The Lemania Limited Edition

From Nivrel -

Courtesy of Nivrel

Although I have posted about this particular model previously, it is one that still calls to me.

40 mm stainless steel case with display back, this is a subtle stunner.  But what will draw many is embedded in the model 
name - Lemania.  Under the hood beats the Lemania 8810.  This is a wonderfully flat, self-winding movement with a pretty sexy provenance.  Previously known as the Longines L990, it was acquired by Lemania in the darkness before the dawn of the mechanical watch renaissance.  Limited to 30 pieces total, this is something special.

Here are the pertinents, straight from Nivrel -

Movement

Automatic movement caliber Lemania 8810, fine finishing, engraved rotor, double barrel.

Functions

Indication of hours, minutes, sweep second, and date.

Dial

Silver-coloured with sunburst guilloche, Arabic, applied numbers, applied indexes, luminous with Superluminova C3.

Hands

Losange-style, luminous with Superluminova C3.

Case

Case in steel 316L, sapphire crystal, stainless steel case back with sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 5 bar. Diameter: 40 mm, Height: 7.4 mm.

Strap

Handmade leather strap in black or brown, NIVREL signature buckle.

Wrapping up - 15 Days with the Lemania Chronograph

Okay, so I am a day late in wrapping this up, but it is time to sum things up and get ready for the next review!

Courtesy of Manfredi & Lemania

In the process of doing this review I came to realize that this watch and the SWATCH Group in general tend to elicit some very powerful feelings.  From love to hate, Santa Clause to Satan it seems that in the watch world right now there is no shortage of opinion about SWATCH.  

But all of that is for another time - let's talk about the watch.

The watch is a nice size - 43.6 mm wide and 42 mm long.  It is stainless steel with sapphire crystals both front and back.  It is, according to Lemania, rated to a water resistance of 20 bars.  One interesting thing is that it has a screw down crown.  This is something that I have seen more and more of recently.  In the past this was the provenance of dive watches, but more and more watches of all description are now coming with this standard.

The case itself is actually quite nicely constructed.  Smoothly finished and it lends a very nice framing for the watch.  It is a comfortable watch to wear.  Not too big, not too small.

The bezel is black with the tachometer scale printed on it.  It is  a nice pairing with the dial and hands.
It is clear and legible, however owing to the angle of the bezel, it is not the easiest thing to read.  It is one of those features that looks cool on the watch from a "model" standpoint, but it is not ideal in actual use.

The dial is extremely legible.  The use of white indices on both the main dial as well as the sub dial.  One thing that I might have done differently is the hands.  The stainless steel hands on the three different sub dials are not lumed, and because of this they are really not legible when viewed against the black dial.  This is not a problem with the main second hand with its red tip, or with the hour and minute hands as they have generous white lume.  Don't get me wrong, it's a cool looking combination, but it is really not as legible as it could be unless in a fairly well lit area.

The crown and pushers work well.  As I said previously, the crown screws down.  The push pieces work well - no false starts or stops and the second hand always resets correctly.

The movement is, of course, what everyone has been curious about and what some of the most vocal feedback has been directed towards.

Is it dazzlingly glamorous?  No.  Does it work perfectly - yes.  The movement is a 15 jewel, self winding chronograph.  It is utilitarian and it is not beautiful to look at - at least not in the traditional way that we have been trained to view these things.  I cannot and will not disagree with the folks out there who feel that the SWATCH group could have done something more with the finish/construction of this movement.  But then I also have to remember a few important things -

First and foremost is the price.  This watch costs less than $900.
Now I realize that by and large you get what you pay for, but at $890 I think it represents decent value for the money.  I have worn the watch, it has performed perfectly.

Secondly - and this bears remembering, this is not a commercial product in the traditional sense.  My understanding - although nobody at SWATCH Group has returned my requests for comment - is that this was a watch born out of necessity.  Essentially, that in order to protect the Lemania name, they had to produce and sell something with the name on it.  Now, as I said in previous posts, this could be the start of something interesting.  And I disagree with the folks who feel that it should all be the highest (i.e. expensive) level possible.  ETA makes all sorts of ranges of movements, and I think that Lemania could certainly have entry level mechanical chronographs for folks out there with more modest means, and could certainly do the nicer, higher level stuff as well - but I refuse to believe that it has to be all or nothing.

But this is an entire watch, not just a movement - so last but not least the band -

The band is black with white accent sticking.  It is certainly of a good quality.  the underside of the band is perforated with allows for some decent ventilation and will lead to a longer strap life.

The buckle is a normal folding one, no logos or embossed features.  The strap has been very, very comfortable to wear and has held up well.  It has actually become a bit softer as the days have gone by.

The timekeeping has remained steady at +10 seconds per day.

So to try and sum it up, for $890 - I think it is a reasonably priced watch considering what it offers.  Could the movement be higher-end/higher quality - sure.  But then again it could also be much more expensive.  Would it be nice to see a higher quality (and by necessity) more expensive Lemania?  Yes if it would mean that there might also be some room for a product like this, and that maybe given that economies of scale could be brought into play, a nice entry level chronograph could be available at maybe $700 US.  But let's also consider this, SWATCH Group has several expensive, to very expensive brands out there already.  In all honesty they would not be filling a need, they would be creating one and filling it.  But I think that there could be room out there for something niche specific like this.

Truth be told, until someone decides to share more with us, we will not know definitively what the point of producing a very small number of Lemania chronographs was.  Maybe to protect a company name, maybe to test the water for a bigger splash... maybe just to give us something to talk about.

But having worn the watch, I can say that it is solid, looks good (I've received a few offers to sell it already), and it could be the perfect watch out there for someone who wants a mechanical chronograph but does not necessarily have a great deal of disposable income.

15 Days with the Lemania Chronograph - the Case

Okay, now it might seem that the main point of this review would be to focus solely on the movement of the Lemania chronograph.  But come on - there's a whole watch here!

So today I wanted to give some feedback on the case -

The case is stainless steel with a sapphire crystal front and back.  It is a three piece case, although the design of the side of the watch case gives the appearance of additional layers.  I actually appreciate this little touch because it lends to the sporty feel of the watch overall.

The case itself is polished, but the two side "ridges" are matte.  this gives a nice feeling of contrast and depth.    The case itself is "modern sized" at 43.6 mm wide and 42 mm long.  It is very comfortable on the wrist and the lugs are nicely proportioned.  It occupies the wrist without dominating it.

The Tachymetre scale is printed on the outside of the bezel.  I really like this touch as it adds to the somewhat retro feel of the watch.

The timing remains consistent at + 10 seconds per day.  As we are down to the final days, there will be daily updates from here on out.

It's Not (all) About the Movement...

So I've had about five days to get acquainted with the Lemania chronograph, and so far it has been a very pleasant experience.  Of course, when the name on the dial and the case is Lemania, our thoughts go first to the movement.

And this is where I am going to openly disagree with some of the membership of a certain watch forum who commented when this watch was first released.  "The rotor is too plain",  "the movement should be decorated", and on and on.

But I would take pains to remind some of these folks that first and foremost this movement is in a watch that is retailing for about $890 US.  It is not one of their $15,000 (and up) wrist confections.  And there is nothing wrong with that by the way!  But it's a bit like complaining that the GAP doesn't offer a couture collection!

The concept is fairly straight forward, just a movement.  It is utilitarian to be sure, but it is actually not bad to look at.

The power reserve over five days has been quite good, and the timekeeping though clearly not COSC specs, has still been respectable at around + 10 seconds per day so far.

More to come - stay tuned!

Monsieur Chrono

Today saw me actually moving fairly well up the nasty pitch from the floor near Hendricks Park up to the lookout with a wonderful view of the Channel Islands, and through the winding roads of Hope Ranch and back again.  Just shy of 20 miles and in even faster time than previous outings.  

After a hot bath and cold beer, I spent some quality time with a Christmas gift from Wendy's mother -

Courtesy of Velopress  

This is a wonderful history of Eddy Merckx through words and images.  And it was here that I learned that "Monsieur Chrono" was none other than 5 time Tour de France winner Jacques Anquetil.   

Courtesy of Cycling Art Blog

He gained this name for his singular ability in the "race of truth" - the time trial.  And that does seem fitting for my two week review of the Lemania chronograph.

I will be back with an update tomorrow, but with the recent passing of a dear friend, today seemed a good day for time spent outdoors, and some reflection.

Back to watches tomorrow - be well one and all.

15 Days with the Lemania Chronograph

Well, you might have guessed it, I never heard back from the SWATCH Group!  So I had to take matters into my own hands -

15 days with the Lemania Chronograph starts now.

An Open Letter to the SWATCH Group

Dear SWATCH Group,

First and foremost, congratulations on your continued success.  Through the vision, determination and belief of "Papa SWATCH" Mr. Hayek, you have made the world safe again for mechanical watches, and we all owe you a great deal of thanks!

But there is something that you just let loose into the world (albeit somewhat on the sly) that I believe is something of great significance.  Something so great, that its creation (in my mind) at least, is on Parr with when the man said "What if we slice the bread before we sell it?"

Courtesy of Manfredi and Lemania

I am referring to your semi-secret/stealth release of the Lemania Chronograph.  I realize that your intentions might have been simply to use up some old stock, or perhaps some other motivation.  But I can say that I have seen the Lemania chronograph - and IT IS GOOD!

Courtesy of Manfredi and Lemania

The movement is not some haute, tarted-up motor.  Free of ostentation and artifice, this is an engine to wind the mainspring and keep the watch wound.  Basic, simple and dare I say it - painfully obvious.

So here's my idea, and I realize that it might be a bit goofy, but here goes:

This is really based in the idea of the "Ever Lasting Gobstopper" from Willy Wonka.  A candy designed for children who didn't have a lot of pocket money.  It would last forever.  So in that spirit, go beyond a one-off.  Make a nice mechanical chronograph for men (and surely some women) who don't have a lot of pocket money.

Re-launch the Lemania brand as an "anti-brand".  A nice, basic movement in a nice steel case.  A smart looking mechanical watch for people without a ton of disposable income, but still wanting a nice watch, and aren't bothered about the name on the dial and what celebrity wears it.  An honest chronograph.  No bells, no whistles.  Keep the packaging at a minimum - and spare the crazy SWATCH GROUP size advertising campaigns.  A nice solid watch for everyday people.  And you know what, it will still appeal to true watch fans as well.  Unlike a SWATCH, the case could be opened, and the movement could be serviced.  A beautiful mechanical watch with an honest, basic, unassuming movement powering it.  All at a price that could be afforded by normal folks.

Or to quote Frank Costanza - A Festivus for the Rest of Us!

Not terribly sexy, but there's my idea.  And if you need someone to help with the roll-out / running of it, my dance card has space!

In the words of Mr. Wonka - "Hold your breath, make a wish, count to three." 

The Value of "Vault Cleaning"

Okay, so last night I put up a little info. about a very special watch that Manfredi has and today I am back with the rest of the story.

We read these stories all the time about the "between time" in the Swiss Watchmaking Industry.  The time between the Quartz Crisis and the mechanical renaissance.  This was the time where wonderful mechanical movements thought to have been lost or destroyed started to magically reappear.  The faithful Zenith watchmaker who refused to destroy movements and "stored" them, waiting for the right time to bring them out of hiding.  We read these stories and we wish we'd been around to possibly get our hands on the watches that came out of those found treasures.

Well, now thanks to some early "spring cleaning" at the SWATCH group, a very small number of vintage Lemania movements were unearthed.  And the decision was made to make something special from them.  And this is the result -

Courtesy of Manfredi 

The SWATCH group then offered these re-imagined time machines to a handful of retail partners, and owing to their strong relationship, Manfredi Jewels was selected as one of the handful of retail stores to carry the Lemania chronographs.

Courtesy of Manfredi

This is known as REFERENCE LEM-ST-1000 

Courtesy of Manfredi

The case is stainless steel with a display back.  The movement is self-winding with a date function, hours, minutes, seconds, 30 minute and 6 hour counters.

Courtesy of Manfredi

A black leather strap secures the watch.  What I think I like most about this watch is that SWATCH did not try to pop the movement into a modern design case, or an overly ornate one.  They took into account what type of watch this movement would have powered, and the built the watch around that idea.  

Courtesy of Manfredi

And they are keeping it real with the packaging as well - no crazy pear-wood monument to over-packaging!  This is exactly the type of packaging you would have seen - the attention to detail is really quite impressive.

Courtesy of Manfredi

And perhaps best of all is the price - $890 US

If you are interested, act quickly.  There are VERY FEW of these available!

Contact Rob at Manfredi Jewels - (203) 622-1414
rob@manfredijewels.com 

Something Very Special from Manfredi - Preview

I LOVE to see something a bit different, something out of the ordinary - and this is it!

Courtesy of Lemania and Manfredi

43.6 mm wide and 42 mm long.  Movement by... you get three guesses and the first two don't count!

Courtesy of Lemania and Manfredi

This is the Lemania Reference LEM-ST-1000                                 
This is a quick look in.  There will be a more in-depth report tomorrow.