Lemania TG 195 Swedish Military, 1954

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

The Lemania TG 195 to this day remains somewhat a mystery. There are many theories as to where it was issued and what the enigmatic ‘TG 195’ represents, but there is still nothing conclusive. What we know for sure is that the Lemania TG 195s were delivered to the Swedish military in the 1950s, this example in 1954 as denoted by its caseback markings. The three crowns on the caseback, or Tre Kronor in Swedish, was the Swedish equivalent to the British broadarrow, used to denote property of the State. As to which group of the military they were issued to, remains the mystery. Many have said these were issued to the Bomb Squad, but a collector recently pointed this to be problematic as there were not many Bomb Squad soldiers. Furthermore, the mysterious TG 195 on the dial also remains a mystery. Some have said that the TG stands for ‘Tid Givare’, which translates to ‘Giving Time’ with the meaning of the 195 not being determined. Others have said it stands for ‘TygGrupp 195’ or Task Group 195 which was a military storage site. There is still a lot to figure out with this interesting Lemania, but that is exactly what makes collecting vintage so rewarding. The Lemania TG 195 is unique in that it is not a traditional chronograph. While it may look like a mono pusher chronograph, the Cal. 2225 is actually a hacking seconds watch with a special synchronisation function. Pressing the top pusher pops the crown out and resets the seconds hand to zero. Only by pushing the crown back in, the watch starts again. This was very useful in synchronising watches and it especially makes sense in a military context where timing is everything. Aesthetically, the TG 195s are so popular because of its muscular 40mm case and glossy gilt black dial. There is certainly a lot going for this watch, and in my opinion, it is one of the more interesting mil pieces, with the mystery adding to its appeal.