Lemania Calibre 15TL - Two-Register Chronograph - Black Dial - Tachymeter - Circa 1938-1942

In 1940, Switzerland sat at the center of a world at war, insulated by geography and neutrality. The demand for precision chronographs in aviation and military operations had never been higher, and Lemania was at the center of that supply. Alfred Lugrin had founded Lemania in the 1880s in the Vallée de Joux, making chronographs his specialty from the beginning. By 1932, Omega and Tissot, forced together by the economic pressure of the Depression, had formed SSIH and purchased Lemania as part of that consolidation. It was under that arrangement that Lemania's greatest engineering achievement took shape. Albert Piguet, Lemania's chief designer through the 1930s and 1940s, developed the Calibre 15TL during this period, derived from a large pocket watch architecture and refined into a wristwatch chronograph of exceptional quality. The 15TL was produced for only a brief window in the late 1930s and early 1940s before Lemania moved on to the successor movements that followed from it. The 15TL served as the direct foundation for the CH27, which Lemania developed for Omega and which became the Omega Calibre 320 and 321. The 321 is the movement Buzz Aldrin wore to the moon. The 15TL is where that lineage begins.

Lemania almost never signed watches under their own name. Their movements went into Omega, Heuer, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Breguet, and it is well established among collectors that the Calibre 15TL movement bridge was left unsigned at the factory in the great majority of examples. The LEMANIA / SWISS / FIFTEEN JEWELS / UNADJUSTED engraving visible on the bridge of this watch was applied after leaving the factory, almost certainly by a watchmaker or importer documenting the movement's identity. Lemania did sign the dials on their own branded watches, as is the case here, and a Lemania-dialed example is a collector's piece for exactly that reason. The caseback is stamped FOND / ACIER INOXYDABLE / 56961 / LEMANIA / SWISS. The dial is matte black, deep and even, with white Arabic numerals at the hour positions and two recessed sub-dials: a 30-minute chronograph register at nine o'clock and a running seconds register at three. The outer chapter ring carries a tachymeter scale calibrated to BASE 1000. The chronograph hand has aged from its original colour to a warm amber gold, a patina that develops only over decades.

The case carries honest age-related wear throughout. The watch is fitted on a dark brown leather strap with cream stitching. The movement is Calibre 15TL, 15 jewels, frosted 14k gold gilt plate. At 33.3 lignes in diameter it fills the case exactly as intended. The column wheel chronograph mechanism, the Breguet overcoil hairspring, and the straight-line lever escapement are all present and correct. The watch runs and the chronograph functions operate corectly.

The watch has been fully serviced. The movement was completely disassembled, pivots cleaned with pegwood, all jewels oiled including the balance jewels, and the movement reassembled and regulated. The case shows age-related wear consistent with its era and has not been polished, presenting in honest original condition throughout. Terms: Please review all photos carefully as they are a part of the listing. This is a vintage timepiece. Accuracy, power reserve, and water resistance are not guaranteed. Vintage watches may require periodic service. Performance can vary with wear, temperature, and position. This watch was not designed or tested for water resistance and care should be taken to keep it away from water, moisture, and humidity during wear.

Because this watch has been fully serviced, I provide a one-year limited warranty on the movement. If the movement develops a functional issue under normal use within one year of purchase, I will repair it at no cost for labor. This warranty does not cover anything related to the case, dial, hands, crystal, pushers, crown, bracelet, strap, or cosmetic condition, and it excludes any issue caused by external factors including but not limited to impact or dropping, case damage of any kind, shock, improper use, tampering or attempted repair by anyone other than me, water or moisture exposure, humidity, condensation, magnetism, corrosion, or loss of parts. Please note that this movement was produced during an era when shock protection did not exist in watchmaking. Broken jewels resulting from impact are not covered under this warranty. Any shipping costs associated with warranty service are the buyer's responsibility unless otherwise agreed in writing. 

All sales final.