Hall of Fame: Lemania 5100

So far, watches have been getting all the attention of our Hall of Fame. This time around, it’s the heart of the watch that’s getting the spotlight. One of the most utilitarian, reliable, and functional movements to ever be placed in a watch case – the Lemania 5100 – is the latest entry into the Wound For Life Hall of Fame.

Prior to the full-on impact of the quartz crisis, a major focus of the mechanical watch industry was the improvement of automatic chronographs, from both technical and financial standpoints. One of the first steps towards achieving these goals was to consolidate the use of auto-chronos to select, mass-produced movements. In the early 1970s, Lemania and Valjoux released the caliber 1340 and 7750, respectively. The 7750 is still ubiquitous to this day, and the 1340 lived a good, long life into the mid-1980s (more or less reborn in the 1990s as the caliber 1350). However, what we’re most concerned about here is the 1340s evolution into the Lemania 5100 – the next step towards reducing costs.

Shot of the base Lemania 5100

Before getting into how the Lemania 5100 cut costs, let’s talk about functionality. Taking after its predecessor, the 5100 featured the chronograph seconds and minutes on the main dial, as well as a 12-hour counter at the 6:00 position, running seconds at 9:00, and a date function. The central minutes counter is one of our favorite tool watch features, as it makes accurate reading of a chronograph quick and intuitive. In addition to the caliber 1340 carryover, the 5100 added a day function, and made the 24-hour subdial stock, whereas only certain 1340s included it when watchmakers chose to do so. The total functionality package made for an ideal tool watch, so it’s no wonder why it was a popular choice amongst various militaries of the world.

Putting aside the minor changes to the dial layout, where the Lemania 5100 really altered was in its construction. Just like the caliber 1340, the 5100 utilized a cam-actuated chronograph mechanism. However, instead of being located between the rotor and base plate, as is the usual, the mechanism was moved in between the dial and base plate. This construction allowed for a very simple, if not old-fashioned, winding functionality. For example, rather than having a separate click interacting with the ratchet wheel, the yoke spring handled this duty in addition to its part in the time setting mechanism.

Sinn 156 Military — photo courtesy of brown-snout.com

In an attempt to bring mechanical watch movements up to speed, Lemania opted for certain parts to be made with nylon. An obvious attempt at cost cutting, the use of plastics was also innovative at the time. Several parts were made from nylon, including certain wheels and pinions, and the day/date wheels. Factoring in the pillar-mounted construction of the plates and bridges, the Lemania 5100 was able to cut costs like no other.

Tutima Bund Chronograph — photo courtesy of watchuknow.com

Militaries have certain requirements that must be met when it comes to just about any piece of equipment. It needs to be functional, and we know the 5100 had that box checked. It needs to be cost efficient – no problem there. And, just as importantly, it needs to be robust. To increase the robust nature of the movement, Lemania added supports to either side of the movement, which increased shock protection. What’s more, the 5100 is one of the only chronograph movements where shock has very little effect on the chronograph second hand’s movement. Most chronograph mechanisms utilize an intermediary wheel to drive the chronograph second hand, which is susceptible to stopping when exposed to shock. The 5100 forewent that design, opting for a direct drive system, a move that made it virtually impervious to shock-induced stoppage, aside from cases of extreme shock. For many years, the German military found the 5100 to be the only acceptable movement for its purposes, largely due to the outstanding shock resistance.

Orfina Porsche Design Bund with tritium symbol — photo courtesy of Al from ATG Vintage Watch Forums

The early adopters of the Lemania 5100 were Omega, Sinn, Heuer, and Orfina, and as the 1980s wore on, Tutima and Fortis got in on the action. The Porsche Design Orfina was the first to become a Germany military-issued 5100, followed by Tutima in 1985. The Sinn 140 MkII (which evolved into the popular 142) has serious space provenance, following Seiko as the second automatic chronograph to leave the comfort of Earth’s atmosphere. If it weren’t for the 5100’s utter utility, it might have died an early death. However, government contracts kept it afloat for quite some time. Despite the 5100 becoming dated, it has only been within the last ten years or so that the Swatch Group stopped producing it. Tutima managed to outfit their military watch beyond discontinuation, but this is likely due to using up existing stock. Today, Sinn, Tutima, and Bell & Ross have modified movements that mimic the look of the 5100, allowing it to live on in spirit.

Lemania’s caliber 5100 has become a legend in the collecting world. There are some folks out there who only collect 5100s, similar to the Valjoux 72 cult following. Although the 5100 is no longer made, the second hand market is a great place to get your hands on one. Some of the most notable, from a collecting standpoint, are the Sinn EZM1, Sinn 156 (which was intended to be the follow-on to the Heuer Bundeswehr Flyback), Omega Speedmaster ref 376.0822 “Holy Grail”, the Orfina Porsche Design, and any early military issued pieces. Prices can obviously vary, but it’s not a difficult task to find a 5100-powered watch for less than $2,000. That said, vintage military pieces, or the early EZM1s will land you around the $4,000 range, and the “Holy Grail” Speedmaster even higher, sometimes around $8,000.

There’s no denying that tool watches are our bag. Don’t get us wrong, we love haute horology as well, but there’s something about a mechanical watch able to take just about any kind of punishment that gets us excited. That’s why the Lemania 5100 appeals to us so much, and that’s why it’s in our Hall of Fame. For 30 years, the Lemania 5100 was featured in countless watches, and survived not only the harshest environments, but also the natural advancements in watchmaking. With the Swatch Group holding the rights, we can only hope the 5100 is revived sometime in the future (hint hint, Mr. Hayek). For now, we’ll have to revel in its history.

Featured photo of PVD-coated Sinn 142 courtesy of Adam Craniotes.

by