Lemania Dual Register Chronograph, 1950s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

The moon landing of 1969 was without question one of the most monumental achievements in human history, and the men who first stepped foot on the Sea of Tranquility have entered the pantheon of heroes. But Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did not fly to the Moon, Icarus-like, on their own power. They were brought there by a rocket: Saturn V, a liquid-fueled, three-stage, super heavy-lift launch vehicle that was the astronauts’ ferry to the stars. In sheer size and scope, the Saturn V—at 363 feet in height, 33 feet wide, and over 6.5 million pounds in mass—was absolutely gargantuan, with most of that mass consisting of RP-1 fuel that generated over 7.6 million pounds of thrust at launch. In the Command Service Module, the Apollo Guidance Computer—masterminded by some of the brightest minds in the world—was one of the most sophisticated computers made at the time, and was used by the astronauts for communication and navigation. And yet Saturn V and the AGS, as complex as they were, were not the only machines instrumental in bringing man to the Moon. Each astronaut had another little machine, strapped to his wrist, that would prove indispensable: the Omega Speedmaster. However small, however humble, the Speedmaster worked when other machines failed. When the electronic timer in Apollo 11 malfunctioned, or when an explosion in the oxygen tank on Apollo 13 forced the astronauts to power down all equipment in the Command Module, the Speedmaster ticked on. Neil Armstrong’s, left in the Lunar Module, marked time as he and Buzz Aldrin took their first historic steps on the lunar surface. In Apollo 13, Jim Lovell and Jack Swigert—without the aid of computers—used theirs to make the precise calculations that enabled them to get home. The Speedmaster itself was powered by the Omega Calibre .321, which first saw life as the Lemania CH27—the same movement that beats inside this watch. Designed by Albert Piguet in the 1940s, the CH27 was itself—like the Saturn V and the AGS—a marvel of technical precision. It was the smallest chronograph movement available at the time, no mean feat considering what went into its construction. In addition to a column wheel, the movement encompassed Incabloc shock protection, an antimagnetic balance spring, and had a power reserve of over 46 hours. Although Lemania loaned out the CH27 to other manufactures, Lemania also retained it for use in its own self-branded chronographs. This particular example dates from the 1950s. With its compact 34mm stainless steel case and elegant dial and hands, it illustrates the versatility of this movement. For sheer historic impact, the CH27—with its connection to the Speedmaster—is not easily surpassed by any other calibre. However, versions retailed by Omega—particularly early “pre-Moon” Speedmasters—command a heavy premium on the vintage watch market. For the collector who wishes to make a space for a CH27 in his watch box, this watch is the perfect opportunity.