Gallet & Cie has been around for so long that archeologists have probably dug up a fossilized Gallet clock right next to trilobites.

Ok, that’s slightly exaggerated, but when a watchmaker has been around since 1466, it’s fair to say they know a thing or two about horology and watch making.

Come the post-War boom of the 1950s, a newly formed leisure class found the time, wealth, and appetite for sports such as SCUBA diving, motoring, and sailing.

To cater to those who enjoyed the latter, many watch companies devised modified chronographs that allowed the user to time the countdown to a regatta. Gallet, founded in Switzerland in 1466, was one such brand. From one-off handmade pocket watches for kings to some of the first mass-produced wristwatches in history, there is little road in the timekeeping industry on which Gallet hasn't tread in their 500 year history.

By the 1960s, Gallet had devised an excellent version of its Multichron chronograph dedicated to helmsmen and skippers. Dubbed by collectors the Multichron Yachting ‘Big Eye,’ it joined a long list of Gallet-devised innovations including the first wrist-worn chronograph, the first waterproof chronograph, the first regatta timer, the first chronograph with GMT hand and the first chronograph with built-in worldtimer...just to name a few.

The watch we have here, a Multichron 12, is a 'waterproof' variant coming in at nearly perfect 37mm in diameter with a screw-down caseback, barrel pushers, and a faceted bezel. Inside, it has a beautifully patinated satin silver dial with Radium 'Arabic' indices, recessed 'radial' sub registers, a blued-steel handset throughout, and the Excelsior Park Calibre EP40 hand-cranking movement.

Versatile, simple, and timeless in its design, this piece makes for not just a great addition for the Gallet collector, but for anyone looking to get into a proper vintage chronograph with a knockout pedigree and undeniable horological prowess.