Lemania Chronograph (I need help)

[mcbrian]

Good evening This is my first post here apparently. I just bought this Lemania on Ebay. I'm really bad when it comes to vintage watches but I loved the look of it... Can anybody confirm that this model really exists or is it rather a self-made-thing?

Thanks a lot for your help, and kind regards from Switzerland

[DaveS]

Hi
I think you have a franken there.
What I mean is that you have a marriage of things that fit together, but were never put tgether in a factory in the 1970s, when this dates from.
The case is Mk III Omega Speedmaster. It is unique, of that ther is no doubt, and it even retains the Omega crown. I believe the tachy ring is also from the MkIII
The caseback is from elsewhere and has been sterilised, the name removed from the inside.
The movement (Lemania 1341) is almost identical to the intended Omega 1040 movement that was housed in this case, but is from elsewhere.
The chrono hands are mismatched for colour and the chrono-seconds is the wrong shape.
I am not sure the main hands would have been chromed with a dark blue dial
So, lots of lovely individual components, put together to make a nice watch that is clearly not original.
Hope this helps
Dave

[mcbrian]

Hi
I think you have a franken there.
What I mean is that you have a marriage of things that fit together, but were never put tgether in a factory in the 1970s, when this dates from.
The case is Mk III Omega Speedmaster. It is unique, of that ther is no doubt, and it even retains the Omega crown. I believe the tachy ring is also from the MkIII
The caseback is from elsewhere and has been sterilised, the name removed from the inside.
The movement (Lemania 1341) is almost identical to the intended Omega 1040 movement that was housed in this case, but is from elsewhere.
The chrono hands are mismatched for colour and the chrono-seconds is the wrong shape.
I am not sure the main hands would have been chromed with a dark blue dial
So, lots of lovely individual components, put together to make a nice watch that is clearly not original.
Hope this helps
Dave

Thank you so much for all your help. Can you rule out that Lemania ever issued their own (cheaper) version of Speedmaster MKIII (as they did with Big Blue for instance)? I informed the seller with all these infos given and keep you updated Thanks again

[DaveS]

Yes, ALL speedy cases are Omega only. I can rule out Lemania using it.
And Lemania never issued their own version of the big blue, at least not one with the same case. Never, I can assure you.
Omega occasionally bought in cases for short run watches (the Omegs FIFA, for instance) but very rarely, and never for the Speedy range. These cases were Omega derived, and for Omega use only
Dave