Lemania Royal Air Force Series 3, 1965 — view 1 of 6 — View 1 of 6 · Image: S.Song Watches · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

View 1 of 6 · Image: S.Song Watches · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Lemania Royal Air Force Series 3, 1965

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.

Maker / attribution: Lemania (maker)
Date: 1965
Historical period: Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Dimensions: Case 40 mm
Dealer: S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle
Stock no.: Product 761582256215
Credit line: Dealer listing, S.Song Watches (product 761582256215)
Catalogue title (original): Lemania Royal Air Force Series 3 (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 761582256215), this is a wristwatch by Lemania, made in Switzerland, dated 1965. 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. Issued to the Royal Navy, it’s ‘6BB’ caseback marking denotes that specifically, it was issued to the Royal Air Force. 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. Not only were these issued to the RAF but also the Fleet Arm of the Royal Navy. 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 Royal Air Force, 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 timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

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.

Mechanisms mentioned

Chronograph — Complication

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsNot in source
DimensionsRecorded
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

Explore further

Sources & image rights

Record source: S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © S.Song Watches — dealer photographs; permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Lemania Royal Air Force Series 3, 1965." S.Song Watches (dealer), Seattle, Product 761582256215. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/lemania-royal-air-force-series-3-1965-eb4c4f.