backdrop for the bold white accents including the subdials, the Arabic numerals and the hands, not forgetting the bold arrow denoting the watch as property of the MoD. The original lume is still present on the dial and it has aged to a beautiful caramel colour which warms the dial-up nicely. The case is also in nice condition with only the normal signs of wear we would expect on a vintage military tool watch such as this. The original military markings are present on the case back and read: 6BB/924-3306 1489/63. These watches look great on the wrist, they are quite meaty and at 38mm have great proportions - it is running well and keeping good time - a great opportunity to acquire a nice piece of authentic British military history and a fantastic addition to any watch collection

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Chronographs and split-seconds watches

A chronograph is a watch with an additional seconds hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero independently of the timekeeping. Louis Moinet built an early example in 1816 and Nicolas Rieussec a recording 'chronographe' in 1821; Adolphe Nicole's heart-shaped reset cam (patented 1862) made the modern return-to-zero possible. Split-seconds (rattrapante) chronographs add a second hand that can be stopped for intermediate times; flyback chronographs restart instantly.

Chronographs were essential tools for doctors (pulsometer scales), artillery (telemeter), engineers and sport. In wristwatches, Valjoux, Venus, Lemania and later the automatic chronographs of 1969 (Zenith El Primero, the Chronomatic Calibre 11 group and Seiko 6139) are milestones.

What to look for

  • Push-pieces on the case band or a single button in the crown (monopusher).
  • Subsidiary registers for minutes and hours; tachymeter, telemeter or pulsometer scales.
  • Column wheel versus cam control visible in the movement.
  • Calibre markings of specialist makers (Valjoux, Lemania, Venus, Landeron).

Dating clues

  • Pocket chronographs with heart cam reset: after 1862.
  • Wrist chronographs: from c. 1910; two-button designs from the 1930s.
  • Automatic chronographs: from 1969.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

Read next:Flyback chronographChronograph

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