#TBT How A Landeron 149-Powered Gallet Chronograph Became My Vintage Surprise Of The Year
I wasn’t planning on adding this watch to my collection. However, as it often goes, watches that are supposed to find their way to you simply will. And that’s exactly my story with this specific Landeron 149-powered Gallet.
First, I will address why I was not planning to buy this watch. I am a huge Gallet fan but not of later models or ones not powered by fine Venus or Excelsior Park movements. My wish list is still full of many EP- or Venus-powered Gallet watches, and I simply didn’t want to get distracted. There is also the fact that I’m not very knowledgeable about later 1970s models, which vary with different hand styles. I’m never sure which hands are original and aren’t on later Gallet watches.
Image: Lay’s Auctioneers
Finding a Gallet with the Landeron 149 movement
I was aware of this model but wasn’t sure about the hands. The minute hand seemed a bit short to me. Over the last seven years, I have recollected maybe three models that resurface in such a configuration, so I was a bit familiar with them. This one, though, was never on my active radar. I noticed it again last October when a listing from a UK-based auction house popped up. The Gay Frères Bonklip bracelet and case were incredibly worn, but the very honest condition instantly got my attention. I hoped the price would stay low so I could buy it. I was not particularly excited but just wanted to get it as an example of the variety of Gallet watches over time.
A strong result
I watched the auction closely. I even made an effort and registered for a telephone bid because I didn’t want to miss it. When the bids started going up, I got a call from the auction house. Honestly, I was determined to get the watch, but I did not expect it to be such a fight. The online bids went high so quickly that the lady on the phone didn’t even manage to ask me what my maximum was. I hoped it would stay under €700. It ended up at £1,000 (about €1,190) before the buyer’s premium, which could be 25–30% on top of it. All in, it could be €1,500, which was well above what I was able to pay for it.
It surfaces again
A few hours later, I spotted a post on the Gallet Facebook page from a guy excited about landing his first Gallet chronograph. “That’s why it ended up that high,” I remember telling myself when I saw the post. I doubted educated collectors would pay over €1,000 for a beaten-up Landeron-powered Gallet. Anyway, this watch seemed to be old news. It didn’t make me want it anymore, so I forgot about it and moved on.
About six months later, in February of this year, I got a notification that there was a Gallet listed in Sweden. Well, Sweden is not a common country to get Gallet watches from, so I was pretty surprised. I hadn’t found any there yet. That was about to change in a moment. I saw the Gallet with the Landeron 149 listed there. When I noticed a tiny white dot next to the 58-minute marker, I was pretty sure it was the same watch that sold at auction last October.
The deal of the year
Long story short, I scored this Gallet for less than my initial planned bid in that auction. Not to mention, it had already received a complete service. “Patience pays off,” says one of the watch-collecting truths. Still, I waited for the watch to hit my doorstep with little excitement.
Surprise!
Admittedly, it’s not often that an incoming watch surprises me. Usually, reality aligns with my expectations, and I get what I ordered, leaving me neither underwhelmed nor overwhelmed. This time, it was way different. The moment I laid my eyes on it, I thought, “What a beautiful watch this is!” It’s way more beautiful than I expected it to be. It’s a simple, almost ordinary watch, but it has something unique about it. I thought it would go straight to the “archive” watch roll, but instead, I gave it a nice NATO strap and wrapped it around my wrist.
Simplicity
And this Gallet chronograph stayed on my wrist for a full week. It became my workhorse Gallet watch. Until I found this one, I didn’t have a Gallet watch I would take for a weekend workout to my summer house. This Landeron 149 Gallet proved a reliable companion. Its 36mm diameter makes it small and comfortable on the wrist, and the contrasting white hands against the black dial make it perfectly legible. Plus, the sandy, nicely aged lume on the indexes gives it a satisfying vintage vibe.
Details done right
“Cute” — I would say this Gallet watch is just cute. Everything is small but in a graceful way. The sub-dials are maybe half a centimeter in diameter; yes, they are tiny. They could be bigger, but I like that they don’t cut into the lumed indexes. These indexes are no longer than those on a standard watch, but here, they look like they were stretched on a pulley. The lume mass is visible and gives the dial a playful plasticity. After I found this model in an old Gallet catalog, even my doubts about the hand length disappeared.
Last thoughts on the Gallet Landeron 149 chronograph
I didn’t like the watch that much before, but when it arrived, it earned a spot on my “weekend favorites” list instantly. The late Gallet logo style with tiny hands in the “G” looks nicer on this compact model. While the Landeron 149 doesn’t provide much excitement and is not that sensational when operating the pushers, at least it’s an interesting addition to the mostly EP-powered Gallet chronographs I have. If you ever spot this watch in the wild, give it a chance. Happy hunting!
