Lemania Watches

Lemania Watches

Lemania is one of the most important names in Swiss watchmaking, even if most people have never seen it on a dial.

Why? Because Lemania made the engines behind some of the greatest chronographs in history — from vintage Omega Speedmasters to high-complication

Patek Philippe split-seconds. And when you do find a watch signed “Lemania”? That’s the collector’s shortcut to pure movement pedigree.

A Little History

Lemania was founded in 1884 by Alfred Lugrin, a master movement maker whose calibers quickly earned respect across the Swiss industry. By the 1930s, Lemania had become a

critical supplier of chronograph movements to Omega, Tissot, and eventually Breguet and Patek.

They were a founding member of the SSIH group (which later became part of Swatch Group), and continued to produce manual-wind and automatic chronograph

movements well into the 1970s and beyond.

At its core, Lemania was never really about making watches. It was about building the best movements in the game. But along the way, they did release a small number

of house-branded watches — often military-issued or sold under their own name in niche markets.

What Collectors Love

Whether signed or not, Lemania = movement credibility. The brand is responsible for:

  • Lemania 2310 (CH27) — the legendary column-wheel caliber used in the Omega Cal. 321 (pre-Moonwatch Speedmasters), Patek Philippe 5070, and countless other grail-tier pieces.

  • Lemania 5100 — the workhorse automatic chrono with central minutes hand, used by Sinn, Tutima, Heuer, and NATO air forces.

  • Mono-pusher military chronos — issued to the British MOD and others, often with clean sterile dials and fixed bars.

  • Split-seconds, rattrapante, and calendar modules — built for elite Swiss maisons.

Actual Lemania-signed watches are rare, but when they surface, they’re no-frills, function-first tool watches with serious movement guts.

Why Lemania Deserves a Spot

Because half your favorite watches probably owe something to Lemania.

Whether it's the movement in a vintage Speedy, the chrono engine inside a Breguet Type XX, or a rattrapante module in a Patek, Lemania's fingerprints are everywhere.

And owning a watch signed Lemania? That’s like owning a first edition from the factory floor.

These aren’t about case finishing or dial decoration. They’re about pure horological muscle, and they wear that purpose proudly.

What’s Out There Now

Lemania-branded watches you might find:

  • Military chronographs — issued to the British, Swedish, or South African armed forces

  • Mono-pusher chronos — often sterile or lightly signed dials, built like tanks

  • Dress chronographs — 1940s–60s pieces with Landeron or Lemania hand-wound calibers

  • Pocket watches — often split-seconds or stopwatch models for sporting or aviation use

Expect 35–38mm cases for vintage wristwatches, usually steel with no-frills cases and fixed lugs for military-issued pieces. Movement-wise, these are watchmaker’s watches

— built to be serviced, tuned, and run forever.

Fed’s Take

Lemania is a movement nerd’s dream. No fluff. No pretense. Just rock-solid chronograph calibers and a long legacy of doing the hard work behind the scenes.

Every Lemania I’ve handled — especially the military mono-pushers — feels honest. They weren’t built for flex. They were built for precision. And if you’ve ever lusted after

a Cal. 321 Speedy or a Patek chrono? You’ve already been chasing Lemania.

If you want something authentic, historically meaningful, and mechanically rich, this is one of the best-kept secrets in vintage.

Check Out Our Lemania Inventory

Delray Watch is always on the lookout for unique Lemania watches — especially military chronographs, manual-wind Cal. 2310 variants, and 5100-powered tool watches.

If you have a Lemania watch you’re ready to sell or trade – reach out. We’re always buying.

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