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{{Hersteller-MenueW|Lemania|114px}}
{{Hersteller-MenueW|Lemania|114px}}


'''Lemania''' was a historic Swiss [[ebauche movement]] manufacturer. It is now called '''Manufacture Breguet''' and is part of [[Breguet]] in the [[Swatch Group]].
'''Lemania''' (originally called '''Lugrin''') was a historic Swiss [[ebauche movement]] and [[complicated]] watch manufacturer. It is now called '''Manufacture Breguet''' and is part of [[Breguet]] in the [[Swatch Group]].


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== Foundation ==
== Foundation by Alfred Lugrin ==
The [[watch]]es and [[watch movement]] [[manufacture]] '''Lemania''' was founded in [[1884]] by Alfred Lugrin (1858-1920), who  had acquired his expertise as a laborer at [[Jaeger-LeCoultre]] in [[Le Sentier]]. Because of the outstanding quality of his watch movements Lugrin received top awards and gold medals at exhibitions in [[1906]] in Milan and in [[1914]] in Bern. From the beginning he had specialized in the production of [[chronograph]]s, stopwatches and [[repeater]]s.


Till the year [[1930]] the factory had the name to Lugrin S.A., until Lugrin's son in law Marius Meylan established the brand name '''Lemania Watch Co.''' with headquarters in [[L'Orient]]. In [[1932]] Lemania, [[Omega]] and [[Tissot]] joined to form the [[SSIH]] group. In close collaboration with Omega great chronograph [[calibre]]s were created.
Alfred Lugrin (1858-1920) established a workshop to manufacture "mécanismes en tous genres", specifically "[[repeater|répétitions]], [[chronograph|chronographs]], [[stopwatch|compteurs]], [[calendar|quantièmes]], [[rattrapante|rattrapantes]], [[dead-beat seconds|arréts de secondes]], etc." in [[l'Orient|l'Orient-de-l'Orbe]] in [[1884]]. Lugrin had previously worked at [[Jaeger-LeCoultre]] in nearby [[Le Sentier]]. He found quick success based on his inventiveness (as reflected by dozens of patents), access to talented watchmakers in the [[Vallée de Joux]], and location between [[Geneva]] and the [[Jura triangle]]. Lugrin advertised heavily through the 1890s, gaining many clients throughout Switzerland and becoming a viable competitor for the nearby [[Le Brassus]] workshop of [[Louis-Elisée Piguet]]. Lugrin and Piguet remain leaders in the field of complicated movements to the present day as [[Manufacture Breguet]] and [[Manufacture Blancpain]], respectively.
 
By [[1893]], Lugrin had built a true factory with hydraulic power, enabling him to produce [[ebauche]]s and invest in modern lathes and other machines. Lugrin's movements were marked with his initials "A.L." along with a star and anchor positioned in a cross or heart.
 
After the turn of the century, Lugrin was increasingly focused on [[repetition]] and [[chronograph]] complications. These earned him a gold medal in Milan in [[1906]] and Berne in [[1914]]. Many Lugrin movements also included advanced calendar functions, including windowed day and month and [[moon phase]]. His chronographs often included [[rattrapante]] functions.
 
The company was known as A. Lugrin & Cie. by [[1908]] but the company was not officially registered as such until January 13, [[1913]]. It was reorganized as a Société Anonyme on March 12, [[1918]]. Société Anonyme de la Fabrique d'Horlogerie Lugrin was initially capitalized with 150,000 francs and absorbed the assets of A. Lugrin & Cie, which was deleted from the register in [[1919]]. Lugrin had long had a branch in [[La Chaux-de-Fonds]] and this was officially registered by Lugrin S.A. in [[1920]].
 
==Lemania Watch Co.==
 
Alfred Lugrin died on December 27, [[1920]], leaving the firm to his son in law, Marius Meylan. Lugrin only added Meylan to management at the end of his life, and the official registration did not appear until March, [[1921]].
 
Lugrin had used the '''Lemania''' brand name since at least [[1908]], specifically for repeater watches. Chronographs without repetition were specifically not branded using the Lemania name. But the Lemania brand name was also used by Louis Mermin of [[Geneva]] in later years. Mermin registered his firm in [[1915]] and originally used the Astoria brand, renaming the company Fabrique Lemania in [[1918]]. He specialized in wristwatches and pendant watches in the latest styles for export. Mermin's company soon failed and was deleted from the commercial register in August [[1924]], a month after Meylan claimed the brand officially, re-registering his family firm as Fabrique d'Horlogerie Lemania Lugrin S.A. (Lemania Watch Co. Lugrin Limited) on July 30.
 
The La Chaux-de-Fonds branch was closed in [[1932]], with Lemania Lugrin focused in the Vallée de Joux from that point on.
 
In [[1932]] Lemania, [[Omega]] and [[Tissot]] joined to form the [[SSIH]] group. In close collaboration with Omega great chronograph [[calibre]]s were created.


The Lemania [[Lemania 1873|Calibre 1873]] (Omega [[Omega 861|Calibre 861]]) became particularly famous with the [[Omega Speedmaster Professional|Omega Speedmaster]], which in [[1962]] was selected by NASA for manned space flights and on 21 July [[1969]] accompanied Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. Lemania then worked with Omega to develop a high-quality [[cam switching]] [[automatic chronograph]], launching their [[Lemania 1340|Cal. 1340]] in [[1972]]. This was followed by the [[1974]] introduction of [[Lemania 5100|Cal. 5100]].
The Lemania [[Lemania 1873|Calibre 1873]] (Omega [[Omega 861|Calibre 861]]) became particularly famous with the [[Omega Speedmaster Professional|Omega Speedmaster]], which in [[1962]] was selected by NASA for manned space flights and on 21 July [[1969]] accompanied Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. Lemania then worked with Omega to develop a high-quality [[cam switching]] [[automatic chronograph]], launching their [[Lemania 1340|Cal. 1340]] in [[1972]]. This was followed by the [[1974]] introduction of [[Lemania 5100|Cal. 5100]].

Revision as of 16:59, 3 October 2022

Lemania (originally called Lugrin) was a historic Swiss ebauche movement and complicated watch manufacturer. It is now called Manufacture Breguet and is part of Breguet in the Swatch Group.

Foundation by Alfred Lugrin

Alfred Lugrin (1858-1920) established a workshop to manufacture "mécanismes en tous genres", specifically "répétitions, chronographs, compteurs, quantièmes, rattrapantes, arréts de secondes, etc." in l'Orient-de-l'Orbe in 1884. Lugrin had previously worked at Jaeger-LeCoultre in nearby Le Sentier. He found quick success based on his inventiveness (as reflected by dozens of patents), access to talented watchmakers in the Vallée de Joux, and location between Geneva and the Jura triangle. Lugrin advertised heavily through the 1890s, gaining many clients throughout Switzerland and becoming a viable competitor for the nearby Le Brassus workshop of Louis-Elisée Piguet. Lugrin and Piguet remain leaders in the field of complicated movements to the present day as Manufacture Breguet and Manufacture Blancpain, respectively.

By 1893, Lugrin had built a true factory with hydraulic power, enabling him to produce ebauches and invest in modern lathes and other machines. Lugrin's movements were marked with his initials "A.L." along with a star and anchor positioned in a cross or heart.

After the turn of the century, Lugrin was increasingly focused on repetition and chronograph complications. These earned him a gold medal in Milan in 1906 and Berne in 1914. Many Lugrin movements also included advanced calendar functions, including windowed day and month and moon phase. His chronographs often included rattrapante functions.

The company was known as A. Lugrin & Cie. by 1908 but the company was not officially registered as such until January 13, 1913. It was reorganized as a Société Anonyme on March 12, 1918. Société Anonyme de la Fabrique d'Horlogerie Lugrin was initially capitalized with 150,000 francs and absorbed the assets of A. Lugrin & Cie, which was deleted from the register in 1919. Lugrin had long had a branch in La Chaux-de-Fonds and this was officially registered by Lugrin S.A. in 1920.

Lemania Watch Co.

Alfred Lugrin died on December 27, 1920, leaving the firm to his son in law, Marius Meylan. Lugrin only added Meylan to management at the end of his life, and the official registration did not appear until March, 1921.

Lugrin had used the Lemania brand name since at least 1908, specifically for repeater watches. Chronographs without repetition were specifically not branded using the Lemania name. But the Lemania brand name was also used by Louis Mermin of Geneva in later years. Mermin registered his firm in 1915 and originally used the Astoria brand, renaming the company Fabrique Lemania in 1918. He specialized in wristwatches and pendant watches in the latest styles for export. Mermin's company soon failed and was deleted from the commercial register in August 1924, a month after Meylan claimed the brand officially, re-registering his family firm as Fabrique d'Horlogerie Lemania Lugrin S.A. (Lemania Watch Co. Lugrin Limited) on July 30.

The La Chaux-de-Fonds branch was closed in 1932, with Lemania Lugrin focused in the Vallée de Joux from that point on.

In 1932 Lemania, Omega and Tissot joined to form the SSIH group. In close collaboration with Omega great chronograph calibres were created.

The Lemania Calibre 1873 (Omega Calibre 861) became particularly famous with the Omega Speedmaster, which in 1962 was selected by NASA for manned space flights and on 21 July 1969 accompanied Neil Armstrong's first steps on the moon. Lemania then worked with Omega to develop a high-quality cam switching automatic chronograph, launching their Cal. 1340 in 1972. This was followed by the 1974 introduction of Cal. 5100.

With the advent of electronic watches in the 1970s the sales of mechanical watches by the SSIH group broke in massively. In 1980 the creditor banks gave Nicolas Hayek the mandate to restructure the group. As part of a management buy-out Lemania was separated by the SSIH Group in 1981 and changed its name to Nouvelle Lemania. In 1992, Nouvelle Lemania was brought under the Groupe Horloger Breguet banner. At this time, the company re-introduced their cam-switching automatic chronograph as Cal. 1350. They constructed a new manufacture in L’Abbaye in 1996.

Breguet was acquired by the Swatch Group in 1999. Over the next decade, the Lemania name was retired, with the company now called Manufacture Breguet. The company primarily produces calibres for Breguet, but many of its products are also used by other Swatch Group brands. Although Lemania's ownership by SSIH brought it very close to ASUAG, Ebauches SA, and SMH/Swatch Group, it was never part of this conglomerate or of ETA, their movement manufacturer.

Movements

Lemania has produced many famous movements, including the following:

Weblinks

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