Out of all the vintage military watches we've come across and offered over the years, the Lemania Royal Navy Chronographs have always been a standout for me personally, purely based on how cool they look aesthetically. In my mind, there is something undeniably bad-ass about a Lemania chronograph designed specifically for military usage. The subtle hint of a flight jacket vibe adds an extra layer of appeal that resonates with me.
Offered here today is an exceptionally rare variant of a Lemania Royal Navy Chronograph – the Ref. 818 ‘Double Pusher’. Typically, these chronographs are seen with a single-pusher configuration, a design choice made to minimize the risk of timing errors or inadvertent halting of the chronograph. In the year 1969, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) implemented a significant alteration to its wristwatch chronograph specifications, transitioning from the single-pusher design to double-pushers. This modification allowed the user the convenience of pausing the timing of an event and subsequently resuming the stopwatch function seamlessly. This stands in contrast to the earlier single-pusher chronographs, which could only reset the stopwatch function after pausing the timing.
Encased within a 40mm asymmetrical case which was deliberately designed to protect the crown and the pushers, the matte black dial on this Ref. 818 features applied tritium lume (as indicated by the circled ‘T’ beneath the ‘Lemania’ logo) on each hour marker and the MoD’s broad arrow marker at the 6 o ‘clock.
It is believed that only a mere total of 500 pieces were ever issued to pilots of the Royal Navy within a brief production window of just two years, spanning from 1975 to 1976. What can I say? This Ref. 818 stands out as exceedingly rare in the realm of vintage military watch collecting, and to be able to offer this extraordinary example on our site today is a real delight.
