
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Lemania Monopusher Series 3 'Anonymous', 1960s
- Maker / attribution
- Lemania (maker)
- Date
- 1960s
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 40 mm
- Stock no.
- Product 1385881305175
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 1385881305175)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Lemania Monopusher Series 3 'Anonymous' (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (stock number Product 1385881305175), this is a wristwatch by Lemania, made in Switzerland, dated 1960s. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 40 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 — S.Song Watches
This Lemania Series 3 Monopusher Chronograph is a classic British military watch. While a majority were issued to the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force, this example comes with an anonymous caseback leading to the conclusion that it was either unissued or had its markings removed. There are a few variations of Lemania chronographs that were issued to the British Military, with the most popular one being this example, the asymmetric cased Series 3. It has a unique stainless steel case that has a huge presence on the wrist, with the asymmetric case constructed in order to protect the watch crown and pusher. Lemania has a rich history of producing pieces for the military and this Series 3 Monopusher is one of the most iconic ones. Beating inside this watch is the famous column wheel Lemania 2220. Lemania was famous for making some of the best chronograph movements out there and this calibre is no exception. At a huge 40mm, the stepped case wears large on the wrist and has a very muscular presence. This was important for the military, where legibility was one of the prerequisites and as a result, this Lemania is very wearable even by today's modern sizing standards.
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
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
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.
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