FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION IS AN UNBELIEVABLY SHARP LATE 60s TISSOT PR516 RACING LEMANIA CHRONO WITH COOL PULSATIONS/TACHYMETER BAKELITE BEZEL.
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CASE: BARREL SHAPED TONNEAU CASE IN MINTY CONDITION. THIS THING LOOKS LIKE IT MUST HAVE BEEN A SAFE-QUEEN. SHE MEASURES A NICE 36.5 NOT INCLUDING ORIGINAL SIGNED CROWN BY 43mm LUG TO LUG. THIS IS ONE OF THE ICONIC TISSOT CASE SHAPES, FOR SURE. LOOK AT THAT CRISP BRUSHED TOP AND THOSE RAZOR SHARP EDGES WHERE IT MEETS THE MIRRORED SIDES. I LOVE THAT BLACK/WHITE TACHYMETRE/PULSATIONS BEZEL WHICH IS PARTIALLY SUNKEN INTO THE CASE. IT'S HARD TO FIND THESE BAKELITE BEZELS IN THIS TYPE OF CONDITION. JUST A TOTAL BEAUTY.
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DIAL: GOOD LORD, THIS THING IS SMOKIN' HOT. THERE'S JUST SOMETHING SO BALANCED AND WELL PROPORTIONED ABOUT THIS DEEP MATTE BLACK DIAL WITH THOSE VIBRANT PIE-PAN SILVERY WHITE SUBDIALS. THOSE PROMINENT LUME STRIPES AND THE 3 LINES OF TEXT ON THE DIAL ARE BOLD AND VERY LEGIBLE. THAT DEEP SLOPING MINUTE CHAPTER RING AND THOSE SUNKEN SUBDIALS REALLY ADD A SENSE OF DEPTH TO THIS DIAL. YOU GOTTA DIG THE CLASSIC TISSOT SYRINGE WHITE HANDS WITH MATTE BLACK ACCENTS. CAN YOU BELIEVE HOW CREAMY THE LUME IS ON THOSE HANDS? ALL THIS VIEWED UNDER THE ORIGINAL SLIGHLTY DOMED ACRYLIC CRYSTAL WHICH REALY FLOWS SEAMLESSLY WITH THE CASE AND THE BEZEL
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MOVEMENT: THIS DUDE IS POWERED BY A LEMANIA CAL.1277 17J CHRONOGRAPH MOVEMENT, WHICH I BELIEVE WAS ONLY USED IN TISSOT WATCHES BUT IS THE 2 REGISTER VERSION OF THE OMEGA 861(USED IN THE SPEEDY PRO). SERVICE HISTORY IS UNKNOWN, BUT THE WATCH IS KEEPING STRONG TIME WITH GOOD AMPLITUDE ON THE TIMEGRAPHER. THE TOP PUSHER IS MILDLY STICKY, BUT RETURNS WITH NO PROBLEM SECONDS AFTER DEPRESSING. EVERYTHING ZEROS OUT AS IT SHOULD ON THE CHRONO.
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THIS SEASTAR IS JUST SO DAMN COOL. THAT'S REALLY ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT. ONE OF THE MORE RARELY SEEN PR516 CHRONOGRAPHS. THIS ONE HAS A TON OF PEDIGREE WITH ITS LEMANIA 1277 MOVEMENT WHICH IS CLOSELY RELATED TO THE LEMANIA 861 THAT POWERED THE OMEGA SPEEDMASTER PROFESSIONAL. IT'S RARE TO FIND ONE OF THESE IN SUCH CLEAN SHAPE. I THINK IT LOOKS TOTALLY TOPS MOUNTED ON THIS VINTAGE STYLE DARK BROWN RALLYE STRAP. IF YOU CONSIDER HOW EXPENSIVE VINTAGE SPEEDMASTERS HAVE BECOME, THESE LEMANIA POWERED TISSOTS ARE A TOTAL VALUE PROPOSITION AND JUST AS COOL AND CLASSIC. WITH THAT PULSATIONS/TACHY BEZEL, THIS IS FOR THE MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL WHO LIKES TO TAKE THE PORSCHE TO THE RACE TRACK ON THE WEEKENDS.
