1950's Vintage Mundial Chronograph Watch Lemania 1270 Cal (320 / 321) CH27
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1950s Vintage Mundial Chronograph – Lemania 1270 (CH27 Family)
History & Movement
This Mundial chronograph dates to the early 1950s and is powered by the Lemania Caliber 1270, part of the CH27 movement family that later evolved into the Omega 320 and 321 series. The 1270 is a manual-wind, cam-switched chronograph with 17 jewels and an 18,000 vph beat rate, produced during a short window beginning around 1950.
Lemania supplied this movement to several Swiss manufacturers, including private-label brands such as Mundial, Herodia, and Chronographe Suisse. These early post-war chronographs are appreciated for their thin cases, elegant dial designs, and the reliability of Lemania’s engineering. Surviving examples in clean working condition have become increasingly collectible due to the movement’s direct lineage to some of the most iconic mid-century chronographs.
Description
This is a beautiful example of a 1950s Mundial chronograph powered by the Lemania 1270. The watch is running great and keeping time. The chronograph functions properly, though the start pusher requires a firmer press to engage — a common characteristic of early Lemania cam-switched movements.
The dial retains its vintage charm with lots of patina and coloration, with some print fading. The size of the watch presents well on the wrist. Please review all photos carefully, as they are part of the description. A strong addition for collectors of early Lemania-powered chronographs.
Specifications (Overview)
• Movement: Lemania Cal. 1270 (CH27 family), manual wind
• Era: Early 1950s
• Jewels: 17
• Beat Rate: 18,000 vph
• Chronograph: 60-second + 30-minute recorder
• Function: Timekeeping + chronograph
• Condition: Running and keeping time; start pusher requires firmer press
See full detailed specifications in the table below.
Condition
Vintage pre-owned condition consistent with age. Light wear may be present. The watch is running well and keeping time. Chronograph start pusher requires a firmer press to engage. Please review all photos carefully.
Notes
A rare early-1950s Lemania-powered chronograph with direct lineage to the Omega 320/321 family. Increasingly difficult to find in clean working condition.
| SPECIFICATION | |
| Brand: Mundial - Model: Chronograph - Circa: 1950’s | |
| Case | Steel Case and Case Back. |
| Case Size | 37,00 mm without the crown and 45,00 mm Lug to Lug |
| Case Back | Stainless steel cover signed, with Screw Back, Snap on. Marked Fond Acier - Inoxy Dable |
| Crown | UnSigned |
| Crystal | Acrylic Sapphire - Minor marks & Scratches. |
| Bezel: | None. |
| Dial: | Numbers & indices dial, Swiss-made Mark. Shows lots of patina, marks, and coloration. Some Text has faded. Please see the picture for more details. |
| Complication | Chronograph, Tachymeter |
| Movement | Manual-winding - Lemania 1270 |
| Movement Notes | Just inspected and in working shape. the start pusher requires a firmer press to engage. Please see pictures and as some old movements don't have very clear markings. Movement is running. Keeps great time. |
| Strap | New Genuine Leather Lug Size: 17mm. Please see picture. |
| Box | NA |
| Reference # | NA |
| Made in | Switzerland |
| Water Resistance | No. Please pressure test before water use. |
| Service Level | 3 (Please see Tab below for details) |
| Timing Test ** | ± 10 s/day In-House Time Test Results (See Service Level Tab)** |
| Certified Pre-Owned | NA Passed 25-point inspection. Please see tab below for details. |
| Warranty | NA (Please see Tab below for details) |
| Notes: | All watch functions are tested and operable. |
Having a love for complications and complicated watches, makes me love Chronograph watches. At first two register chronograph for simplicity of the dial and providing chronograph functionality for the most. Then the three-register chronograph for the complication of movement and the history of the movements, like of the iconic Omega Ref. 321, Ref. 861 (used in famous moon landing), Zenith El Primero, Venus mostly used in Breitlings, Landeron, and one of the most well-known movement makers Valjoux. With their famous Valjoux 72 put in the vintage Rolex Pre Daytona’s and of course the big dog Patek Philippe reference 2499 using Valjoux 88 my favorite which sold in auction for $3.30 Million in 2018. I also love the Heuer Caliber 11 first micro automatic chronograph movement with date.
A Chronograph is simply a watch that combines the function of a stopwatch with a timekeeping display watch, by utilizing an independent sweep second hand. Chronographs often have complications on the face of the watch which can be used to record different time measurements, moon cycles, heart rate and more. Chronographs have usually have a separate buttons to stop, start, and reset (unless it is an monopusher) the stopwatch complication, with the start button typically at the two and four o’clock position.
The name Chronograph is derived from the Greek words ‘Chronos’ – the personification of time – and ‘graph’, meaning to write. The first modern Chronograph was created in 1816 by French watchmaker, Louis Moinet. Invented solely for use in union with astrological equipment, Moinet’s Chronograph could measure time accurate to 1/60th of a second – an unrivaled degree of precision at the time of its creation.
"poor man's" Heu-ers represent an interesting facet of Heu-er's history and also provide a sensible way for individuals to collect these chronographs on a more reasonable budget. The term "Poor Man's Heu-er" only to refer to chronographs manufactured by Heu-er for other brands one of which is Zodiac & Clebar, which is one of my favorite brands. Please note on ebay there are few brands that are not made by Heu-er and still refer to as Poor man which is not true.
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I have bought few watches from them and recommend them if you are looking to buy a watch. I as actually able to buy few watches from them that were not listed on their website. Apparently they have a lot of inventory that doesn’t even make it to the website. So if your are looking for vintage watches, you might want email them, if you can’t find it on the site.
Thank you for all the help Raymin.
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